“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.…” – Luke 18:1 NIV
We Jesus followers know that prayer is as necessary as breathing in our walk with Him. Jesus also tells us that prayer is important in bringing His Kingdom down to earth. But sometimes we need a reminder to pray, especially for the people in our neighbourhoods. This designation of a week of Prayer Walking is designed to help us make prayer, especially for God’s blessing on our communities, a regular part of our prayer practice. Prayer changes things, and our united prayers have the power to change things for the better in Maple Ridge and Pitt meadows.
What is Prayer Walking? Prayer walking is simply walking and praying at the same time. It’s a technique designed to focus our prayers on our surroundings while listening to the Holy Spirit for specific guidance as to how we should pray. Many of us already walk for exercise, we walk our pets, or walk our kids or grandkids to school. It’s easy to pray as we walk, with our eyes open of course! All we need to add to our walking is focus, love and prayer.
Why should we Prayer Walk? We should Prayer Walk in our neighbourhoods because our Lord loves every person in our city and every person is worthy of our prayers. And Prayer Walking is powerful. When we do it we are literally claiming the ground we are walking on for Christ.
Is Prayer Walking something I do on my own, or should I do it with others?
You can engage in the Prayer Walk either as an individual or in a group. Home groups may choose to Pray Walk together, or Christians who live on the same street might walk with each other. It’s also a great family activity—a way for parents to model active listening to God and praying for others with their kids.
Who is sponsoring this Sunday, June 4 th through Saturday, June 10 th Prayer Walk:
This Prayer Walk is church-based, interdenominational and pastor-led. Locally, the Prayer Walk is sponsored by our ministerial association, (https://prayridgemeadows.com/about-us/rmma/) a group of pastors from various churches in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows who are united in their desire to bring Jesus to our cities, and who work lovingly together to that end, and by Pray Ridge Meadows ( https://prayridgemeadows.com/).
Why should we Prayer Walk specifically between these two dates?
Prayer Walking is a great thing to do at any time, of course, but it is encouraging, when you pray, to know that others in the neighbourhood, of various denominations, are praying at the same time and in the same way. It’s the kind of unity God blesses.
How often should I do a Prayer Walk? You can Prayer Walk as often as you like. If you walk regularly anyway you may find yourself quite naturally being called to pray as a constant practice. If Prayer Walking became a natural part of your exercise routine, your neighbours would benefit spiritually from your physical exercise! But for this week we are suggesting that you make AT LEAST one walk down one street of your choice.
Do I have to walk my street? No, you can walk anywhere you have a heart to see God’s Kingdom come. Centres of government offices, schools, newspapers or hospitals are always key places to put your focused prayer. Check out the MAP link in the menu bar above and see who is praying where. Pick a street that is not covered by someone else if you like. You can choose any one, or you can do a part of one. We didn’t have an easy way to segment longer streets! There are approximately 724 streets in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Our goal is to see all 724 streets covered by prayer at least once!
If I can’t walk, or my street is too long, is there another way I can be involved? If walking is too difficult, or the street is too long, feel free to adapt. You can drive, bike, or even go by bus. The point is to get outside your home to pray, where you can experience your environment with your five senses and let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers through them.
What should I pray for? There are times when the Holy Spirit might lead you to pray against the activity of the Evil One in very specific ways. There may be specific hinderances to the Gospel in certain geographical areas that need to be broken down. But for the most part you will want to simply pray BLESSINGS over the people in your cities. Pray encouragement for believers you might walk past, or for open hearts and freedom to choose for those who might not know Him yet. The important thing is to listen to the Holy Spirit. Pay attention and ask Him for wisdom as to how to pray. If you listen, He will often give you direct, specific things to pray for each home or person or situation. Prayer walking is a great way to practice this important listening aspect of prayer. And if in doubt, it is always appropriate to pray:
May Your name be lifted high, May Your kingdom come, May Your will be done, here on this street as it is in heaven, for Your honour and glory, forever and ever, Amen!
How do I get involved with this event? To begin, go to the “SIGN UP” link on the menu bar above and give us your information. It’s easy and fun to do. Just follow the prompts and you will instantly become a part of the community of believers who will be showering their community with God’s blessing between June 4 th and June 10 th!
At the end of the week we’d love to hear about your experiences. If you have a story to tell, go to the “STORIES" link on the menu bar above and e-mail us. We will share your story on this page and others who have prayed along with you will be blessed to read it.
Click this link for a video description of Prayer Walking. Further questions? Email us at [email protected]