PRAYER WALKING
Genesis 13:14-18 (The Message)
After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, “Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.”Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God.
What is Prayer-walking?
Prayer walking is, very simply, walking while praying. It has been defined as, “praying on-site with insight.” Some of the following information has been adapted from WayMakers. You walk the streets with Jesus with open eyes, both physically and spiritually. It is a practical way to pray. When we prayer walk in the presence of the Holy Spirit, God begins to speak to our hearts through what we see with our physical eyes, but then He also gives us a glimpse into His invisible eternal world through our spiritual eyes.
Why should you Prayerwalk?
- You see firsthand what is going on in the area.
- It’s a personal adventure with God.
- You become more sensitive to promptings of the Holy Spirit in the area as you slowly walk through it.
- Prayer Walking prepares the way for God’s Spirit to move. It can also aide in breaking the power of evil over a place. (For example, praying Ephesians 6:10-18 over an area can be an important spiritual battle prayer to weaken the enemy’s stronghold over a place.)
- It is a practical way to practice focused praying for your home, your family, your neighbours, your neighbourhood, your city, or your local mission field.
How to Prayer Walk
Pray with a Partner.
- You can prayer walk alone, but many find that their prayers are more focused when expressed with a friend.
- Pray audibly for clarity and better agreement together.
- One can pray while the other listens and discerns how God might be leading you.
- As you finish the session, you can discuss – or even write down – the prayers, insights and places of most importance. Then next time you are at church you can highlight the streets you’ve prayer-walked and we can all be encouraged by our progress to cover 2234 in prayer. This is part of our “Love 2234” campaign.
Pray with God’s Spirit.
- Invite the Spirit of God to accompany you, guiding your steps and your words.
- Be attentive during moments of silence, allowing the Holy Spirit to help you see with His eyes and pray in accordance with His heart.
- Intentionally submit to God and draw near to Him and he will draw near to you (James 4:7-8)
Pray with God’s Word.
- Take a small Bible (or your phone app) or even prepared verses on cards.
- Read Scripture aloud, but not loudly. Ask God to use His word to impact those living in the homes you walk past.
- Express God’s word in your own words as you pray for the households where you walk.
- Choose a particular verse or theme as a base for your prayers throughout your prayer walk session. For example, the theme might be praying love over the households, or peace, or safety. Research the scriptures to find verses that speak into the themes you discern for the area and go back to prayer walk the area and read those scriptures.
Pray with Purpose.
- Pray for what you see and sense before you, as you pass by homes or shops or community facilities.
- Pray quietly. You can be on the scene without making one!
- In confidence of God’s unfolding purpose which includes your preparation prayer, don’t look to initiate gospel conversations during your prayer walk. Rather, pray for God to open doors of communication at the right time. If an opportunity presents itself (maybe someone asks what you are doing) then gently indicate you are simply praying God’s blessing on the neighbourhood and asking that peace and love be over our community. It may even be appropriate to ask if there are specific ways you can pray for them.
- Be persistent. Try prayer walking the same areas near your work, school or home in a regular way. You’ll often find that your prayers deepen and your concern and awareness of God’s heart for people increases.
- Be creative. Allow your prayers to develop over time as you get more familiar with waiting for God to lead you in your prayers. Rather than have a set list of prayers, invite God to reveal what he is already doing in the houses you are walking by, which allows you to listen to God’s prompting and pray about those things.
Enjoy walking with the Lord as you uphold our neighbourhood and the people in our community. May the Lord bless you as you seek to be a blessing to others in our world.