Prayer walking is a spiritual practice that involves walking around a specific area while praying intentionally for that location. It combines physical movement with focused intercession. The goals of prayer walking include seeking God’s guidance and blessing, hearing His voice, interceding for the community, and taking spiritual authority over strongholds.
The roots of prayer walking can be traced back to the Bible. In Joshua 6, God instructed Joshua and the Israelites to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. While circling the city, the Israelites were to remain completely silent except for the blowing of the trumpets by the priests. After completing the seventh lap on the seventh day, the people shouted and the walls of Jericho came crashing down, allowing the Israelites to conquer the city.
This story illustrates how the physical act of circling the city was a vital part of God’s strategy to see victory. It set the precedent for prayer walking being used today to see spiritual breakthroughs and transformation in cities and nations. Other examples in Scripture reveal how holy processions and marches around areas were common in ancient Jewish worship and warfare (Psalm 48:12-13, Psalm 68:24-27).
Prayer walking enables Christians to be on-site intercessors, praying in the very places they want to see changed. It is a means of claiming ground and taking spiritual authority just as Jesus sent out the twelve and seventy disciples to pronounce peace and drive out demons from towns they visited (Luke 10:1-12). The spiritual mapping involved helps gain revelation from God about the spiritual climate and strongholds over a place so that followers of Jesus can pray both wisdom and power into the situation.
Some key steps for effective prayer walking include:
- Ask God to guide your prayers and reveal what He wants you to intercede for.
- Study the area in advance through research, observation, conversing with locals, and seeking revelation from the Holy Spirit.
- Map out a specific route to follow as you walk.
- Pray in the Spirit as you go, listening for God’s promptings.
- Take authority over spiritual darkness and pronounce blessing.
- Look for physical visuals that represent needs to pray into.
- Take notes to remember specific prayer points.
- Stay focused by minimizing distractions and conversing with others.
- Follow up the prayer walk by reviewing revelations and notes.
Prayer walking can take place individually or in groups. When done together, different people can pray for specific needs and focus areas. It is helpful to have an experienced prayer walker help lead and train those new to the practice.
Places commonly prayer walked include:
- Cities
- Neighborhoods
- College Campuses
- Downtown areas
- Sites of specific concerns like abortion clinics, crack houses, prisons, government buildings, schools, etc.
Prayer walking is beneficial because it:
- Allows for deep intercession right on location versus praying from afar.
- Combines faith with action.
- Exposes the intercessor directly to the spiritual climate and needs of an area.
- Stakes a claim of spiritual authority over a place.
- Opens one’s physical eyes and spiritual discernment to what God wants to reveal.
- Is a prophetic act declaring God’s intent and power to save.
- Can lead to divine appointments to minister to people.
Those who engage in prayer walking believe it is a vital key for seeing transformation in communities and nations along with renewal in the Church. Some examples of significant prayer walking initiatives include March for Jesus events, The Prayer Walk movement started by Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick, and initiatives led by ministries like Waymakers or Prayer Surge NOW. Stories abound of areas impacted for good through faithful believers stewarding this spiritual strategy.
Prayer walking can be done alone but is very effective when carried out with others. Believers can walk together along a coordinated route or spread out to cover more ground. When a team prayer walks, it helps to have communication via cell phones, designate a leader, and establish a home base for prayer and debriefing. Having diversity of ages and ethnicity within the group enables more encompassing intercession.
Those new to prayer walking should start small by going on short walks with experienced prayer walkers. This allows for mentoring on how to stay focused, receive revelation, take authority, and pray through distractions.
It is wise to prayer walk with someone of the same gender to avoid unnecessary temptation or perceptions. Prayer walking is best done in daylight hours and avoid risky areas if alone. Letting someone know the route ahead of time is also recommended for safety. With reasonable precautions, prayer walking can be done anywhere the Spirit leads.
Some tips for effective prayer walking include:
- Ask God to prepare your heart and guide your prayers.
- Study information on the locations being prayer walked.
- Dress appropriately and modestly.
- Bring water, food, cell phone, notebook, etc.
- Start by worshiping and praying together to invite God’s presence.
- Have an experienced prayer walker mentoring the novices.
- Stay focused on praying versus chatting, observe versus staring.
- Follow promptings to stop and pray on specific sites or needs.
- Fan out if needed to cover more ground.
- Close by giving thanks and debriefing revelations received.
Specific things to pray for while prayer walking include:
- Asking God to reveal His heart for the neighborhood, city, campus, etc.
- Praying against spiritual darkness and strongholds.
- Praying for residents and people you observe.
- Praying for the Lord’s favor and blessing.
- Praying for healing, salvation, justice, wisdom, etc.
- Listening for God’s voice and direction.
- Praying into places of influence like government centers, businesses, churches, etc.
- Worshiping and praising the Lord.
Prayer walking combines vital spiritual disciplines for seeing transformation. Intercession releases God’s power. Listening positions one to hear God’s strategies. Worship invites God’s manifest presence. Taking spiritual authority defeats demonic influence. Prophetic acts stake a claim of the kingdom over a region. Prayer walking stewards each of these effectively in unity.
In addition to neighborhoods, cities, and nations, prayer walking can also be done in specific places like:
- Schools – praying blessings over administration, teachers, students
- Government centers – interceding for officials and policies
- Churches – asking God to renew vision and bless ministry
- Businesses – praying for righteous practices and openness to believers
- Prisons – interceding for inmates and reforms
- Hospitals – praying for patients, staff, caregivers
- Sites of past revivals or moves of God – praying for new outpourings of the Spirit
Mapping out the most important sites in an area helps focus prayer walking efforts where they are likely to have highest impact. Asking God for discernment also reveals key places needing focused intercession.
Certain factors make prayer walking challenging but not impossible. Inclement weather may make it difficult to linger outdoors for long periods. Access restrictions may prohibit entering some properties or locations. Dangerous areas may prevent walking there alone. Heavy foot traffic could compromise trying to pray aloud. Despite limitations, prayer can still ascend from anywhere. Creative wisdom opens possibilities like doing drive-by prayer in vehicles and knowing when to pray silently.
Prayer walking is supported and modeled throughout Scripture. In Genesis 13:17, God instructs Abraham to walk the length and breadth of the land He plans to give His chosen people. In Joshua 1:3, God promises Joshua that every place on which the sole of his foot treads will belong to Him. In Mark 6:56, multitudes lined the streets begging just to touch Jesus’ cloak as He walked by. Believers prayer walk in this same spiritual authority and power.
Many revivalists and evangelists have testified to the power of prayer walking. Charles Finney urged fervent intercessors to walk newly reaped fields to pray to protect new believers. D.L. Moody called prayer walking the greatest legacy he could leave the Church. Steve Hawthorne helped spearhead the Prayer Walk phenomenon during the 1990s that mobilized thousands internationally to hit the streets and pray on site. Stories emerge constantly of prayer walkers being led to divine encounters and cities being reached through unified, persevering intercession.
Prayer walking fuels spiritual breakthrough and transformation through:
- Humbling ourselves before God (2 Chronicles 7:14).
- Seeking Him wholeheartedly (Jeremiah 29:13).
- Asking for revelation of His heart and strategy (James 1:5).
- Listening to the Spirit’s promptings (John 10:27).
- Aligning intercession with God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).
- Persevering in faith (Luke 18:1).
- Moving in unity (Matthew 18:19-20).
- Taking authority over darkness (Luke 10:19).
Prayer walking is modeling Jesus’ example of advancing and manifesting the kingdom wherever we go when we seek God’s presence and power. It is laying hold of the promise that as we walk with God, He will walk with us and work through us to see His glory revealed. When done according to biblical patterns and led by the Spirit, prayer walking unleashes God’s redemptive purposes.
The Bible indicates several causes behind powerless prayer. Believers who want their intercession during prayer walking to have maximum impact must examine their hearts and motives to remove anything hindering their petitions. Scriptural truths expose common pitfalls that can be avoided.
Prayers lack power when there is:
- Sin – Isaiah 59:2 warns that iniquities separate us from God so He will not hear.
- Idols – Ezekiel 14:3 says God won’t answer those who have idols in their hearts.
- Wrong motives – James 4:3 explains we sometimes ask wrongly to satisfy passions.
- Unbelief – James 1:6-7 admonishes that doubting God limits His response.
- Unforgiveness – Mark 11:25 teaches that we must forgive to be forgiven.
- Selfishness – Proverbs 21:13 warns God won’t hear us if we won’t help others.
- Pride – Job 35:12 says our arrogance profits God nothing and affects His answers.
- Bloodshed – Isaiah 1:15 declares God turns from those with bloodstained hands.
The Bible provides the remedy that makes prayer powerful – humbling ourselves before God, repenting of sin, forgiving others, surrendering our will to His and walking in love. Maintaining a right heart posture is key for prayer walking to be effective.
Scripture gives much wisdom on how to pray with power. Believers desiring to prayer walk effectively can apply these biblical principles:
- Pray in Jesus’ name – John 14:13
- Pray according to God’s will – 1 John 5:14
- Pray with clean hands and a pure heart – Psalm 24:3-4
- Pray with faith – Matthew 21:22
- Pray fervently – James 5:16
- Pray unceasingly – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Pray unitedly in agreement – Matthew 18:19
- Pray with thanksgiving – Philippians 4:6
- Pray by the power of the Spirit – Romans 8:26
- Pray with obedience – 1 John 3:21
When prayer walkers follow these Scriptural commands, they release God’s authority and move His hand to bring breakthroughs. Aligning intercession with biblical truths causes it to become spiritually violent in tearing down strongholds of darkness so God’s kingdom prevails.
The Bible gives several examples of powerful prayers that brought miraculous results. Applying these patterns to prayer walking helps gain potency in intercession. Passionate, persistent prayers that move God’s heart include:
- Moses – Exodus 32 – interceded nonstop for Israel’s forgiveness and restoration before God.
- Hannah – 1 Samuel 1 – poured out her heart desiring a child, weeping before the Lord.
- David – Psalm 51 – repented and pled for mercy according to God’s steadfast love.
- Elijah – 1 Kings 18 – prayed fervently for fire from heaven, persevering until the answer came.
- Nehemiah – Nehemiah 1 – wept, mourned, fasted, and confessed Israel’s sins to God.
- The early church – Acts 4 – cried out unitedly to the Lord in boldness for Him to move.
- Jesus – John 17 – interceded intimately for the Father to glorify Himself through believers.
When prayer walkers follow these examples of passionate, God-focused intercession, strongholds are demolished and miracles unfold showing God’s great power and glory.
God often uses prayer walking to mobilize spiritual breakthrough and revival. History attests how united prayer on-site paved the way for transformation. When believers walk and pray on prayer walks with right hearts and biblical authority, God works mightily. Some examples include:
- The Moravians prayer walked countless miles which fueled their missionary zeal worldwide.
- Barton Stone prayer walked camp meetings praying for revival among settlers and saw thousands converted.
- Jeremiah Lanphier prayer walked around New York crying out to God before sparks of revival began spreading across America in 1857.
- Duncan Campbell and intercessors prayer walked the Isle of Lewis before Spirit outpouring brought sweeping renewal in 1949.
- The Jericho Movement prayer walked cities before seeing millions added to the church during the 1990s.
As evidenced, prayer walking has been integral in paving the way for great spiritual harvests and transformation historically. When believers unite and persevere in on-site intercession, this prophetic act becomes the wind of the Holy Spirit to ignite fresh fire.
Prayer walking is supported throughout Scripture, modeled by devoted saints, and proven effective in catalyzing numerous revivals when led by the Spirit. Believers desiring to see their communities and nations changed are wise to adopt this vibrant spiritual discipline. Several keys make prayer walking most fruitful:
- Gather like-minded, passionate intercessors of diverse ages and backgrounds.
- Commit to regular times of unified prayer walking versus sporadic efforts.
- Receive training if new to the process to grow in understanding and focus.
- Study the culture, history, needs of areas being prayer walked.
- Follow the Spirit’s promptings during times of intercession.
- Persevere through spiritual resistance and dry times.
- Debrief and celebrate revelations, breakthroughs, divine appointments.
- Keep expanding territory covered as the Lord leads.
With Holy Spirit guidance, prayer walking mobilizes believers to partner with God in advancing His kingdom. As intercessors walk and pray on-site, revelatory spiritual mapping occurs along with powerful intercession. Testimonies abound of unjust systems overturned, despair dispelled, prodigals returned, and other miracles when regions are fervently and consistently prayer walked. May many more join this divine mission until Christ’s life-giving presence fills the earth through Spirit-empowered, kingdom-focused intercession.
