SESSION ONE

Think about the city where you live. The city is made up of many people. These people live in houses, condominiums and apartments. They work in offices and factories, shop in stores, and play in parks and amusement areas. They eat in restaurants and gather with their friends in coffee shops and bars. They travel wherever they are going by train, bus, car, motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot.

God loves all of the people of your city. God sent His Son to die on the cross for them so that they can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. God wants to help these people with their problems: to heal, to comfort, to strength, and to encourage them. God wants to bless them with peace and joy. God wants to give each one of them a wonderful life.

Now, imagine God’s love impacting all of the people of your city. What if everyone you see on the train or in the store believed in Jesus? What if everyone experienced God’s help with the problems of their everyday lives? What if everyone had the peace and joy in their hearts that result from a personal relationship with Jesus?

The present condition of your city is so far from this description that it is almost impossible for you to image God’s love impacting everyone isn’t it? Nevertheless, the truth remains that God does love all of the people in your city. God does want all of them to know Him and to experience His love and blessings. But how can this happen? How can your city be transformed from its present condition so that all of its people have the opportunity to experience forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus?

One key component to bringing God’s blessing to your city, your neighborhood, and even your own family and friends is prayer. You should pray that these people will experience God’s love. Pray that Jesus will save them. Pray that God will heal their illnesses, comfort their sorrow, strengthen their weakness, and encourage their discouragement. Pray that God will give them His peace and joy. (For more training on how to pray for other people see the unit, Praying for Other People.)

In order to know what to pray for the people of your city, you must know them. You must know why they are happy or sad. Are they sick or angry or sad or lonely? You must know about their spiritual condition. Most of them do not worship Jesus, but do you know why? Who or what do they worship? You must know about their needs so that you can pray for their needs.

This unit is about prayerwalking. Prayerwalking is a means to help you pray effectively for the people of your city. Through prayerwalking, you will be able to discern and pray for the specific needs of the people of your neighborhood, community and city. After you have learned and applied these prayerwalking principles to your own city, you will be able to go to other cities and countries and do prayerwalking in those places as well.

Prayerwalking is exactly what the words say it is. It comes from two English words, prayer and walking. So prayerwalking means to pray while walking. This stands in contrast to the usual practice of praying alone at home, with a small group, or with a large group of Christians during worship. In these situations people usually pray with their eyes closed, but in prayerwalking you pray with your eyes open, both physically and spiritually. Because of this difference people sometimes ask if there is a Biblical basis for prayerwalking. One verse that is often cited when this issue is raised is Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:6, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” The question is asked, “If we walk around praying in public, won’t we draw attention to ourselves? Doesn’t God want us to pray privately rather than publicly?”

The purpose of prayerwalking is not to pray publicly in order to draw attention to you. When people who are prayerwalking pray in crowded public places, they usually do so in a manner that avoids drawing the attention of others. Prayerwalking does not violate Jesus’ command to pray privately. Rather, the purpose of prayerwalking is to pray in the city among the people so that you are able to pray for them with an awareness of their specific needs. Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick define prayerwalking as “praying on-site with insight.” This means intercessory prayer for neighborhoods, homes and people where you expect the prayers to be answered with the insight that comes from seeing people and their needs first-hand.*

For example, a group that is prayerwalking passes a man who suffers from an obvious illness. While walking by, they pray for the healing of the man. The group passes a husband and wife having an argument. They pray that this couple will have a healthy, happy marriage. The group passes a store that sells pornographic magazines and videotapes. They pray for the sexual purity of adults and young people in that neighborhood. Finally, the group sees a large Buddhist temple. They stop and pray that people will be freed from their spiritual bondage and experience new life through faith in Jesus.

Read Luke 10:1-11

In verse 2, what did Jesus command the seventy-two that He sent out to do?

Jesus chose seventy-two of His followers and sent them out to the towns and villages where He was planning to go. As Jesus sent the seventy-two out, He told them, “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2). Jesus told them to think of the people of the cities and towns that they visited as God’s great harvest. Then Jesus told them to pray for the harvest. Jesus told them to pray that God would provide workers for this great spiritual harvest.

This request to pray for the harvest was rooted in Jesus’ own compassion for the spiritual condition of the people. According to Matthew 9:35-36,

*This and many other insights in this unit are taken from Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick’s book, PrayerWalking: Praying on Site with Insight (Orlando: Creation House, 1993). For the definition of prayerwalking see pages 15-21.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

As you begin prayerwalking, ask Jesus to help to see the people of your city as He sees them—harassed and helpless, in need of compassion and care. As Jesus reveals the needs of the people of your city to you, begin to pray for those needs.

Begin to think about all of the people of your city as God’s spiritual harvest. It is God’s desire to bring all of these people into relationship with Himself through faith in Jesus Christ. So as you walk the streets and neighborhoods of your city, ride the buses and trains, eat in the restaurants and shop in the stores, you can pray that all of the people you see will one day become believers in Jesus.

Also, pray that God will provide workers for this harvest. Some of these workers may be missionaries and pastors who will come from other places. Most of these new workers, however, will be people in your city who are now unbelievers. As you look at the people of your city, pray for those who will one day become Christians and then grow to become workers in the spiritual harvest. These workers include people who will share the gospel, people who will train new believers, people who will lead in worship, people who will provide fellowship and encouragement, and others who will lead in ministries of service.

Jesus told His followers that He was sending them out like “lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). In a confrontation with a wolf, a lamb is completely defenseless with out any hope of survival. Jesus explained this by telling them not to take money or anything else they thought that they might need with them (Luke 10:4). They were assuming a position of humility, with complete dependence on God to supply their needs.

As you begin prayerwalking, you will become overwhelmed by the needs of the people of your city. First, you will be overwhelmed by their lostness. With so few Christians now in Japan, you can assume that almost every person you meet is not a Christian. Almost everyone is separated from God by their sin and bound for eternity in Hell unless somehow they come to believe in Jesus.

Second, you will be overwhelmed by their lifestyle. People make questionable moral choices. Pornography is available in every convenience store, bookstore, and video store. Prostitution is so prevalent that it even includes many high school and junior high school students. Public drunkenness is a major social problem.

Third, you will be overwhelmed by their relationships. There are many families with problems. Husbands and wives live together, but do not talk to one another. Many fathers do not involve themselves with their own children. Many people do not have even one real friend that they can talk to. So even though there are thousands of people, many are alone in the crowd.

When you see the spiritual condition of your city, you will feel like the lamb who meets the wolf. Like the lamb, you will feel that you cannot do anything. It is when you reach this condition of humility that you are ready to pray to God with all of your heart. You are ready to pray because you know that only God has the power to change the people of your city. Only God has the power to meet their needs.

Jesus told the seventy-two, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace be on this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you” (Luke 10:5-6). As you prayerwalk, focus your prayers on the people that God brings into your path. In some cases, this may mean praying for a person that you meet in the street. Often this will be done at a distance without the person knowing that you are praying for him. But sometimes you may be led by God’s Spirit to ask the person if you can pray for his needs. This should always be done with caution, humility and sensitivity. You do not want to offend the person so that your prayers become a barrier to his hearing the Gospel. In other cases, you may pray for the family that lives in a certain house or the people who work in a certain place. When you pray, ask God to bless those you are praying for—to give them the peace that only He can give.

Jesus told those He sent out, “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’” (Luke 10:8) Begin by praying for the needs of people that they and you are both aware of. For example, you may pray for the physical healing of a person who is sick at home or in the hospital. If God answers this prayer by bringing healing, the person may want to hear about Jesus. This is one way that prayer can provide opportunities to tell the people of your city about Jesus.

Ralph Bethea, a former missionary in Mombasa tells how he was once invited to an Islamic mosque to pray in the name of Jesus. He was told by the Muslim leaders, “You cannot preach. We just want you to come and bless the people in the name of Jesus. We have heard that there is such power in His Name.” When Bethea arrived, a man came forward carrying his crippled eight-year-old daughter in his arms. The man said, “Will you pray for her. She has never walked.” Ralph Bethea prayed for the girl, but says that he and the man were first disappointed because she was not healed. Bethea says that he cried as the man turned and began to carry his daughter out of the mosque. Then suddenly the daughter began to push to get away from her father. She kept pushing until finally she was free from her father’s grasp. Then, for the first time in her life, this girl stood on her own power. All of these Muslim people looked on in amazement. One of them stood up and began to shout, “Jesus is God! Praise be the name of Jesus! Jesus is alive!”*

Application

1. Share what you have learned about prayerwalking with one or two people in your small group.

2. Choose an area near where you live or work, or another area where you go frequently. Plan to go prayerwalking in this area with the people that you have talked with about prayerwalking.

3. Before you go prayerwalking, pray that God will help you to see the people as He sees them. Pray that you will be able to pray for their spiritual needs.

*Hawthorne and Kendrick, Prayerwalking, 86-88.

4. As you prayerwalk:

(1)Pray that God will bless the people. Pray that they will believe in

Jesus and be saved.

(2) Pray for the needs that you see and are aware of. You may ask people

if you can pray for them, but this is not necessary. If you do pray with a person, please be humble and sensitive.

5. Talk with the other members of your small group about what God has taught you through your prayerwalking experience.

SESSION TWO

HOW TO PRAYERWALK

In the previous session, you learned about the meaning of prayerwalking. You learned about the Biblical basis for prayerwalking found in Jesus sending out the seventy-two to the towns and villages of Galilee. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, He told them to pray. By studying Jesus’ instructions to His followers, you have already learned a lot about prayerwalking. And you have had the opportunity to apply what you learned by prayerwalking with one or two friends from your small group.

This second session will give you some more practical suggestions on how, when and where to prayerwalk. What is contained here are only suggestions. Feel free to use your own ideas and experience, as well as God’s leadership, in deciding how and where you should do prayerwalking. Remember, the purpose of prayerwalking is to pray in the city among the people so that you are able to pray for them with an awareness of their specific needs.

How to Prayerwalk

1. Go prayerwalking with a small group of people. Two or three people is a good size of group for prayerwalking because you can quietly pray together. You can also easily fit together through your crowded, narrow streets. There may be times, however, when your whole small group may want to prayerwalk together. Also, there may be some special occasions when your small group may want to band together with other small groups for prayerwalking. For example, several small groups may want to have a street worship for Jesus in order to exalt Jesus before the people of your city.

2. Choose a location for prayerwalking. This may be almost anywhere—a crowded street, a quiet neighborhood, a business district, a government building, a hospital, a school or college, or a temple or shrine. If you prayerwalk in a public building, be certain that it is allowed for you to be in the building. Do not allow an incident to occur that will later become a barrier for Christians in your city.

3. Choose a time for prayerwalking. In general, it is best to allow about two hours. However, there may be times when God leads you to prayerwalk for a shorter period of time. For example, God may suddenly lead you to prayerwalk at your company during your 30 minute lunch break. In such situations, follow God’s leadership.

4. While you prayerwalk, the people in your small group should talk quietly in a conversational style. Rather than each person saying individual prayers one after another, act as though your time of prayerwalking is one continual prayer. This one prayer begins at the beginning of the prayerwalk and concludes at the end of the prayerwalk. The participants in the small group take turns praying out loud, according to the guidance of God’s Spirit. There may also be times when everyone is speaking prayers at the same time, and other times when everyone is praying silently. Each person should pray as God leads.

5. Begin your prayerwalk with a time of worship. Give praise to God for who He is. Thank God for what He is already doing in your city. Also thank God for His plans for the people that you will be praying for. Entrust your prayerwalk to God. Ask God to use it for His glory.

6. While you walk, pray with your eyes open so that you are aware of the world around you.

7. Pray that God will bless the people that you meet and the people in the houses and buildings where you are prayerwalking. Pray that God will open their hearts so that they will receive the Gospel and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

8. Pray for the needs of the people that you are aware of. These include physical, psychological and spiritual needs.

9. Pray about the evil which you see in your city—pornography, violence, suicide, crime, alcoholism, etc. Pray that God will free the people from the evil that affects their lives.

10. Pray for the spiritual harvest. Pray that people will believe in Jesus and that they will grow spiritually to become mature Christians.

11. Pray for workers for the harvest. Pray that leaders in the areas of evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, worship, and ministry will develop in the area where you are prayerwalking.

12. Conclude your prayerwalk with another time of worship. Thank God for the opportunity to serve Him and the people of your city through prayerwalking. Thank God for hearing your prayers. Praise God for how He will answer your prayers.

13. Meet to evaluate your prayerwalk. Make a plan for future prayerwalking in the same area or another area of your city.

When to Prayerwalk

1. Prayerwalking can be done anytime.

2. Prayerwalking can be done before special Christian events to prepare your city or neighborhood for the work of God’s Spirit. Special events may include evangelism events, discipleship events, Christian concerts, community-wide worship, Christian festivals, etc. Prayerwalking is appropriate before any event that you would like for God to use to bless the people of your city. In this case, a plan for prayerwalking should be included in the plan for the event. Also, it is best if the event has a prayer coordinator to lead in prayerwalking and other intercessory prayer.

3. Prayerwalking can be done as a part of special Christian celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. At Christmas you could do a combination of prayerwalking and Christmas caroling in a neighborhood. You could visit the homes of people that you know, sing Christmas carols, and then ask if they have needs that you can pray for.

4. Prayerwalking can be done in times of distress and trouble for the people of your city. For example, prayerwalking is one Christian response to terrorism in which Christians can pray for God’s guidance and peace.

5. Prayerwalking can be done at major cultural events, such as festivals, concerts, and sporting events. Sensitivity must be used to not offend other people participating in the events. If you prayerwalk at a cultural event, be certain that it is allowed for you to be there. Do not allow an incident to occur that will later become a barrier for Christians in your city.

6. Prayerwalking can be done at times of major religious observance in Japan, such as New Year’s Day and Obon. At these times, it is most appropriate to pray that God will bless these people and that He will free them from the spiritual bondage of Japanese religions. If people ask what you are doing, you can say, “We are Christians. We are praying that Jesus will bless you and all of the people of Japan.” Some people may be offended, but most people will be thankful for your prayers.

Where to Prayerwalk

1. You can prayerwalk anywhere.

2. Prayerwalk in the neighborhood where you live, or where your small group meets.

3. Prayerwalk in your office or around your office building.

4. Prayerwalk in or around government buildings. Pray that God will bless and lead government leaders.

5. Prayerwalk in or near a hospital or retirement home, praying for the healing and health of those inside. If you pray inside, please get permission. This may be done in connection with giving gifts to the patients at Christmas or Respect for the Aged Day.

6. Prayerwalk on top of a mountain or tall building where you can see your whole city. Pray for God’s blessing, spiritual healing and harvest in your city.

7. Prayerwalk in a park. Pray for the needs of the people you meet.

8. Prayerwalk on a busy street. Pray for the people you meet and the people who work in the surrounding building.

9. Prayerwalk in a busy train station. Pray for the people who are passing through the train station and for the people who work there.

10. Prayerwalk at a school or university. Pray for the teachers, staff, students, and their families. Pray that the leaders of the school will guide it in accordance to Christian principles.

11. Prayerwalk at a church building. Pray that God will bless and guide the church and use it for His glory. Pray for the whole work of the church, including worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry.

12. Prayerwalk at a temple or shrine. Pray that the priests will understand spiritual truth and come to believe in Jesus. Pray that people who come to the shrine or temple will be freed from spiritual bondage.

Application

1. Plan to prayerwalk at two different locations with other members of your small group. You may use locations suggested above or other locations that you can think of. Remember that you can do prayerwalking anywhere!

2. Prayerwalk one time at each of these two locations. Each prayerwalking experience should be 1-2 hours.

3. Talk together about what God has taught you through these prayerwalking experiences.

Reflection

1. What have you learned about prayerwalking?

2. What questions do you still have about prayerwalking?

3. Make plans for future prayerwalking.

4. What is your plan to share what you have learned about prayerwalking with someone else?