Creating a prayer corner
Recently, while searching the internet for a prayer of blessing for icons, I stumbled across a forum where I found the following short interchange.
“What exactly is mandatory to have in a prayer corner?”
“Prayer”
My first reading of this exchange caused me to laugh out loud at the sarcasm underlying the curt answer to the question posed. Upon second thought, it seems to be the only correct answer. There are many things that could be present in a prayer corner, but prayer is indeed the only essential element necessary.
Today I was able to set up a prayer corner for my new living space at St. Thomas. It will also be my workspace for writing icons, but since the creation of icons is first and foremost a form of prayer, this seems very appropriate to me. The entire process of writing my first icon of St. Michael the Archangel was overwhelming, and at least one area where this expressed itself was how I could not cease from gazing into the eyes of this image of God’s messenger. One very real way of entering into prayer is to look into the eyes of God and to realize he is doing the same. It is a vulnerable and humbling way of praying.
My own suggestion regarding a prayer corner is that whatever is placed there will assist one to enter more fully into God’s presence. It also helps when it is simple enough to avoid the common distractions that invariably arise when one tries to quiet the soul. The space that I have created for myself contains the Bible, icons to contemplate, various books for spiritual reading and the growing collection of artist’s tools necessary for creating an icon. It also allows easy access to music since that can sometimes be an aid to my own entrance to prayer.
It gladdens my spirit to now have a special place that reminds me of the need for continual prayer. I’m sure in the coming weeks, months and years various items will make their way into and out of this space, but I hope one item never absent is prayer.
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