Prayer Walking the City

by John Smed

“Lift up your eyes. Are not the fields white for harvest?”

“Pray to the Lord of the harvest.”

Praying on site with insight. Praying nearer and clearer.

Prayer Walking: Why?

  • Praying together (2x2) is powerful.
  • Spiritual mission and warfare becomes immediate/here and now.
    • You see the mission field head on.
    • You see the “whole man” in his community, social and economic context, problems.
  • Prayer walking stirs your heart to see people, places and needs through God’s eyes. It gives you “harvest eyes” rather than “cloistered fear.”
  • Prayer strengthens Christians and it brings evangelists to a neighborhood as we pray for the Lord to send “laborers into his harvest.”
  • Prayer walking opens the doors and hearts to the gospel.
  • Prayer walking changes
    • Neighborhoods into parishes
    • Believers into missionary pastors
    • Homes into ministry centers
    • Churches into the central place of kingdom renewal

Prayer Walking: How?

  • Specifics
    • Go in groups of two to four — pairing up is best (or on your own).
    • Pray as you walk, out loud, eyes open. Stop at corners and landmarks.
    • Pray shorter prayers. Pass it back and forth.
    • Play off each others’ prayer — to focus on a specific need/opportunity, to continue on a prayer theme.
  • Pray for God to give you harvest eyes and a spirit of grace and supplication. Ask for boldness and open doors to this city, community. Confess fears, weaknesses, lack of concern for those “outside.”
  • Pray for God to give insight into his specific kingdom plans and purposes for this community/city. Ask to fit into his plan. Rejoice in the opportunity.
  • Pray for the Christians and churches in the community/area you are walking in. Pray that our homes/church would be “ministry centers” of the church in our community.
  • Pray for the critical needs in the neighborhood you are walking — social, economic, spiritual …
  • Pray for specific streets/houses/people you meet. Hit the critical intersections and nerve centers with specific prayer.

Excerpted with permission from John Smed, Grace Vancouver Church, Vancouver, BC., c 2006

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