Walking the Talk and Talking the Walk

Last weekend I was speaking with my dear friend and ministry administrator Carolina, during the course of our conversation she reminded me about an article I had written some years back. The article was on prayer walking which I used to do daily. The conversation caused a spark that had waned over time.

Last night as I was cleaning out a little used old email account I could not believe my eyes, there it was! Sitting right in front of me was a copy of the article we had just discussed a couple of day ago. As I read the article the spark became a flame and the flame is quickly becoming a fire. I am now fired up to prayer walk again, although this time prayer walking has a new look. Some of you may already know this, but I am an employee of our local police department as a school crossing guard. Each school day, morning and afternoon, I am blessed to cross children to and from school. The kids have found a special place in my heart and it makes my day when I see their bright smiling faces every morning. I often referred to my job as my "children's church" ministry and consider myself a spiritual as well as natural crossing guard. Each morning I greet the children on my post with big smiles and grand hello's. I ask them how the are, are they excited for the day, tell them they are going to have a great day and other words of encouragement. Initially they looked at me like I was a loony lady but they soon warmed up and by the end of the last school year, they would greet me with great big hello's and busy chatter. In the evening I greet them just as warmly making sure to ask how school was, what did they learn, did they have fun and so on. After the first few days on my post I realized not every child has someone at home rooting for them, not all of them live in a peaceful, loving or nurturing environment. They don't all have someone sending them to school covered in prayer or with words of Life uttered over them. The more I realized this the more determined I became to be an intercessor and voice of encouragement for them.

As we prepare for school to begin in a couple of weeks, my heart is ablaze with prayer. I am excited over the opportunity to prayer walk the children assigned to me by the Father. It's amazing to know that although the area of my walk in the natural is simply from one side of the street to the other, my prayer walk goes beyond that... far beyond that. As I allow the fire to consume me, my prayer reaches past the children to their families, their home life, neighborhoods and surrounding communities. Prayer changes things and the root of revival is birthed from the seed of prayer. I want to challenge each of you is to look around you and see where you can begin to change lives, neighborhood and communities through prayer. I'm including the original article I wrote on prayer walking to help you get started, I hope you all enjoy it and it sparks a fire to make a difference one step at a time in your area.

Blessings until Next Time,
TonyR

*********************************************************

Prayer Walking...

Okay here it is… I must confess that after living on my former street for 6and a half years I could count the neighbors whose names I knew on one hand. I must acknowledge the fact that I really had not enlarged my circle beyond my immediate neighbors from next door and across the street. Sure I did the usual wave of the hand or friendly honk of the horn but nothing of real substance.

What about you? Have you ever noticed your neighborhood? Really noticed who your neighbors are and what type of atmosphere your street, and your community have over it? So often we see our neighbors, we stop and chat or give then a friendly wave of the hand. But are we truly influencing our surroundings, are we making a spiritual impact.

How do we make this type of impact without being intrusive or overbearing? How do we overcome living in an era where people don’t want to get involved, where we hide in our cozy homes and stay in our comfy backyards. How do we break the barriers?

As the Lord began to speak to my heart concerning this, he graciously allowed me to hear about Prayer Walking. It is the simple formula of praying while walking down your street and through your neighborhood. Prayer walking is one of the simplest yet effective ways that I have encountered to impact streets, neighborhoods, and communities. All it takes is a desire to see God move on your street, and in your neighborhood. It can be done alone or with a partner. You and your husband could use this time together or you could even go trekking as a family, with each member taking a turn to pray.

As you begin your trek take time to notice each house on your street, what type of atmosphere or environment does that home carry. Look at the people who live there, observe their children. Take along a small notepad during your treks, as you prayer walk write down leadings of the Holy Spirit that you might make intercession for them in your private prayer time. I often wear stereo headphones with worship music playing as I walk.

As you walk the streets of your neighborhood, begin to speak and declare the Word of God over your region. Heaven and earth shall pass away but His Word will remain, it will not return to him void rather it shall accomplish the very thing He sent it do. There IS power in the Word of God.

Ask God to move on your street, and in your neighborhood as you walk. Pray for revival to overtake your community, your city. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, how he is prompting you to pray for each home. Pray for salvation, healing and deliverance to take place within the homes. We never know what is going on behind closed doors; we cannot be moved by appearances. Those neighbors who look so well put together with everything going for then, might be the very ones who are going through the most tragic events inside of those walls. When we fail to come out of our comfort zone, we can miss the leading of God to intercede.

During your treks you will begin to see more of your neighbors than ever before. Be open to God. Greet your neighbors; introduce yourself. A major purpose of Prayer Walking is to be a witness to your neighbors and by getting to know them, you can effectively begin to witness.

The following is a list of things you can pray on your prayer walks
1: Revival

2: Salvation

3;Unity in your neighborhood – pray that neighbors would come together, that walls come down, and generations heal.

4: Racism – it is yet alive and through prayer this spirit can be defeated in your neighborhood, your community and your city.

5: Marriages

6: Families

7: Safety in your neighborhood.

I often wonder what would happen if saints of God all over took up prayer walking. What impact would it have on our cities? What strongholds would be pulled down? What bondages could be broken? How many families would come to know Christ, how many marriages healed and renewed? How many souls delivered from addictions, abuse and a myriad of other conditions.

As you begin your prayer walks don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate changes. Trust and believe God, He does not allow your prayers to go up in vain, God hears our prayers and more than that He answers them. If you make yourself available to be used of God, He is faithful. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much, PRAY ON my sister PRAY ON!