Walk This Way: Exploring the Power of Prayerwalking
Recently the simple act of walking has gained renewed appreciation. But what if we combined this mindful movement with the power of prayer? This is where prayerwalking emerges, offering a unique blend of physical activity and intercession for our communities.
More Than Just a Stroll
Prayerwalking is more than a casual walk with muttered prayers. It’s a deliberate practice that integrates our physical steps with focused prayer based on intentional observation. Imagine walking past a homeless shelter, offering prayers for comfort and support. Picture walking past the mom-and-pop businesses in your community and praying for the owners. Prayerwalking allows us to move beyond the confines of traditional prayer, weaving our petitions into the very fabric of our daily lives as we begin to understand that there’s a need for prayer wherever we are.
Benefits for Body and Soul
The advantages of prayerwalking are multifaceted. Physically, it offers well-documented benefits of improved cardiovascular health, potential weight loss, stress reduction, and boosted mood. But the spiritual rewards are equally significant. Prayerwalking fosters a deeper connection with God beyond the actual walk, helping us to experience His presence wherever we are. It cultivates mindfulness, freed from distractions as we focus our prayers on what we see. Additionally, prayerwalking can ignite compassion, prompting us to intercede for the needs of others.
Getting Started
Embarking on your prayerwalking journey is simple. Choose comfortable shoes, weather-wise clothing, and a comfortable walking route. Begin with praise and then engage your senses: see the people and places around you as springboards for prayer. Keep moving—don’t stop or gesture in such a way that would draw others’ attention to you. Simply petition for the needs in your community as you notice them.
Beyond the Solo Walk
While prayerwalking can be a deeply personal experience, it can also be a powerful shared activity. Walking with a family member or friend has several benefits: accountability to your commitment, safety, and additional insight into the needs around you.
More than twenty-five years ago I fell into prayerwalking. I had been struggling with some health issues for months when I walked out my back door one day and found myself in a crumpled heap. I knew I needed to do something to get physically stronger, but I also knew that for some time God had been calling me into a deeper life of prayer. So I decided to get up a little earlier the next morning and walk, and while I walked, I would pray.
There was a lot of “myness” in those initial prayers—for my four kids, my marriage, and my job as a high school English teacher. But that changed one day when I watched a single dad hand over his blanketed toddler girl into the arms of the daycare center worker waiting for him on the sidewalk. That little girl said, “Bye, Daddy. I love you.” And right then I knew that God had me out on the streets of my little town in the Sierra Valley less for the myness of my prayers but more for the needs of others.
So I began opening up my eyes and praying for whatever God put within my eyesight: the owners of the mom-and-pop businesses, the commuters heading out of town to Reno, the folks in the homes I passed. Soon I began to understand that I could have a praying-without-ceasing mindset because wherever I was, there was a need for prayer.
Prayerwalking is simple. We just need to lace up our shoes, step outside, and pray for the needs around us. With each mindful step, we can find a deeper connection with God and our community.
Janet McHenry has authored 26 books—seven on prayer, including PrayerWalk and Praying Personalities: Finding Your Natural Prayer Style. She serves on the CA National Day of Prayer leadership team.
Links:
Website: https://www.janetmchenry.com
Praying Personalities Quiz: https://prayingpersonalities.com
