At CRY, whilst we fight against physical poverty, we also seek to address poverty holistically, including its spiritual dimension.
With and through our partners, we never force any child to engage in spiritual practices; participation is entirely voluntary.
However, for those who choose to take part, prayer can provide a safe and meaningful way to find inner healing, process past trauma, and develop a greater sense of hope, peace, and resilience.
Prayer Spaces with 24-7 Prayer
For the past few years, CRY has been privileged to partner with the internationally recognised ministry 24-7 Prayer. Following a team member’s visit to our gathering in Tanzania, we began exploring new ways to help children and young people encounter prayer in creative and meaningful ways.
One exciting outcome has been the development of Prayer Spaces in children's homes, schools and other settings across Africa. These interactive spaces give children and staff opportunities to reflect, pray, be honest about their experiences, and explore their relationship with God.
Phil Sokell-Miles (above) led a training session on Prayer Spaces during our recent Tanzania Education Forum.
The first official 24-7 Prayer × CRY Prayer Spaces have now been successfully piloted and launched in Madagascar, Tanzania and Togo — with incredibly encouraging feedback.
A space for healing
In Madagascar, one Prayer Space became a moving time of healing for both teenagers and staff. Despite having to improvise with the equipment available, the different activities opened the door to powerful moments of reflection, honesty and prayer.
Through activities such as the Friendship Flower, Praying for the World, Forgiveness Stones, Be Still Chair and Be Yourself Mirror (courtesy of the Prayer Spaces In School website), young people were able to bring their hopes, questions and struggles before God.
Ninah (above) is the Director of Le Triomphe Children’s Home, a long-standing partner of CRY. She explains how each prayer activity works, following her desire to create a dedicated prayer space inspired by the Tanzania Forum workshop led by Phil.
Once the session started, some asked deeply painful questions, including: “Why am I an orphan, and why is my family so poor?” Others found space to process grief, anxiety and difficult experiences from their past.
One girl, F., shared that using the Forgiveness Stones helped her genuinely forgive a family member who had hurt her when she was younger. She described the experience as a powerful moment of healing and came away with a renewed sense that God had a future for her.
A teacher who had been struggling with severe anxiety following an operation also experienced a profound sense of peace while sitting in the Be Still Chair.
There were quieter moments too. J. spent time weeping, releasing grief he had been carrying. F. described feeling “light” afterwards, amazed that she could be completely honest with God while experiencing His love so deeply.
Small moments, lasting impact
Perhaps one of the most encouraging stories came from D, a teenager who had been struggling at school and at the children's home. During the Prayer Space, his teacher saw him kneel down and pray voluntarily for the first time.
Later, after reflecting in front of the Be Yourself Mirror, D. wrote a letter expressing his desire to change and pursue his goals.
These moments may seem small, but they represent something significant: young people discovering that prayer can be a safe place to bring their questions, pain, hopes and dreams.
Finally, below are some images from Togo and Tanzania—to give you a glimpse of what has already happened, but also a taste of what is to come.
All these projects will use these spaces to create opportunities for children who are willing to engage in prayer and grow in their relationship with God.
Above are the children in Togo engaging with the different prayer activities, including the simple yet deeply meaningful exercise—the “Be Still” chair.
Above, children in Tanzania are busy writing their prayers to God and personally reflecting on forgiveness through their creatively made “Tree of Forgiveness.”
Looking ahead
The early feedback from Madagascar, Tanzania and Togo has been overwhelmingly positive. Prayer Spaces are creating opportunities for children, teenagers and staff to experience healing, honesty, forgiveness, peace and hope.
We’re incredibly grateful to 24-7 Prayer for partnering with us to make these spaces possible. We’re excited to see how God will use our ongoing collaboration to bring hope, healing, and transformation to communities across Africa, especially as several other CRY partners in different nations prepare to launch their own Prayer Spaces.
Watch this space as more prayer spaces emerge across nations, creating beautiful opportunities for children everywhere to encounter God through prayer!
