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Day 31 – Walking And Praying; Praying And Walking

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and
pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Jeremiah 29:7

I first went Prayer Walking when I was ministering in India. Before we would minister in a village, we walked through the village praying for it. When I returned to America I thought Prayer Walking was something needed in my neighborhood. I found my prayers strengthened as I walked near places and persons for whom I was praying. I like to walk and I like to pray: Prayer Walking brings them together for me.

Donald Whitney is a teacher and writer on Christian spirituality who commends Prayer Walking:

The walking and the weather invigorate my sluggish soul. Looking up into the blue or out to the horizon refreshes my sense of the greatness of God. The sights, smells, and sounds of my Father’s world surround me with reminders of His presence. The cadence of my pace or stopping occasionally to stare into the distance, often enables me to concentrate in prayer more easily than when I’m still and my eyes are closed.

Here are some suggestions for Prayer Walking:

  1. Begin your Prayer Walking by asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes
    to what He wants you to see as you walk and pray.
  2. Greet people you meet along the way, silently praying a blessing for
    them. As children of God we are commanded and empowered to speak
    blessing on others (Matthew 5:43-44; 1 Peter 3:9).
  3. Pray for neighbors as you pass their homes; the ones who you know are
    sick, unemployed, living alone, going through divorce, etc.
  4. Keep your senses alert to sights, sounds, and scents you encounter in
    God’s wondrous creation. Watch for those birds and flowers, reminders
    of God’s care for the lowliest (Matthew 6:26-30). Talk with God about
    what you see.
  5. Pray for any school, church or playground you pass as you walk.

Be prepared for God to teach you as you walk and pray. He will enlarge your awareness and concern for the people and world around you.

PRAYER RETREAT

  • Go Prayer Walking today or one day this week. If you already walk for
    exercise or recreation, incorporate prayer into it. If you are not walking
    regularly, how about going for a walk for the sole purpose of praying?
    Also, consider taking a friend with you so that you can walk and pray
    together.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
I Timothy 2:1

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