Prayer Walking: What is it and how could I do it?

There’s nothing too scary about Prayer Walking.

It’s not about standing on pavement corners, hands together, eyes closed, feeling awkward and a spectacle! You can go alone or with someone else.

It’s about chatting to God, wherever you are, for everything around you. Prayers don’t need to be formal or long, and they can be mixed in to the general conversation – ‘what a lovely garden’ ‘Thank you Lord for the care and love put into tending this garden’.

There is nothing that is too small to pray about.

There is nothing that is too big to pray about!

Prayer walking can be done by walking around an area, or using Google maps or a paper map. It is literally being in conversation with God as you explore an area, either one familiar to you, or a new one.

As you set out, invite God to walk with you and open your eyes and ears to see / hear things that are on His heart. Praise and pray as you go. Thank God for the little things – a flower, bird song, a birthday or new birth banner in a window – and pray His blessing and light into each place.

As you ‘walk’, pray for the things around you –

Homes and the issues people are facing, businesses, schools, parks, doctors, dentists, churches, public transport, supermarkets, dangerous traffic junctions… the list is endless.

Is God speaking to you? Do you have a sense of Him as you walk? Do you find yourself praying for something you hadn’t thought of before? Have you noticed something you’ve not seen before? Are you aware of a need in the area? Do you find yourself suddenly thinking of someone who lives there? Any of these can be prompts from God, invitations to act. Possibilities of things that the church could get involved in…

You may find that your walk is interrupted by someone you know who wants to chat. You might be just who they need. You might be an answer to their prayer, so don’t see it as an intrusion, but as God placing you in the right place at the right time. Silently pray for the person, that God would steer the conversation and give you the best words to support them.

Prayer Walking is a deliberate action of inviting God to walk with you to explore the area with new sight, fresh perspective. A walk involving God. It may feel strange to begin with, but the more you do it the more natural it becomes. God is with us at all times and rejoices when we seek to walk with Him and invite Him to speak to us about our area.

Go (or sit) expecting prayer walking to have an impact. Expect results. After all, the living, loving God is walking with you!