Prayer Walking 101

Have you ever heard of “prayer walking”? It is simply walking around a neighborhood, alone or with others, and talking to God (with your eyes open so that you don’t run into parked cars!) about the people and places you see around you.

That probably doesn’t sound very impressive ... so why do it?

Walking forces you to slow down and really “see” your community. When you walk you have to interact with your surroundings and with other people in a way that you don’t when driving.

Praying as you walk tends to boost your spiritual discernment. It stirs your heart for the people in the community. Instead of seeing the Chinese restaurant simply as a place to eat, it provides an opportunity to pray for Chinese neighbors who are devoted to Buddha rather than Jesus. Instead of seeing the elementary school simply as a place where kids learn math facts, it prompts you to give thanks to God for the teachers who serve tirelessly and to pray that each child would discover the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Prayer walking isn’t just about our community being changed. It is about us being changed as we learn to see people and places with God’s eyes and heart.

Here are three tips to get you started on a prayer walk of your own...

• Be normal. Have you ever walked and talked with a friend in your neighborhood? Do that with God. Speak with him quietly about what you are seeing...and don’t be surprised if he speaks back to you.
• Be organized. If you go with a group, break into small teams of two or three. If there are several teams then split up to avoid having a mass of folks coming down the sidewalk together.
• Be open. As you walk, ask God if there is anyone he wants you to interact with. If he brings someone across your path, greet them and see if a conversation opens up. If not, no worries! Part of prayer walking is just trying to be open to whatever God might have for you along the way.

Ready to get started? Download one of the five self-guided Prayer Walking Maps with prayer points for Montgomery County:

• Prayer Walk Map - Old Town Gaithersburg
• Prayer Walk Map - Germantown
• Prayer Walk Map - Flower Hill
• Prayer Walk Map - Cider Mill/South Lake
• Prayer Walk Map - Damascus