I was introduced to prayer walking when I was as a little girl going through religious processions around the crowded streets of the town I grew up in.  These processions were sometimes intense and dramatic, and other times solemn and mournful. These always took place during a specific religious holiday like Easter, or Christmas.  Of course, I was too young to understand the impact of prayer walking, but as I’ve grown older, other opportunities have met me, where I have been able to learn and understand how beautiful, helpful and powerful prayer walking can be and how it can be an impact to more than just myself.  Here are some things I’ve learned about prayer walking:

Prayer walking can be therapeutic.

I often go walking for exercise purposes on the treadmill at home, or at the park, and at times at a gym.  Is a good workout, and by that I mean, there are no hills to climb!  (that is according to your preffered level of intensity) Any good trainer would tell you, as long as your are moving, any cardio excersice is good excersice, right?  I put on my earphones and listen to a podcast or some worship music while I walk and I also sometimes pray for a good while.  During those times of workout, I have found prayer walking to be therapeutic.  I feel  relaxed and energyzed ast the same time.  I also love to weigh in after walking -it does wonders for your self esteem!

Prayer walks can be organic.

I remember some years back on one of my trips to Romania, a group of children took some of our group for a hike up a mountain.  I found it most enlightening!  I began to look around at the beautiful trees, flowers, rocks, and even the cow dung, and everything felt, looked and smelled so real and organic, I felt as though everything around me was pulsating with unadulterated life.  I couldn’t help myself, I closed my eyes and drank in the air and without effort began to praise God.

There was no point to our walk other than to go up a mountain and then come down, but I felt as though God had called us to the mountain so we could spearate ourselves from the work and just spend time with Him in a natural environment.  I couldn’t help but love Him more during that walk!  We picked berries on the way back and I smiled thinking to myself that I had already tasted of the Lord’s goodness. This is a simple illustration of the power of prayer as you walk.  I wasn’t prayer walking to interceed for the lost or to pray for anything specific, I was simply inspired by the sorroundings and that led me to pray to and to worship the creator.

Prayer walking can be intentional and evangelistical. 

A couple of years later, I went on a very different type of prayer walk.  This time I was in Trinidad & Tobago on a mission’s trip.  Prayer walking was a big part of our program during our work there.  This time we walked around the Neighborhood. We had specific items we were praying for as we interceeded for the community and the local church.  God gave us many opportunities to witness to people during our walks.  It was an intense and powerful time of ministry for us, and life changing for many souls as well.

I still take walks, mostly for healthy reasons, but prayer is always a part of my walks.  I find that when I am walking -be it for healthy or spiritual reasons, I get to spend that time alone with God.  There are no interruptions, phone calls, or meetings to take care of.  It is just God and I going for a walk together, where we listen to what each other has to say and we simply enjoy each other’s company.

Check out the following insert from Barbara Lardinais blog, Hannah’s Cupboard about prayer walking:

How to prayer walk

Exactly how you do your prayer walking is going to depend on a number of things that only you know. What time is available to you? I told you I used to do my daily prayer routine while walking (not really prayer walking by my own definition) in the interest of time efficiency. How safe is your neighborhood? Can you safely walk in the dark before sunrise or after sunset? If you can that is a good way to do it because then you can pray quietly out loud if you so desire. And you don’t have to be concerned about being observed if you pause over a particular house if you feel God’s leading.

Try to establish a routine in your prayer walking or it will quickly fade away. This is not something that you just do once. Make it a habit. Prayer walk once a week or at least once a month such as the first Saturday of every month. Arrange with your prayer partner, if you have one, a time that will work for both of you and that won’t easily be cancelled by intruding activities.

Prayer walking is growing in popularity all over the world. People are leaving their own little worlds and walking out into dark places in order to bring the light of Jesus. Prayer teams have been taking walking tours in countries for the last several years and a big push is still continuing. They are there simply to walk and pray in places where there is no witness of the gospel or where it would be illegal to evangelize or where the light has faded. Appearing as simple tourists, these men and women are literally covering the whole earth in prayer. Do you want to be part of it? It’s exciting isn’t it? Put on your walking shoes and head out your front door. Remember that Jesus said you are the light of the world!