Guide to prayer walking
From a prayer guide by KC Underground
Jesus said, "Go make disciples." These three words are the foundation, heartbeat, and guide for the KC Underground. Their aim has been and will be to plant the gospel in networks of relationships across their city, see disciples made, and witness micro-churches emerge in unique contexts that fill their city with the beauty, justice, and Good News of Jesus.
Every Tuesday they release a prayer guide and this article is an example of one of them.
What is prayer walking? It’s “praying on-site with insight.”
The purpose of prayer walking is to seek the Spirit’s guidance, mercy, and transforming power - both for the community and for ourselves, as God’s people in a particular context living among a specific pocket of people that we are “one of.”
Prayer walking helps us become more aware of our context, more observant of both cultural and spiritual realities. We open our physical eyes and the eyes of heart and create a space for the Spirit of God to bring illumination and understanding.
Steps for prayer walking
Think about the primary context Jesus has sent you to. Get in that place for your prayer walk. If possible, invite your partners in mission to prayer walk with you, perhaps a group of 2-4. Think and pray about your routes ahead of time to cover as much of the area as possible.
Pray aloud in a quiet conversational voice if you feel comfortable doing so. Or pray silently, letting your prayer partner(s) 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 for God’s best for this neighbourhood (or name the context appropriately if it’s not a neighbourhood). Is there anything we can pray about for you?”
Although it is not the primary purpose of prayer walking, be open to opportunities that may grow out of your experience that will allow you to interact with and bless people.
Plan to walk for about half an hour. Afterward, gather to share your prayers, observations, and experiences. Debrief together. What did you learn about the context? How was God manifest in this experience? How do you pray?
Some way points for your prayer walking journey
Pray for discernment. Try to see the neighbourhood through Jesus’ eyes and discern what God is already doing there. Ask God to show you how you can pray with greater insight for the people, events, and places in the context. Consider:
-
Pain: Where is the pain in this context? Who is hurting? What would help look like?
-
Power: Where is the power in this context? Who has influence? How is it being used?
-
Party: Where are the parties in this context? What gets celebrated?
-
Pennies: Where is the money in this context? How does it flow? What does that symbolize or mean?
Pray for opportunities for the Gospel. Pray that the Good News be communicated clearly and powerfully through your presence, through deeds and then in word…so that each person who has not yet taken the step of trusting Jesus Christ as his or her saviour will have the opportunity.
Pray for blessing. Pray over every person, home, and business you encounter; for God’s intervention in each life; and for God’s will to be done in the neighbourhood “as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Pray with empathy. See and feel what residents live with every day; offer intercession for those things that express brokenness and grieve God’s Spirit, and give thanks to God for the blessings and gifts that exist in the neighbourhood. Ask the Lord, “What are feeling about this context? Help my heart move with yours.”
Pray from Scripture. Prayers based directly on God’s Word can be especially powerful. You may want to bring a Bible with key passages highlighted or copy verses onto note cards. Here are a few suggestions: Psalm 25:4-11, Jeremiah 29:11-14, Colossians 1:9:14, I Timothy 2:1-6, Ephesians 1:16-21
Pray in God’s power. Allow times of silence for the Spirit to speak to you or through you (Romans 8:26). Pray with trust and eager anticipation, while expecting God to answer your prayers!
As you pray for specific homes or work sites in view, you’ll find that hope for those people begins to grow. You’ll begin to see people as God might view them. You’ll likely find yourself becoming more interested in the welfare of the people you are praying for. Watch for the ways God impresses upon you to display His love in practical acts of kindness.
After your prayer walk
Take time as a group to compare notes and reflect on your observations. Discuss the following:
-
What are some signs that show God is already at work in the neighbourhood?
-
What are the assets in this community? How can we see those celebrated and activated? Who can we support?
-
What needs and concerns are evident? How could the assets here address these concerns?
-
What does the Good News look like here?
Close with a time of prayer for all those in the area who are prayer walking their context today!
Read this prayer guide here and download a pdf version.
For a list of prayer guides on different subjects, see here.
Why not sign up for a weekly prayer guide?
Retweet about this article:
From a prayer guide by KC Underground, 17/09/2024