Prayer Walk

Last night our church did a prayer walk through the community.

We each had a small map of the town, which was divided into sections. Then we paired up into teams, with each team being assigned a section. And we headed out.

The directions were fairly simple. Each team was given a single sheet of paper with the word BLESS written vertically down the left side. As we passed by each home we were to BLESS each family by specifically praying for their Body, their Labor, their Emotions, their Social needs and network, and finally their Spiritual needs. You could either pray our loud, or pray silently as you walked by each home.

My wife and I paired up as a team and started out. Neither of us had ever done a prayer walk before. So at first there was a little bit of, "OK, how do we get started here?"

We decided to pray out loud, and we decided that we would take turns praying. So, we started out and I prayed for the first house as we slowly walked by. Then Jen prayed. And on we went.

The weirdness of it passed by the third or fourth house. I can't describe exactly what a blessing it was for me (and I think my wife) to sincerely pray for people's homes and families that, for the most part, we had no idea who they were.

At one of the last houses in our assigned area we came across a home where the husband and wife were actually sitting out front getting ready to cook on the grill.

We introduced ourselves to them, explained what we were doing, and asked if there was anything we could pray for them about.

They looked a little puzzled and surprised. Then they told me that they couldn't really think of anything. I assured them that we would pray for them anyway, and so we did. And then we continued on our way.

Nothing earth-shattering. But it was a cool moment. And I'm sure that couple are always going to remember that weird pastor and his wife who out of the blue came up and asked them if there was anything they needed prayer for.

I've written elsewhere on this blog and am fairly open about the fact that prayer is tough for me. I have to really work at and sometimes literally force myself to do it.

Yet participating in the prayer walk, once we got over a few minutes of feeling a little insecure, seemed quite natural and a normal thing to do. And what a privilege it is to bathe our community in prayer and ask for God to BLESS every family.

I encourage all those in our church who were perhaps feeling a little too timid to come out last night to participate in the prayer walk in the spring. You don't have to be a "prayer warrior," and you don't have worry about saying just the right thing and sounding all spiritual. You don't even have to pray out loud if you don't want to.

All you need is a willing heart and a desire to see God work in people's lives.