Visions of a Prayer House 

We have spent years praying, raising funds, and imagining a place set apart for prayer at the Community of the Cross. Creating a space soaked in worship, intercession, petitions, and thanksgiving.

A place to worship God by singing and dancing before the Lord.

A place with rooms for private prayer, prayer ministry, prayer groups, and the joining together of people onsite and online as our voices rise in intercession. 

Almost There 

After hearing it would be completed by the new year, we planned the commissioning of the new PRMI Prayer House during our Dunamis Fellowship International (DFI) Annual Gathering on January 21, 2023.  

Two months before that date, it looked doable. There was work left to be done before we could get a Certificate of Occupancy (allowing us to legally meet inside the PRMI Prayer House), but we were on track to be done early in January. 

The Challenges Started Piling Up 

The installation of the water pipes was delayed because of the delayed delivery of material. Rain interfered with digging for pipes and cables.

While digging in the rain for the placement of the pipes, a cable for the office internet was cut and had to be repaired. More rain softened the ground and a 1000-gallon propane tank slid off the bank behind the Prayer House causing a gas leak that needed repair – more time lost. 

Every day of those two months was fraught with excitement and anxiety.

What happened to the septic pump that was supposed to have been ordered and installed weeks ago? Because we did not have a septic pump, we could not turn on the water. Because we could not turn on the water, the construction site could not be cleaned up.

At the same time, we had too much water from the rain, creating a mudhole that had to be filled in with another load of gravel.  

And the deadline was getting closer by the day.

In the meantime, the PRMI staff had to prepare for PRMI’s Board and DFI meetings.

Can you feel the stress rising??? 

In the End… God

We could not get a Certificate of Occupancy in time. We had to meet outside instead of inside the PRMI Prayer House for the Commissioning Service.  

But once again, God showed us that while buildings are important, the Holy Spirit is not limited to buildings.

Worship is not limited by physical construction.

Prayer does not require concrete. 

So, while we still anticipate all that God will do in and through the Prayer House, we rejoiced together. We heard stories of not only the construction of the PRMI Prayer House but of biblical examples of other consecrations of special places.

We sang and prayed and interceded in the open air, just as we anticipate doing those things inside the PRMI Prayer House soon. We participated in a wonderful service giving glory to God.  

God gave us a beautiful, if chilly, day. About 100 people gathered onsite and another 100 online to join the celebration.

The service, planned by Becki Neumann, Earl Rutledge, Cindy Strickler, and Brad Long, which featured many voices, including a few over the internet.

The focus was not on building the PRMI Prayer House, but on worship and gratitude to the God who is in the process of building a community of prayer. 

A special thank you to the many people involved: the tech team, hospitality servers, traffic directors, and everyone who attended to make this such a special event.