Make Disciples That Make DisciplesSample

Prayer Walking

In the Matthew 10 account of Jesus sending out the disciples, we see several aspects of His commands that we should seek to apply to our lives as disciples of Jesus.

First and foremost, we are commanded to GO! We are God’s chosen method of bringing the Gospel to all people in all places on Earth. What an incredible privilege and responsibility! That means we can’t sit idly by and rely on others to do the work that we are designed to do. If we are going to reach every person in the world, it will take all of us.

While it is true that prayer plays a valuable and vital role in the spread of the Gospel, we can sometimes be prone to using prayer as a “crutch” to stay in the comfort and safety of our homes. However, the lost sheep that Jesus commands us to reach are mostly outside of the walls of our homes. Therefore, we must mobilize and engage those in our communities. We must go to them in the same way that Jesus expected his disciples to reach the lost of their day.

Thankfully, we can pray as we are going. Around the globe, prayer walking has proven to be an incredibly effective way to engage others with the Gospel. As the name implies, as we walk through the communities where we desire to see God’s Kingdom increase, we are actively watching, praying, and engaging.

We are making visual observations. We are asking the Lord to reveal to us exactly where to walk. We are listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are asking God to do what only He can do—break down strongholds, create fertile soil for the Gospel, and establish His Kingdom in greater measure. We are proclaiming Scripture that the Spirit brings to mind over our communities. And we are taking all the intel we are gathering, and we are actively engaging with those around us and discerning who are persons of peace.

As a step of obedience to the Scriptures we are focusing on today, ask the Lord to highlight to you an area of your community where you could begin prayer walking. Just as Jesus sent out the disciples in groups of two, we recommend that you follow that pattern. Find a partner, and make a plan to go out and pray for those in your community!

Questions to consider:

• Is there anybody that I know that I can go prayer walking with?
• Where are some areas near me where people tend to gather?
• What areas near me need the most prayer?