How To Prayer Walk A Neighborhood

Whether we have our own vehicles or not, we all walk around our neighborhoods at some point or another. We walk when we need to go somewhere or visit a nearby convenience store to buy what we need. We walk sometimes, or perhaps every day if we have to commute when going to school or work. We sometimes jog around the neighborhood to exercise and keep our bodies fit. Whenever we move around our neighborhood, it is always a good idea to pray for it.

Heavenly Father, stir up compassion in my heart so that I will be burdened to pray and intercede for my neighbors, who may also hear the Gospel and come to Christ. Thank You because in Christ, I know that my prayers have power. In Jesus’ name. I pray. Amen.

What Is A Prayer Walk?

A prayer walk, just as the name suggests, is where you walk around a certain place and pray for that place and the people within it. For example, if you walked around a university campus, you would pass by classrooms and buildings of different departments and colleges. As you walk around while doing a prayer walk, you could pray for the classrooms, that the school would be a place of learning, where students would be taught well about what they are studying, and that they would be faithful in their studies.

When you pass by these different colleges, you could also pray that the faculty and professors would be people who teach their students well about their courses and about what is morally right in the world and not advance liberal ideologies. You can pray for the offices themselves, that they would be offices who have godly teachers. You can even pray for the university itself, praying that it will be a place where students shall come to know Christ and where future godly leaders will be born.

In the example above, you simply pray for the place and the people as you pass by different places where you are walking. You can do a prayer walk wherever and whenever you want, covering a small space or a larger area like a whole city. However, it is also essential to be wise about where you do your prayer walk, especially if those areas are notoriously known for dangerous activities.

The same prayer walk example mentioned above can be done for your own neighborhood. The scriptures we have and should hold on to as we do our prayer walk include one from (I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1 Timothy 2:1), where the apostle Paul instructs Timothy that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people. Also, (Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16) states that a righteous person’s prayers are powerful and impactful. We should pray for our neighbors because we are commanded to and because our prayers have power.

 

How Do We Do A Prayer Walk In A Neighborhood?

We do a prayer walk by walking around an area and praying for the people and places we pass by. And what do we pray for? We pray for God’s will to be done, as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. For example, if you see homes where families do not know Christ yet, you can pray for them to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and that when they do, they will repent and believe it. If you pass by places like police outposts, you can pray for their safety and for them to know Christ. Whatever the places and whoever the people are, you can pray for God’s will to be upon them.

Another part of doing a prayer walk is planning. While you don’t have to fully plan for it, considering which route you will take during your prayer walk is a good idea. You can be intentional when choosing a specific area or route. Do you want to pray for the next generation and offer a prayer for a nearby school in your neighborhood? If so, you can select an area or route within that area.

Heavenly Father, I pray for these homes to become Christ-centered. I pray that they will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel, repent, and believe in Christ’s work. I also pray for the nearby coffee shop in our neighborhood. Bless the business, and may it be a place where the Gospel is shared and where Bible studies are done. May our neighborhood always be a safe place where no increase in violence or crime shall happen. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

God has ordained our prayers as a means to bring about His will. That is why our prayers are so powerful. If we want Christ to be known in our neighborhood, we must pray for it. Just as God ordained the preaching of the Gospel to bring people to Christ, He also ordains our prayers so that He may work in their hearts, open their spiritual eyes, and bring about a revival in their souls.