Prayer Wall
The Prayer Wall is a shared space where members of your church can post prayer requests and pray for one another. It is the church-wide complement to the smaller, private prayer lists inside individual groups.
Opening the Prayer Wall
- Log in to the Member Portal.
- Click Prayer Wall in the sidebar (under the Church section).
You will see a list of active prayer requests, with the most recent at the top. Each request shows:
- The first name (and optionally last initial) of the person who submitted it -- or Anonymous if they posted privately
- The request text
- When it was submitted
- A counter showing how many people have prayed for it
- An I Prayed for This button
Submitting a Prayer Request
- On the Prayer Wall page, click Submit Prayer Request (or Add Request).
- Type your prayer request in the text box. Be as specific or general as you feel comfortable.
- Choose whether to post publicly (your name appears) or anonymously (only "Anonymous" is shown to other members).
- Click Submit.
Your request appears on the wall right away. Some churches require staff approval before requests are visible -- if your church does, you will see a "pending review" message and your request will appear once approved.
Tip: Even if you post publicly, only logged-in members of your church can see the wall. Prayer requests are not visible on the open internet.
Praying for Others
When you read a request you would like to pray for:
- Click the I Prayed for This button below the request.
- The counter increases and the button changes to confirm your action.
This lets the person who submitted the request feel the support of the community even when no one comments out loud. You can pray for the same request more than once on different visits -- the counter reflects total prayers, not unique people.
Marking Your Own Request as Answered
If you submitted a request and God has answered it:
- Find your request on the Prayer Wall.
- Click Mark as Answered (visible on requests you submitted).
- The request moves to an Answered Prayers section that the whole church can see and celebrate.
Sharing answered prayers encourages everyone -- it shows that the prayers being offered up are heard.
Group Prayer Requests vs. the Prayer Wall
If you belong to a small group, your group has its own private prayer list (see 06-group-participation.md). Choose where to post based on how widely you want it shared:
- Prayer Wall -- visible to all logged-in church members
- Group prayer list -- visible only to members of that specific group
You can post in either place (or both) depending on the situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I edit a prayer request after I submit it? A: Editing is generally not available on submitted prayer requests. If you need to update or remove one, contact a staff member who can edit it on your behalf.
Q: Who can post on the Prayer Wall? A: Any logged-in member of your church.
Q: Are visitors or non-members able to see prayer requests? A: No. The Prayer Wall is members-only. Some churches publish a separate, lightweight public prayer wall on their website -- ask your church if they offer one.
Q: How long do requests stay on the wall? A: Active requests stay visible until they are marked answered or the church staff archives them. Old requests may roll off the main view but remain in the system for staff reference.