What all started as college students praying and worshipping in a dorm room turned into the House of Prayer in East Lansing.
More than a decade ago, Jessie Still, founder of House of Prayer, empowered college students to go beyond their dorm rooms into a more permanent space, which is how it all came about.
“The mission and vision at the House of Prayer is to be a family of friends and followers of Jesus who stand with Him in the place of prayer who go with Him into the great harvest who make disciples of all nations.” said Rachel Nanzer.
Nanzer says a lot of what the House of Prayer does is centered around its mission and vision statement. Members of the House of Prayer, do prayer at noon every weekday, host Bible study, worship nights, and they do evangelism and discipleship. Every second and fourth Saturday of every month are when the worship nights are held.
“For me, the biggest draw was family. The reason I started coming and kept coming was because I saw this unique existence of the body operating like a family in a very similar way to what I had always dreamed of,” said Meredith Remington.
Remington said, the House of Prayer is the space where she feels she belongs because it’s filled with people who are living life together constantly, always being there for one another and people who are family and dreamers.
“Some people at the House of Prayer are closer to me than some of my family is, so it has really helped me heal and ministered to my heart in a lot of ways. I can’t think of a place that I would rather be,” said Shavonna Green.
Green said the House of Prayer has blessed her in ample ways and has helped her cultivate lifelong relationships and caused a great transformation in her life.
Coming up soon, a racial healing event is set to take place starting June 1-19, Juneteenth. It’s a gallery and a prayer room combined. The House of Prayer will have traveling art pieces and local artists create artwork for the space. The goals are essentially that people would intercede for unity and justice for East Lansing, learn about race and have greater awareness, and be healed all in one and through prayer.
The House of Prayer is open to the public. Anyone is welcome to join.