In Nehemiah 2:11-18, we learnt how Nehemiah the cupbearer to the King started out on his mission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem by riding through the ruins at night. He had not shared with anyone what God had placed in his heart and felt it important to prepare God’s way ahead by prayer. In the last 12 months, we have learnt that brothers and sisters from our community have gone out to Eunos to make friends for Jesus but most of us only hear about the location but have never gone with them ourselves. But on 21st March ’10, we are going to follow Nehemiah’s strategy to walk the area, holding it in our hearts before the Lord as we pass through the Eunos community. Many of us have learnt to quietly pray in the places that we live, work or play so it is not something that will be strange to us. This sort of on-site intercession has often been referred to as “prayerwalking”.

The WayMakers* (writers of the prayer guides to the Global Day of Prayer) defined prayerwalking as “simply praying in the very places we expect God to bring forth His answers.” It is usually a low-profile affair: friends or family stroll two-by-two through their own neighborhoods, schools and work places, praying as they go. Once in a while the prayers can be demonstrative, but most prayerwalking is fairly quiet. It’s usually being on the scene without making one.

We want to pray on site with insight. We are going to extend our prayers beyond our own concerns to focus directly on the needs of our Eunos neighbors. Prayerwalking is not so much about walking or being outside. It’s drawing nearer to those for whom we pray, so that we can be clearer about what we are to pray.

HOW TO PRAYERWALK

Pray with a Partner.
- You can prayerwalk alone, but many find that their prayers are more focused when expressed with a friend.
- Pray audibly for clarity and better agreement.
- As you finish, discuss – or even write down – the prayers, people, and places of most importance. You’ll be ready for the next round of on-site prayer.

Pray with God’s Spirit.
- Invite the Spirit of God to accompany you, guiding your steps and your words.
- Be attentive during moments of silence, allowing the Holy Spirit to help you see with His eyes and pray in accordance with His heart.
- Address God directly when contending with evil or its aftermath. Ask God to redeem people as He restrains the enemy.

Pray with God’s Word.
- Read Scripture aloud. God breathes it and loves to bless it.
- Express God’s thoughts in your own words.
- Carry Scripture with you. Use a small Bible, or note cards.
- Choose a particular verse or theme as a base for your prayers throughout one day’s prayerwalk. Use another to launch your prayers the next day, and so on.

Pray with Purpose.
- Pray for the present-hour needs of people and places that you see.
- Sketch a map to focus on select streets and homes. We will provide a simplified map.
- Pray quietly. In confidence of God’s unfolding purpose which includes your preparation prayer, don’t look to initiate gospel conversations during your prayerwalk. Pray for God to open doors of communication soon.
- Explain what you are doing to inquirers: “We’re praying God’s blessing on the neighborhood. Are there specific ways we can pray for you or others?”

Besides blessing the neighborhood through our prayers, we will discover how God enables us (those who participate) to see people as He might view them. He’ll enable us to become more interested in the welfare of the people that we are praying for, and truly become the kind of neighbor that you always wanted to be. Look out for the ways God impresses you to display His love in practical acts of kindness. Be ready to offer to pray with your partners as opportunity may arise.

*WayMakers helps people pray in the simple power of Biblical hope for people throughout their communities, and even for peoples in distant places.