You need two: Christ and the Theotokos. That’s it.
Everything else can wait. If you’re just starting out, don’t worry about building an elaborate prayer corner with a dozen saints and a vigil lamp and incense and liturgical books. Get an icon of Jesus Christ. Get an icon of the Mother of God. Put them somewhere you’ll actually pray. You’re done.
This isn’t minimalism for its own sake. It’s pastoral wisdom. The goal is prayer, not interior decorating. A simple corner you actually use beats an Instagram-worthy setup you’re too intimidated to approach.
Why These Two?
Walk into any Orthodox church and look at the iconostasis. Christ is on the right side of the Royal Doors, the Theotokos on the left. They’re always there. Every church, every tradition, every century. Your home prayer corner mirrors this. It’s the church in miniature.
Christ because he’s the whole point. We’re Christians. We pray to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. His icon reminds us who we’re talking to and who makes that conversation possible.
The Theotokos because she’s the first Christian, the one who said yes when the angel came. She’s our mother too, the one who intercedes for us. If you grew up Baptist or non-denominational here in Southeast Texas, this might feel strange at first. That’s okay. You don’t have to understand it all before you start. Just know that honoring Mary isn’t worshiping her any more than asking your mom to pray for you means you think she’s God.
What About Everything Else?
A cross is good to have. Most people add one early on. Some folks include their patron saint or the saint the parish is named for. If you’ve got kids, maybe St. Nicholas. A candle or oil lamp is traditional because light represents Christ and our prayers rising to God. But none of this is required on day one.
Icons accumulate naturally. Someone gives you St. George for your birthday. You visit another parish and find an icon of the Annunciation that stops you in your tracks. Your daughter’s chrismated and now you’ve got St. Katherine. That’s how it works. Your prayer corner grows as your life in the Church grows.
I’ve seen people delay setting up any prayer space because they wanted to do it “right”, find the perfect shelf, order icons from Greece, get a proper vigil lamp, read three books about placement. Meanwhile, months pass and they’re not praying at home at all. Don’t do that. Two icons and a corner of your bedroom beats a perfect setup you haven’t started yet.
Practical Stuff
Put Christ on the right as you face the icons, the Theotokos on the left. That mirrors the iconostasis arrangement. Find a spot that’s not cluttered with other things. A shelf works. A small table works. The east wall is traditional if you’ve got one available, but God hears prayers from all directions.
Treat the icons with respect. Don’t stack them face-down or shove them in a drawer. When you’re not sure what to do, ask. Your priest can bless newly acquired icons. Other parishioners can show you their setups. Nobody expects you to know all this instinctively.
What You Don’t Need
You don’t need expensive icons. A simple print is fine. You don’t need a huge collection. You don’t need to match the family down the street who’s been Orthodox for three generations and has icons covering an entire wall. You don’t need to feel guilty that you’re not burning incense every morning or that you forgot to light the vigil lamp.
Start where you are. Two icons. A place to stand. The sign of the cross and the Lord’s Prayer. That’s enough to begin. The rest unfolds as you live into this life, as you discover which saints become dear to you, as your kids grow and your prayer life deepens. But today? Christ and his Mother. That’s what you need.
