Daily Devotional – Day 16

“Prayer Walking”

Read:  Psalm 1:1-3

You’ve heard of praying and you’ve heard of walking but have you ever heard of prayer walking?  It’s a great way to pray for targeted areas like neighborhoods, school, government buildings, and any other place you can walk around.  I’ve found walking and running to be a great activity that actually helps me lengthen and focus my prayers.  Some of my greatest times of prayer happened over a 5k.  What a way to pray for your city.  I passed by houses of people I knew and those I didn’t and prayed all kinds of prayer for them.  Prayer walking would be a type of intercessory prayer where you pray on the behalf of others.  Intercession is bringing the requests and needs of others before God as though they were you own.  Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 and 19) and so did many of the prophets and the Apostle Paul (Colossians 1:3-6).  Jesus even interceded for us (John 17) and is our High Priest that lives to make constant intercession to God for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Prayer walking is a great way to intercede for those in your neighborhood and community.  You can prayer walk around your church and cover lots of needs in 20-30 minutes of walking.  You can even bring someone along with you and pray together.  God calls us all to prayer.  It’s really interceding for your community “one step at a time”.  Of course you can pray for personal issues while you walk.  You don’t even have to have a set aside time to prayer walk.  We all walk in the grocery store, at the mall, at our jobs.  Why not train yourself to pray when you walk?  I really think walking and praying is as Biblical of a practice as you can get – in the beginning Adam walked and talked with God (Genesis 3:8), Enoch walked and talked with God (Genesis 5:24) and Noah walked and talked with God (Genesis 6:9).  Prayer walking may give new meaning to “walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), “walking worthy of your calling” (Ephesians 4:1), “walking in His ways” (Deuteronomy 8:6), and  “walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). 

As you walk and pray remember to treat it like any other conversation with God.  Walking doesn’t make prayer any more holy.  It simply gets you motivated and directed in your prayer life.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your prayers and location.  Remember to keep focused as you walk and pray.  It would be so easy to just admire someone’s landscaping, new building project, or get caught up in all the activities around you.  Don’t be scared to tell people you meet while walking that you are praying for them.  In fact, I encourage you to stop occasionally and do this.  Ask them if there is any need that you could pray for.  You’ll be surprised how much God will use you as you walk and pray!  Expect God to answer your prayers.  Now, get up off that couch, get outside to a hurting world and pray to the Lord of the Universe on their behalf. 

Questions:

1. Where could you start prayer walking?  What would be the best time for you?  Could you include someone else in your prayer walking?
2. How could prayer walking increase your prayer life?  What potential distractions could it bring?
3. Could you apply prayer walking to running, exercising, crafting, fishing, etc.?
4. What preparations should you make before setting out on a prayer walk? 

Prayer:

Help me Lord to be creative in my prayer life.  I don’t want to see prayer as something you can only do at an altar at church or before meals.  Help me incorporate prayer into my daily activities.  Remind me I can approach you at all times about anything.  What a great thought I can cover my city, church, local businesses, kid’s school and many other places with prayer on site.  I anticipate great results and hope to meet people along the way that I can pray for.  I pray all this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Tagged as: intercession prayer prayerwalking

stephenrharrison

Stephen and his wife Haley have called Arkansas home all of their lives. Stephen has served in several ministry roles over the last 25 years and as a lead pastor for the last 8 years. Stephen attended Williams Baptist College and earned a BA in Biblical Studies from Ouachita Baptist University, an MA, MDiv, and DMin in Christian Leadership and Pastoral Ministries from Liberty University. When not pastoring, Stephen enjoys running, cycling, reading, writing, camping, fishing, and spending time with his family.