Prayer Corner (July Edition)
Prayer Corner

For this month’s edition of Prayer Corner, Danita will be sharing with us on how God invites us to slow down and notice our community through prayer walking.

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July ’22: Prayer Walking
By Danita W.

It’s interesting what you notice when you slow down. I visited a local beach on a recent staycation. Instead of feeling the usual pressure to rush around and complete the tasks and errands in my seemingly never-ending todo list, I found walking to the water’s edge and exploring the tide pools at an unhurried pace. Crouching down almost to water level, I noticed foamy bubbles as the waves gently moved in and out, different types of seaweed floating up and down, and grains of sand being washed in and out of seashells that held the former meals of seagulls. I saw the sea from a whole new perspective.

Through the practice of prayer walking, God invites us to slow down and notice our community from His perspective. When we go on a prayer walk at an unhurried pace and a willingness to listen and obey God, He shows us details we often miss when we are rushing from place to place. Pastor John Smed says:

 “As we circumnavigate our neighborhoods in prayer, we notice signs of decay and signs of renewal. We pray “onsite with insight.” Every time we head out to pray, the Spirit of Christ grants us an awareness of God’s viewpoint and the baseline realities of the city.”

Smed, J. (2020) Prayer Revolution: Rebuilding Church and City Through Prayer, (p. 215). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

Here are a couple of useful resources on prayer walking:

Here’s a sampling of verses you can pray through as you go on your prayer walk:

  • “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” (Ps. 103:6, NIV)
  • “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Mic. 6:8, NIV)
  • “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,   on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9b-10, NIV)
  • “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Eph. 6:18, NIV)
  • “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4, NIV).

The prayer walk itself is a catalyst. After your prayer walk, consider: what is God stirring in your heart to pray for? What next steps or actions does He want you to take? Who else does He want you to rally to join together in His kingdom work?

Pastor Ray suggests, “As you walk about your neighborhood or the place where you work, I would like to ask that you each select one or two people who may not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Then I would like for you to pray daily for an open door for you to have a personal conversation with those people about your relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray that God would open their hearts to listen to your story about Christ.”

I encourage each of us to go on prayer walks this month – whether they are in the neighborhoods where we live, around VCBC, at a mall, around our offices, around a place of recreation, or around a place of God’s leading. Watch how God is at work, not just in your community but also in you.