We were recently asked, “Can I get some suggestions for creating a prayer garden? I’d like to create my own garden of prayer / holy garden in my backyard and am looking for prayer garden ideas, like plants with bible inspired names.”
What a beautiful thought! A garden to pray in? I can see it now, perhaps a cast iron garden bench with a pretty Sunbrella cushion, and bible-inspired plants all around.
(This post contains Amazon affiliate links as a courtesy, so you can find the items easily. We do earn a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to you. Thank you!)
So, what are some plants in the bible, or plants with names that are inspired by our faith? If you’re looking for some to add to your backyard prayer garden, here are several options that come to mind (click each name to see what they look like, or for more info on each one):
- Lily of the Valley
- Solomon’s Seal
- Mustard Seed
- Frankincense
- Myrrh
- Alabaster (anise hyssop)
- Rose of Sharon
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Lady’s Mantle
- Judas Tree
- Star of Bethlehem
- Praying Hands Hosta
- Eden Rose
- Trumpet Vine
- Rosemary (will only grow for 33 years and never higher than 6’, so as not to stand taller than Christ….or so the story goes)
- Fig Tree
- Dogwood Tree (while the dogwood tree never again took part in an execution, it’s still said to carry the marks of Jesus’ crucifixion. Its four large petals represent the cross he died upon, and each petal displays four red-tinged notches that are said to represent four nail holes)
- Joseph’s Coat Climbing Rose
- Olive Tree
- Yellow Jerusalem
There’s also an entire hardcover book devoted to the topic of plants in the bible! It’s called Bible Plants for American Gardens and you can find out more about it here.
Once you’ve thought through what plants would help inspire you to pray in your own backyard garden of prayer, you may also consider a few additional items to add to the space:
- Prayer garden decorative flags
- Angel statues
- Flower pots with bible verses
- Inspirational stepping stones
- Solar garden lights
- “Basking in God’s Glory” little girl statue
- Cast iron outdoor chair or bench
You could also consider keeping a kneeling garden cushion handy, if you prefer to kneel and pray.
Why would you want to create a prayer garden? Well, we can reflect back on scripture and remember that Jesus himself often went away from the crowd to pray alone. Some of those times, he went away to pray in a garden. There’s something special about being in nature, God’s beautiful creation, and spending alone time with Him.
While you can certainly pray anywhere, having a dedicated place to pray can be helpful. It gives us a regular rhythm, a routine, that we can go back to again and again. It helps us create consistency in our prayer life.
With a prayer “war room” or prayer closet that’s indoors, you might have a prayer wall with all the needs you’ll be taking to the Lord. There isn’t a prayer wall in your garden of prayer, though, so maybe consider creating a prayer vision board or prayer journal that you can bring into your backyard with you.
What else would you add to your own biblical garden? Do you have any prayer garden ideas to add to our list? We’d love to hear about them!
FREE WEEKLY PRAYER JOURNAL
Our free weekly prayer journal comes to your email and is completely printable, so you can print it as often as you like. It’s beautiful and will help inspire you to dig deeper in prayer. Get it here.
You might also like:
- A Prayer For Finances: How to Pray When Money’s Tight
- 21 Powerful Prayers for the Daniel Fast [Prayer Guide]
- “God Please Help Me Through This” – How to Pray When You’re Hurting
I am putting a small water fall in the corner of my Prayer garden. It will muffle any outside sounds. I also will block the view of the area with plants , bushes and tree. To create a private space.