Welcome to the Peace Prayer Path
This is a 12-Station Prayer Experience. This is an invitation to meet with God in His Sanctuary, His Creation – to speak, to listen, to be with Him, and to receive all that He has for us. This invitation is for the Peace Community, the Eau Claire community, and all who choose to come.
The prayer stations are located around the perimeter of Peace – each with a one-word focus provided for an encounter with the Living God. There is no right or wrong way for this prayer journey. You may wish to spend time at one station that speaks to you or stop at each station in order. Spend as much or as little time as you need. If you spend five minutes or 2 hours at one station, it matters only that you stay as long as you are called.
The inspiration for the Peace Prayer Path came from reflecting on the life of Peace member, Kathy Sahlhoff. Her spiritual practice was to meet with God as she tended and nurtured her gardens around her home. It was there that she spoke to God, poured out her heart, listened for His voice, and found strength, hope, and peace. We remember her sacrifice and service to our Peace community and give thanks to God for the precious time we had with her (although it was far too short).
Summer Opportunities
We are offering multiple “guided” experiences this summer to help you get an introduction, walk the path with others in our faith community, and learn about resources to help you get the most out of your journey.
• Saturday, May 30 | 5:30-6:45 pm | Pastor Mark
• Tuesday, June 2 | 9-11 am | Lynette
• Wednesday, June 10 | 9-11 am | Lynette
• Wednesday, June 24 | 6-7 pm | Lynette
• Saturday, June 27 | 5:30-6:45 pm | Pastor David
• Wednesday, July 15 | 5:30-7:30 pm |
Family Prayer Walk and Campfire with Caleb
• Saturday, August 1 | 5:30-6:45 pm | Pastor Ethan
• Tuesday, August 11 | 6-8 pm |
Youth (6th -12th) Prayer Walk and Campfire
with Anna
Ways To Use the Prayer Path
1) You can start at any station you desire. Sit with God, talk to Him, listen to Him, pray using the journey word as a focus. Stay as long as you like, then move on to another station or move on with your day.
2) Prayer Path Meditation Booklets have been created for you to use. This booklet will provide scriptures/quotes/journal prompts for each journey word. You can find the booklets at the Word Station (in Gathering Place at Peace Church), in the church office, or download a copy in the link further down on the page.
3) Classes will be offered regularly that will give you insight about various spiritual practices you could try as you spend time at the Peace Prayer Path. The next class is:
4) Form a Small Group: If you would like to have assistance in developing a small group utilizing these spaces, please contact either Pastor David or Lynette Schulz.
The meditation booklet is offered as a guide to assist in your time of reflection. For each station, we have included three elements:
Scripture – you might whisper the scripture out loud or use it in Lectio Divina and pray the scripture, asking for clarity on the significance in your journey.
Reflection – try meditating on the verses and the message(s) it may have for you.
Journal Prompt – record how God is speaking to you in this moment, using the scriptures and reflections as they weave themselves into a personalized message.
Prayer Path Meditation Guide
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SCRIPTURE
Behold God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; For the LORD God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2For God alone O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” Trust in Him at all times, O people pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8
Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 26:3-4
QUOTES
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” George MacDonald
“The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.” Abraham Lincoln
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Where in my life do I need to trust more?
What prevents me from trusting God with my life?
Remember people whom you have trusted and with whom you felt safe. What was it about them that gave you a sense of trust and safety?
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SCRIPTURE
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! Psalm 31:24
Additional Scriptures: Daniel 10:18-19, Philippians 1:19-21
QUOTES
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” Mark Twain
“Courage is grace under pressure.” Ernest Hemingway
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What needs your courage today?
What is the thing you think you cannot do?
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SCRIPTURE
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7Additional Scriptures: Colossians 3:16-17, Psalm 100
QUOTES
“Gratitude unleashes the freedom to live content in the moment rather than being anxious about the future or regretting the past.” Ellen Vaughn
“But true, Christ-centered motivated gratitude fits everywhere, even in life’s most desperate moments and difficult situations. Even when there are no ‘answers’ it gives hope. It transforms overwhelmed struggles into triumphant conquerors.” Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
“If the only prayer you say in your entire life is ‘thank you’, that would suffice.” Meister Eckhart
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Even though life is not perfect, what are you grateful for?
Does it really matter if I actually verbalize my thanks as long as it’s in my heart?
Is the gratitude that flows out of your life as abounding as the grace that has flowed into your life?
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SCRIPTURE
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:21-24
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the holy Spirit whom He has given us.” Romans 5:3-5
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 42:5; Jeremiah 29:11
QUOTES
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu
“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” Barbara Kingsolver
“Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Stephen King
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Where in your life do you need some hope?
How will you live inside that hope, under its roof?
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SCRIPTURE
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
“Then Pilate said to Him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’” John 18:37
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 116:1-2; Exodus 15:26
QUOTES
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” Jimi Hendrix
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Bryant H. McGill
“We have two ears but one mouth so that we may listen twice as much as we speak.” Albert Einstein
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Who in your life is a good listener? What makes him/her a good listener?
Remember a time when you sensed you were truly heard. What did that feel like?
What makes it hard to listen for the voice of God?
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SCRIPTURE
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2b
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 15:33; Colossians 3:12
QUOTES
"Life is a long lesson in humility.” James M. Barrie
“A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love and well-being.” James E. Faust
“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” Thomas Merton
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What lessons from life have taught you about humility?
Who is someone you know who exemplifies humility? How do you see humility expressed?
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SCRIPTURE
“Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” Psalm 103:2-4
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Malachi 4:2
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 147:3; Matthew 4:23
QUOTES
“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.” Henri Nouwen
“The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey.” Sarah Fielding
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What or who in your life needs healing today?
What needs balancing in your life?
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SCRIPTURE
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
“But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.” Nehemiah 9:17b
Additional Scriptures: Colossians 3:12-13, Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 23:34
QUOTES
“By far the strongest poison to the human spirit is the inability to forgive oneself or another person. Forgiveness is no longer an option but a necessity for healing.” Caroline Myss
“Tis the most tender part of love, each other to forgive.” John Sheffield
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability that counts.” Corrie Ten Boom
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Who or what needs your forgiveness today?
How has granting forgiveness in the past helped you?
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SCRIPTURE
“Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.” Psalm 119:76
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 66:13
QUOTES
“Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always.” Hippocrates
“The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Where in my life am I feeling grief today and need comfort? (i.e., could be a loss of job, health, relationship, etc.)
Who is someone in my life to whom I can be a source of comfort?
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SCRIPTURE
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Additional Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:1-7; 1 Kings 3:6-9
QUOTES
“Clear our heart, O God, that we may see you. Clear our heart, O God, that we may truly see ourselves. Clear our heart, O God, that we may know the sacredness of this moment and in every moment seek you, serve you, strengthen you as the Living Presence in every presence. Clear our heart, O God, that we may see.” John Philip Newell
“The journey to fulfillment becomes less scary once there is clarity of purpose.” Bidemi Mark-Mordi
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What do you wish to have more clarity about?
When you consider your choices, what feels life-giving, energizing, and joyful? What feels heavy, sad, or tiring?
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SCRIPTURE
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Proverbs 90:12
Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 2:1-11; Proverbs 19:8
QUOTES
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” William Arthur Ward
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Reinhold Neibuhr
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What is your definition of wisdom?
Where in your life could you use some wisdom and insight?
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SCRIPTURE
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Additional Scriptures: Isaiah 26:3; I Corinthians 14:33; Mark 4:39
QUOTES
“Peace begins with a smile.” Mother Teresa
“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace.” Randy Armstrong
“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.” Thomas a Kempis
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What areas of your life are you experiencing anxiety?
What is one step you could take to experience more peace?
How does acceptance of a situation help bring peace?
Prayer Path Team
Planning and Design: Carolyn Hackman, Deb Maki, Sherry Luhman, and Lynette Schulz
Artwork/Designs: Sherry Luhman
Landscaping: Curtis Ray
Stones with Journey Words: Tim Schulz
Mural: Wade Lambrigtsen, Sherry Luhman
Arbor/Fence: Ernie Vogler
Financial: Tonya Ida
Physical Laborers: Ernie Vogler, Steve Loehnis, Greg Dawald, Ed Klebig, Wade Lambrigtson, Paul Weinke, and David Forke
If you are interested in helping maintain these prayer stations, we are forming a Garden Team to help tend to the upkeep and beauty of these spaces. Contact Sue in the office if interested.
Memorial gifts can be given towards flowers and bushes, other improvements, and upkeep of this space for the future. This project has provided an opportunity for others to remember their loved ones through their gifts given as memorials or in honor of someone, or as a response to God’s goodness in their lives.