Resources

SERVE LOCAL: Prayer Walking Guide

Download a PDF of this article using the button at the bottom of the page.

 

SERVE LOCAL: PRAYER WALKING GUIDE

 

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

--Oswald Chambers

 

Praying for every person who lives in your community is an incredible goal for the local church. Prayer walking is one way to accomplish this goal. During Serve Local, a team of 4-6 can be formed for each neighborhood to be covered in prayer.  The larger team can be divided into two teams of 2-3 with each team prayer walking one side of the street. For safety precautions, we encourage each team to have at least one male participant.  A two-person team should consist of two men or a married couple. Of course, praying for your community one house at a time can also be accomplished by teams driving or riding bicycles through neighborhoods.

 

Praying house-to-house is an effective ministry and many times will result in gospel conversations.  While teams are walking, they can ask individuals they meet: “How can we pray for you?” Also, prayer walking teams are very effective in preparing the way for door-to-door evangelism teams. Consider saturating a neighborhood in prayer during the morning and revisit that neighborhood in the afternoon with door-to-door evangelism teams.

 

Prior to prayer walking a neighborhood, take these preparatory steps:

  • Prepare Physically.  Wear clothing appropriate for the season along with comfortable walking shoes. And, don’t forget to keep hydrated.
  • Prepare Spiritually. Before you can pray for others, you need to be in right relationship with God.  Allow the Holy Spirit time to examine your heart, confess any known sin, and accept God’s forgiveness. As you begin your prayer walking journey, put on the whole armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. 

 

As your team prayer walks a neighborhood:

  • Take note of what you see. Needs are often visible. These can be opportunities for future ministry and gospel conversations. 
  • Pray for and be alert to opportunities for gospel conversations.
  • Ask God for gospel conversations as evangelism teams go door-to-door.
  • Pray silently or out loud. 
  • Be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  You may feel a need to stop in one location and pray as a team for a specific home or need.
  • Use Scripture as your pray.
  • The acrostic HEART will help you remember what to pray.
    • Pray for receptive HEARTS (Luke 8:5, 12).
    • Pray for spiritual EYES to be opened (Matt. 13:15; 2 Cor. 4:3-4).
    • Pray for the person to have God’s ATTITUDE toward sin (John 16:8).
    • Pray the persn to be RELEASED to believe (2 Cor. 10:3-4; 2 Tim. 2:25-26).
    • Pray for a TRANSFORMING life (Rom. 12:1-2).

 

 

 

 

Download pdf