A prayer table is a symbolic and instructional asset to the religion classroom.
A prayer table can add so much to your religious education classroom. It serves as a reminder that your classroom is a place of faith, and it can turn any space - whether it’s in a school, in your home, or in the corner of your church basement – into a warm, spiritual atmosphere.
Your classroom prayer table can be the center of prayer and scripture reading for your class. Be sure it’s big enough to hold all the things you want on it and the right size to gather your class around it.
Tell your students when they are at the prayer table, they are to be calm and still. Although they’re symbols, the items on the prayer table command respect and reverence.
The Prayer Cloth: a Group Project
Let your students contribute by making a prayer cloth. Here are some ideas for prayer cloths that can serve as a covering for your prayer table:
- Trace each child’s hand on a plain white tablecloth, using fabric markers. Let each child decorate the space around his hand and write his name.
- Give each child a square of fabric and have him decorate it with his name and a symbol of something they’ll be learning this year (dove, heart, communion cup, cross), using fabric paints in squeeze bottles. Sew the squares together in a patchwork cloth.
- If you have a general theme for the year, incorporate that into your prayer cloth. For example, if your class is making its first communion this year, use fabric with a grapevine design.
Note: When decorating a prayer cloth, be aware of what part of the cloth will show when it’s on the table. If the table will be against a wall, whatever is on the back will not show. If the prayer table is round, a circular prayer cloth will hide decorations in the folds near the top.
Items on Your Prayer Table
Several items should always be there:
- A Bible: A beautiful prayer table has a Bible propped up slightly and lying open. If you don’t have a book stand, you can make one by cutting a cardboard box and adding a strip of cardboard at the base, to keep the book from slipping off. Cover the stand with contact paper for a nice look.
- A candle: A lit candle will provide a soothing, peaceful atmosphere.
- A cross: Preferably a crucifix, a cross will add perspective. If your cross doesn’t stand upright, place it in a ball of clay and flatten it to make a stand.
Themes and Additions
Each week, add something new to the prayer table.
- In the spring, a small potted plant, to remind your class to thank God for the new life you see all around you.
- In autumn, a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables.
- If you’re having a canned food drive, have the children place their donations on the prayer table.
- Have your class scan the newspaper for people who need prayers. The children can place their newspaper clippings on the prayer table during prayer time.
- Place a globe on the prayer table and pray for people all over the world who are suffering.
- When discussing communion, add a loaf of bread and a cluster of grapes (real or fake from a craft store.
- Place a cigar box (covered with contact paper and decorated) on the prayer table and use it as a prayer box. Children can write prayers on small strips of paper and place them in the box as they come into class. At prayer time, take out the prayer requests and pray for them as a class.
For more on teaching children about prayer, see:
