This is one of the most popular outreach activities used today. Many churches utilize prayer walking in conjunction with evangelistic campaigns. Other churches include it as a regular part of their outreach calendars. It can be done by anyone, and it is definitely one of the best “entry level” outreach activities for members.
Identify a neighborhood that is near the church or a territory that the church is interested in impacting. Enlist members of the local church who are interested in walking and praying. That’s it! Many of them will find it hard to believe that praying and walking is all that is expected of them. Other more demanding and involved outreach activities can be offered for those who prefer them.
Some churches cover a number of neighborhoods at the same time by dividing the streets among outreach teams, Sabbath school classes, church ministries and other groups. Those interested should arrange themselves into teams of two. Their task will be to walk and pray in the targeted neighborhood for a prescribed number of weeks. It is best to walk during the daylight hours. Prayer walkers should be observant of things in the neighborhood that might indicate a need for prayer. For instance, broken cars could indicate financial needs. Boarded homes might indicate broken families. The initial assignment is not to make contact with the neighbors, but to make contact with God. If neighbors ask what is going on, don’t hesitate to explain who you are and what you are doing before returning to the mission of prayer walking.
