“Jesus was praying in a certain place,” the gospel tells us. In our gospel passage today, that phrase is a simple lead-in setting the stage for teaching the “Lord’s Prayer.” The phrase, “a certain place,” however has grabbed my attention. A certain place, a prayer place—Jesus had one; what does that mean to us today? We can pray anywhere, anytime, of course, and we have the opportunity to come together on Sunday mornings at Trinity and on Wednesday in the Memorial Garden, so do we need a certain place set aside for prayer in our home? Jesus seems to think so. In his “Sermon on the Mount,” he directed his listeners: “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt.6:6)

One of the reasons for having a certain place for prayer, I think, is that we are creatures of habit. If we have a certain place where we spend time in prayer, we will find that the place calls us to prayer even when we think we are to busy to pray. As the place becomes bathed in our prayer over time, just being there enables us to settle down more quickly and easily, to set aside the distractions of the day while we focus our attention on God.

My prayer chair is in my library surrounded by resources for spiritual reading, which may become part of my prayer. There is a crucifix on the wall across from me, and in my viewshed are three favorite icons to focus my attention. A finger labyrinth that I might use is nearby. I am fortunate to have such a generous space, but size is not a requirement for our certain place. Some years ago, a retreat leader, who had in earlier years had four children in five years, related how she established her certain place in their small house. In the bedroom was the rocking chair she used to rock the babies. She taught the children that when the rocking chair was facing the corner, it was her prayer chair, and she was not to be disturbed. Obviously, where there’s a will, there’s a way, regardless of whatever limitations you may have in your living space.