Matthew 6:6-7
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
I am a huge fan of sacred spaces and believe every woman should have one to escape to, even if it is a few feet in a closet. This may sound more like a luxury, than a reality, especially if you are short on space in your home. But, with a little creativity, I am confident that you can carve out a sacred space to use to spend alone time with God, read the scriptures, sit in prayer, and nurture your spiritual life.
I live in small bungalow with my daughter. Our space is definitely limited and I have often complained about not being able to stretch out enough, especially with one bathroom and a teen (seriously, what do they do in there?). But, I have learned to be grateful for the space I am blessed with and decided to make the best use of it until I move to a larger house in a few years. Now, don't misunderstand me, my little home has given us precious memories with friends, held up to 30 kids for our many parties, and has given us the room to celebrate cherished traditions, but, it was only in the last few months I decided to be intentional about creating a special place of my own. I love this new space so much that I knew I had to share with you some ideas on creating a sacred space of your own!
Why a Sacred Space of Your Own?
Friends, it is important to our spiritual wellbeing to unplug and and plug into God on a daily basis. In my last post, "Replenish, Refresh and Restore Through Rest in Jesus," I discuss why finding rest in Jesus is central to living in alignment with God's will and purpose for our life. Today, I want to offer you practical ways to create that sacred space to dive into the word of God, to study, pray, and be intimate with your Father. As women we have this incredible ability to build safe and cozy cocoons for our kids, our spouse, our friends and family. We desire for everyone to feel as though they belong in our home and will want to return when they leave to the spaces we so carefully craft. In this nurturing act, we often neglect to nurture ourselves and build that space for us. Guess what? You deserve that sacred space too!
Ideas on Creating Your Sweet Refuge
You may be thinking, this sounds great, but where do I start? Start by taking inventory of the spaces in your house and how you are using them. Is there a room that is used only for storage, but you could store that stuff somewhere else? Do you have a spare or guest bedroom that you never use? Is there an attic space that has some extra room? Do you have an outdoor shed? A walk-in closet that's not filled to the brim? Or maybe there really is no extra space, and that is okay! During a certain time of the day my grandmother's kitchen table became her little corner of the world when she was spending time with God! Pick a corner in the house and maximize it into a sacred space! Or create a corner in your bedroom and arrange a comfortable chair and a little table with a lamp. You can make it work!
How to Fill Your Sacred Space
This is where it gets super personal! Fill your space with the things that are special to you and make you smile! Cozy throws, pillows, favorite pictures, books, candles anything that brings you peace should surround you!
The Prayer Basket
If you are retreating to your sacred space to spend time with God, I suggest putting together a prayer basket. A prayer basket contains everything you need in your quiet time with God. My prayer basket consists of:
My favorite messy Bible, which has tons of my handwritten notes in the margins.
2 Journals. One journal is for my thoughts and prayers, and the other is for notes I take when studying scriptures.
A Nelson's Bible Dictionary Commentary and other resources I inherited from my grandparents.
Pens, pencils and highlighters.
A small notebook for a prayer list.
The latest devotional I am reading.
My grandma's handkerchief because it brings me joy!
During my quiet time I always have a freshly brewed cup of coffee, my warm throw nearby, and a yummy smelling candle burning.
Prayer baskets keep everything neatly in one place so that you are not wasting time searching for a pen, instead it is at your fingertips. Place your prayer basket next to your chair, or bed, or wherever you plan to get quiet with God so that you can maximize your time with the Lord! I have a resource you can download at the end of this post, with ideas on how to create your prayer basket and some of my favorite places to get those items!
When you decide to spend time with God is a personal decision only you can make. For some of us it 5:00 am is the golden hour, because the house is quiet, for others night time is right time. Lucky for us God doesn't keep business hours, he is always available! Different seasons in your life can be a determining factor when you have your alone time, all that matters is it happens.
Boundaries Around Your Sacred Space
What's mine is yours...except my sacred space! That is boundaries my friend. Listen, I love my kid and honestly she slept in my bed well beyond the time she should have even though she had her own room. But, we do deserve our own space. It is okay to put up boundaries. Explain to your kids why this space is important to you and make clear the boundaries you expect them to respect. You may be surprised how your boundaries may be the catalyst for your kids to create a little space of their own.
A Peek Into My Sacred Space
The room above is my sacred space! This was our spare room/den, which is now my bedroom and sacred space. My original bedroom is a lot bigger, but I decided to let my daughter move in there, since she needs the space more than I do. Her original room was in a remodeled attic room, which we plan to transform into a family room later this year.
Previously, in the den there was a desk, a bookcase, and a chaise, it was a normal home office and at one point a storage space while I was painting other rooms. The room was underutilized, and it was time for something different. I envisioned a boho, serene space, that I would look forward to retreating to any time of the of the day. In a sense I downsized in every way. I ordered a smaller bed, added lighter elements, more layers, and functional storage spaces. Everything in this room brings me to a happy place. I do plan on adding a big comfy chair for my prayer time, but currently I either sit on my bed propped up by pillows or relax on my chaise. Can I tell you, I absolutely love this room!
I hope you are encouraged to create a sacred space of your own, and more importantly to use that space to grow closer to God.
Create Your Prayer Basket Download!
Download this handy resource on making a prayer basket and if you are so inclined make one for a friend too! Prayer baskets are great Valentines Day and Mother's Day gifts!