They are normal, daily activities we do every day put together to change your community. What are they? Walking and praying. . . which is called prayer-walking, and it’s become increasingly popular in the last decade. What is it? “It’s praying on-site with insight.” The purpose is to seek God for your community, whether it’s a neighborhood, campus, school, business district, or city. God wants us to pray about all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves, so this is a natural way to connect your neighbors (anyone around you in need) with our Heavenly Father.
Take your camera! What a great way to share how God spoke to you than by taking a snapshot and sharing your insights. So bring your phone or camera and take pictures of what you observed and how God used that to speak to you and prompt you to pray. We’ll post these on Riverside’s Facebook page.
Intentional . . . we encourage you to do this throughout the year, but we’re being intentional to do this throughout April, starting March 29 to April 19. Then we’ll come together to share a meal and seek God for our church community.
Prayer-walking is a great discipleship tool to do with the children in your life, and it’s great for us adults too. It’s taking time to be intentional and reflective, two healthy practices for anyone and especially for believers to grow in the Lord. Prayers can be praise, thanksgiving, intercession, confession, and/or listening prayer. There’s no limit because God is limitless!
Some practical tips to get you started. . .
- Meet at an assigned time and start with group prayer.
- Walk in groups of two or three, or your family. Plan your routes ahead of time.
- Pray aloud in quiet conversational voices if you feel comfortable doing so. Pray silently if you prefer, letting your prayer partners know what you are praying about. Don’t call attention to yourselves.
- If anyone asks what you are doing, be prepared to respond, “We’re praying God’s blessing on this area. How can we pray for you?”
- Although it is not the primary purpose of prayer-walking, be open to opportunities that may grow out of your experience that allows you to interact with and bless others.
- Plan to walk for about 30 to 45 minutes. If anyone is unable to walk, prayer-drive instead.
- Close your prayer walk with a group prayer for the area and your service there.
Some prayer ideas. . .
- Pray for opportunities for the Gospel: for the Good News of Jesus to be clearly communicated in each home/building by which you pass.
- Pray for blessing—over persons, marriages, families, homes, businesses, for God’s intervention in each life and for God’s will to be done in your area “as it is in heaven,” (Mt. 6:10).
- Pray with empathy: Observe and feel what’s going on around each home/building. Are their toys out? Is there a wheelchair ramp? In what condition is the property? Offer intercession for those things that express brokenness. Give thanks for the blessings that exist at each property.
- Pray Words of Scripture, which are always powerful as they are God’s words, God’s will. You may want to bring a small Bible with key verses highlighted or just some verses on note cards. (Some ideas are Psalm 25: 4-11; Jeremiah 29:11-14; Colossians 1: 9-14; 1 Timothy 2: 1-6; Ephesians 1: 16-21).
- Pray God’s power—Allow for times of silence to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to you or through you. Pray with faith, expecting God to answer your prayers.
- Afterward, gather to share your prayers, observations, and experiences. How was God manifest in your experience? What did each participant learn or grow?
- As you pray in your neighborhood or community, you’ll often find that hope for those people grows in you. You’ll begin to see people as God seems them and find yourself more interested in their welfare. Watch for ways to show practical acts of kindness to display our Father’s love.
Guide developed from www.waymakers.org/prayerwalking