Prayerwalking
is a dynamic and powerful spiritual experience. God will
honor it and use it to touch and transform the lives of
people. Believers can have an enormous impact on their cities
and communities through prayerwalking.
We have already defined what
prayerwalking is. It is praying on-site with insight. It
is moving your prayer closet outside and into the city and
community around you. And we have examined reasons why believers
should practice prayerwalking. It will affect both those
who practice it and those for whom they pray.
Prayerwalking is an essential
tool for believers and churches. Yet, it is important to
remember what prayerwalking is not. You must maintain a
balance in this issue. Keep the following in mind:
• Prayerwalking is not a substitute for personal
prayer. Prayerwalking can invigorate your prayer life.
It can breathe new life into your prayer life. It can strengthen
and intensify your prayer life. But, it should never be
seen as a substitute for a personal, daily time when you
get alone and get with your Father. Jesus taught the necessity
of spending time alone with the Father, "But you, when
you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the
door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly"
(Matthew 6:6). It is not a matter of choosing between
your time alone with God and your prayerwalking. It is a
matter of striving to maintain a balance between your time
alone with God and your prayerwalking.
• Prayerwalking is not
a replacement for the church's prayer meetings. Again,
you should work for a balance between these things. Prayerwalking
can have a positive and transforming affect on your church's
prayer meetings. It can rejuvenate the prayer meetings in
your church. It can bring refreshing to the same old, tired,
boring times that we call prayer meeting. Yet, it does not
replace believers getting together in churches or homes
to pray. The Bible declares the need for believers to join
together for prayer, "And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking
of bread and prayers" (Acts 2:42). Prayerwalking
can be a healthy and vital extension of the church's praying.
In turn, it can breathe new life into the church's prayer
meeting.
• Prayerwalking is not
an alternative to evangelism. Prayerwalking leads to
evangelism. Prayerwalking opens the door for witnessing.
It removes the barriers to the gospel in cities and communities.
Prayerwalking and evangelism go hand in hand. They complement
each other. Prayerwalking enables the church to fulfill
its Great Commission, "Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen"
(Matthew 28:19-20). Prayerwalking is not an alternative
to evangelism; it is a crucial key to winning people to
Jesus Christ and discipling them.
• Prayerwalking is not
a substitute for ministering to the needs of people.
Prayerwalking enables you to see and discover the needs
of people. And it will produce compassion in your heart
for people. It is one thing to hear about a need. It is
quite another to see it in living color. Ministering to
people requires a heart of compassion and an understanding
of their needs. Prayerwalking equips the believer with both
these things. Prayerwalking is not a substitute for ministry;
it is a prerequisite for ministering the people. Jesus declares
that His people will minister to the needs of others, "Then
the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we
see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked
and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison,
and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them,
Assuredly, I say to You, inasmuch as you did it to one of
the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me"
(Matthew 25:37-40). Prayerwalking can empower you to
minister to the needs of others. It puts you in the position
to do this.
Prayerwalking
is a powerful tool for believers. It can release God's power
and blessing into the lives of people. Yet, it must be remembered
that it goes hand in hand with personal and corporate prayer,
evangelism, and ministering to the needs of people.
