Prayer Room Is Open for Students, Ministries, and Churches
By Luke Brown, Dartmouth ’18
Empowered by the Prayer Room, Dartmouth students are interceding for each other, their campus, and the world.
Nestled among second floor apartments on Main Street in Hanover, New Hampshire, the Prayer Room stands humbly and boldly as a space to seek the Lord in silence and solitude or in praise. Started in 2009 by two community members, its mission is “to promote the expansion of God’s kingdom in Hanover by providing students and others a sacred space dedicated to enabling them to encounter Christ, equipping them in the work of intercession, and empowering them to be His ambassadors in this world.”
The front door to the Prayer Room opens into an outer area where students remove their shoes and prepare their minds and hearts to enter the inner room with a focus on faith. There, a couch sits against one wall and blankets adorn the floors. Chairs, Bibles, and guitars are provided, encouraging students in whatever way they move toward the Lord. Sticky notes with named and anonymous prayer requests adorn another wall enabling students to partake in prayer for their fellow classmates. A guestbook containing more than ten years of names sits on a coffee table allowing one to look through the room’s history and see how God has worked in the lives of students who have spent time there.
The words Pray for the World are emblazoned on a wall above a global map. Students have placed stars and tacks on locations for which they want to pray and have written notes, hopes, and prayers with dry-erase markers among the continents, countries, and seas. 
Individual students, campus ministry teams, local churches, and even groups of friends use the Prayer Room on a regular basis. For Yumi Naruke ’20, the current property manager, the room is a refuge. “I like to go there sometimes just to play worship music and hang out,” she says. “It’s a quiet, meditative place that is always available. I like to use it as a place to be alone and reflect.”
The Prayer Room is funded entirely by donations and is run by a board consisting of students and community members. A student president communicates with the board, helping with vision-casting and fundraising. A student secretary promotes the room through a biannual newsletter. A student property manager acts as caretaker of the room. And many more people care for this space.
Part of the beauty of the room is its versatility and accessibility. Arthur Mensah ’19, the room’s student president, appreciates the options students have for seeking the Lord; whether it is the variety of seating and lighting options or the guitars or speakers to which students can connect their phones, there is no one-size-fits-all way to seek the Lord in the Prayer Room. Students are known to meet late at night or early in the morning, in between classes, or during mealtimes. Alumni return to this space while visiting their alma mater. It matters not which ministry a student is part of, or even if they are involved in faith life on campus, all people who desire a space to seek the Lord are welcome.
The call to prayer has been heard at Dartmouth. And the Prayer Room is providing a unique space where it can happen.
