If you’re taking a walk, consider prayer walking!
Prayer walking is a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. As you prayer walk, your prayers extend beyond your own concerns, focusing directly on the needs of others and opening yourself to see them with God’s eyes and heart.
This article was published by the C.S.Lewis Institute - Discipleship of Heart & Mind
Prayer walks are a means of asking God to give you a heart for your neighbourhood, city and land. It gives you a concrete means of doing something for the well-being of your town as you ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you as you observe the world around you.
While the Bible doesn’t specifically mention prayer walking, there are a number of examples of something like it in the Scriptures.
- God commanded the Israelites to march seven days around the city of Jericho, lifting up prayers and praises to God for His deliverance (Joshua 6).
- Jesus spent much time walking with His disciples throughout the land of Israel and prayer was most likely a part of those walks as Jesus observed his environment, prayed and then taught. In one scene, Jesus looks over the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and is moved to pray for the city (Matthew 23: 37-39).
- It was in walking through the city of Athens that the apostle Paul was moved by the Spirit to preach the Gospel in this idol-filled place. (Acts 17:6)
- The prophet Jeremiah was told to pray for Babylon, “And seek the peace of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its peace you will have peace.” (Jer. 29:7)
Before you head out for a prayer-walk ask God to give you insight into what other's needs might be as you walk by their homes. Then just go for your normal walk. Your heart will be moved to pray for the things you see during the walk.
For example, you might come across a yard that is extremely untidy and rundown. This might prompt you to pray for the health, both physical and spiritual, of the residents inside.
Or, as you walk past a home you could ask God to bring the people who live there to know and love Him. Ask that their children and their descendants will all become believers.
If you walk around schools, you might want to pray for the teachers and the students, for their safety and peace, that they will al learn more about God, and for the schemes of the devil in their school to be thwarted.
You’ll think of many other things to pray for as you go! You might even let your neighbours let them know you’ll be praying for them as you walk by them and ask them if they have any prayer requests. Your prayers could be the beginning of a neighbourhood revival!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
This article was published by the C.S.Lewis Institute - Discipleship of Heart & Mind
