5 Tips for a Successful Prayer Walk

One of the tools I have come to appreciate in inner city ministry is the power of a prayer walk.  There are a few formats for going on a prayer walk, but essentially it means getting your feet on the pavement and praying for what you see.  When I am alone, or with fellow ministers, this can be a wandering, spontaneous walk where prayers arise from the situations and places we see: a kid we know, a school issue as we pass, an empty lot where a liquor store is slated to build, and so on.  With groups, especially missions teams, we get a bit more structured, plan a route in advance, and plan stopping points where we can gather to inform and pray together without causing too much of a stir.  We may pray for the gangs and those affected by them near a grafittied wall.  We may stop and pray against suicide and violence, as well as for the families affected by it, around a streetside memorial.  We may stop and pray for the children in the community by a playground.  Another way of doing a prayer walk is by sending teams out with specific objectives (count the number of tags you see on this route; compare the number of quality, viable businesses you see with the number of pawn shops, liquor marts, money marts and bingo halls, etc.) to pray specifically for a situation or dynamic in your neighbourhood.  However you structure it, here are a few tips to make a successful prayer walk:

1. Set a time limit or a pre-determined route.
Prayer Walks can take all day.  Trust me.  If you have all day, go for it.  If not, plan ahead.

2. Be safe. 
There are good reasons to take on risks; stopping to pray for the guy waving a gun because "we're on a prayer walk" may be exactly what Christ is calling you to do - but make sure it's His voice you're hearing, otherwise,  move on.  It's okay to pray a block away.

3. Choose how you will be conspicuous.
If you are on your own, or with a friend, a prayer walk could look like a leisurely stroll with you talking out loud conversationally... just to God.  Most passerbys will never notice.  But if you're leading a group, it looks a little wierd walking in groups of ten or more, and even wierder when you stop and pray out loud periodically.  There are times when this weirdness is just what you're looking for - you're inviting people to notice what you are doing and hoping conversations (and confrontations) happen.  If this is your aim, that's great.  My point is, if you are going to be conspicuous, be purposeful.  There are ways to go on prayer walks, even with large groups, that are less conspicuous, so decide how you want to be percieved before leaving.

4.  Be a blessing
There are prayers that are meant to be prayed out loud, in public, and prayers that are better left for more private conversations.  Be conscious of who may be listening, and choose words that will bless and benefit those who hear it rather than tear down or destroy.  While it is completely appropriate to pray against laziness and self-destructive behaviour in the parents of the children we minister to, rarely is it appropriate to pray that in front of them unless they are seeking prayer.  Instead, pray that parents would be equipped, motivated and enabled to be the best possible parents they can be: that is a prayer any parent would be blessed by overhearing.

5.  Remember to praise
It is so easy to see the negatives in the inner city environment; as you walk, remember to look for the beauty as well.  Praise God for the big brother protecting his family, for the wild flowers coming up through the cracks in the pavement, for the bus route that takes parents to work, and for those who truly care about their families and communities.  There is always beauty, even in the darkest places, but unless we choose to look for it, it can be hidden.  Look for reasons to praise and thank God, even in the bleakest inner city.
 
So go ahead, take a walk.