Prayerwalking
Steve Hawthorne
Prayer Principle: When the will of man unites with the will of God, Heaven moves! “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” Matthew 21:22
What Is Prayer Walking?
Praying On-Site, To Pray With Greater Insight
* Responsive Insight: Our best insight may be our eyesight “The moved heart always follows the seeing eye.”
* Revealed Insight:
a) Praying according to the Word of God, via the Spirit of God
b) Seeking to “see” what God might see
c) Attentive to “hear” what God might say
* Researched Insight:
a) Fuel: facts of the present-hour condition of people
b) Fire: anticipating the soon-to-come glory of God
Praying Nearer To Pray “Dearer”
* Praying in the very places in which we expect God to bring about the answers to our prayers.
* Allowing sights, sounds, and smells to open our minds and hearts to the spiritual condition and needs of those we are praying for.
Praying Intentionally Rather Than Reactively
* Focus: Taking new ground rather than defending old ground
Intercessory Rather Than Devotional Prayers
* Bringing others “close to God”
* Praying about the needs of others rather than our needs.
“In My court, I’m always willing to listen to someone who is willing to speak on behalf of someone else.”
What Happens When We Prayerwalk?
* We conquer fear/apathy regarding people/the community
* We become sensitized to the realities of people/the community
* Our heart gets connected to people/the community
* The “fragrance” of God is brought into the community
* The “imprint” of God is left on the community
* We gain insight regarding ways to serve the community
* The kingdom of darkness is weakened throughout the community
* The kingdom of god advances within the community
How to Prayerwalk
Before:
* Research the community
* Take care of personal sin
* Praise, worship, Scripture reading to clear mind and set tone
* Pray for spiritual protection
* Pray that God would reveal the things that are on His heart
During:
* Form a team (for prayer agreement)
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 18-19
* Walk and pray:
o With eyes “open” for insight
o Out loud — so those on the team can hear and enter in “agreement”
o Following and building on a topic
o With scripture
o With relevance (what we see and hear)
o With faith (beyond what we see!)
After:
* Debrief as a group (record significant points for future prayer)
* Report significant prayers, observations, insights
* Consider points of obedience/action
* Set plans for further preparation & prayer
What to Pray For:
* For God’s “blessings” upon the community (our hopes for them)
* That God would reveal Himself to these people and lift the darkness/ deception to which they are subject
* That God would reveal His goodness to these people
* That God would destroy the works of Satan in their lives
* That God would cause them to become dissatisfied with the ways they are seeking satisfaction and purpose in life
* That God would reveal to them their true spiritual condition and need
* That God would draw them irresistibly to Himself
* That God would convict them of their sin, His righteous standard, and the judgment to come
* That God would reveal who Jesus is and that only He can deliver from sin and its consequences
* That God’s kingdom would come to this people/community as it is in Heaven, and that His will would be done
Some Don’ts of Prayerwalking
* Don’t draw attention to yourself (“be on the scene, without making one”)
* Don’t pray “against” the people or community (us against them attitude)
* Don’t “confront” the powers of evil (to do so is to invite retaliation)
Debriefing Your Prayerwalk
1. How did your vision change?
* Do you see the area differently? How?
* What was new or surprising?
* What did you perceive about God’s will regarding the community? Recount a significant experience during your prayerwalk.
2. How did your praying change?
* What happened to your focus in view of the surrounding people and issues?
* How did God’s Word impact your prayers?
* Share a prayer that seemed particularly significant, and why you think so.
* How will this prayer time effect further prayer times?
3. Who did you meet?
* Were there any encounters with people? What did it lead to?
* Who did you sense needs further prayer or other assistance?
4. What did you hear or learn?
* Did you sense God teaching or speaking to you about anything? What new insights have you gained that will help you or others in further prayer?
Revelation 5:8, 9 / 8:3-5
“History belongs to the intercessors.”
—Walter Wink—
This article “Prayerwalking” was adapted from: Prayerwalking by Steve Hawthorne; Random House Publishers, 2003. It may be used for study & research purposes only.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
