A Prayer Walk

A Prayer Walk

 Guest post by Candyce Carden

I am excited to welcome Candyce Carden to guest post on this week's blog. She is a true example of a Titus 2 woman. I met Candyce through Lighthouse Bible Studies and have been blessed by her writing and contributions. I know you will enjoy her post and I pray you will be inspired to participate in a prayer walk of your own, especially as we enter this Thanksgiving season. 

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

(John 14:23 NIV)

 

My husband of three years and I spent most of October moving and settling into a new house. I’d been praying for months for this future home. That we’d find the perfect one to meet our needs in the right location. That we’d be in it for the holidays. The prayers had been answered.

 Before moving day, the Holy Spirit nudged me to prayer walk through the empty rooms of our house.

 What is a Prayer Walk?

To prayer walk is to actively pray when walking in a location that has significance for the subject of our prayers. When we walk a neighborhood, we lift up the residents who live there. If we pass a school, we can pray for its children and teachers. When we walk in nature, we can praise God for the beauty of His natural world and His love for us.

 A prayer walk has been called a moving intercession. I’ve found being physically present in a certain location helps focus my prayers, thus making them more effective. As I walked my home-to-be, I imagined Jesus walking beside me, and it brought Him closer. My physical eyes were open, but so were my spiritual eyes. God spoke to my heart through what I saw with my physical eyes.

In the kitchen and dining room I pictured a meal being prepared and those who would soon gather round the table and prayed:

  Lord, may those who will gather here be blessed by the gift of hospitality and most of all, by Your love. Please know You always have a seat at our table. We invite you in for fellowship and food.

 “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9).

 Moving on to the den, I envisioned Jesus sitting in a chair near my Quiet Time corner.

 Jesus, I look forward to our visits here. When I keep you near, I hear You more clearly. Thank You for being my fortress and source of life.

 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).

 Next, we entered the bedroom that would become my study. My little sanctuary where I would write. I let my mind wander to the candle, the plants, and my books that would grace this space. Then I remembered the most important things: a Bible, a desk, and a computer with my fingers flying across the keyboard. I bowed my head.

 Help me write the words You want me to share. I believe You called me to this work, and I depend on your guidance. Some days it’s not easy. It’s hard to focus. Equip me to write messages that will bless or inspire another.

 “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalms 90:17).

I walked through the bedrooms that would remain empty except when the grandchildren spent the night or when grown children needed a place to stay. And perhaps a stray friend or two.

 Thank You for the blessings of family and friends. Thank You for the fun and laughter that will fill these rooms when youngsters and friends come for a stay. May they feel welcome and at home here.

 “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).

In the bedroom I would share with my husband, I prayed a little longer. I praised God for my husband and petitioned Him to walk with us. Marriage is hard no matter what season we’re in.

 Thank you, Father, for bringing us together. Just as the Bible says, a strand of three cords is not easily broken. May we remember that together with You we create a stronger bond. May we love each other in the way You model for us — sacrificially. Be with us through the hard times that will come and help us help each other.

 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

After my prayer walk, I felt close to God. I was at peace. I was ready to move.

Let us know if you’ve participated in a prayer walk in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the experience.

TWEETABLES

To prayer walk is to actively pray when walking in a location that has significance for the subject of our prayers. (click to tweet)

A prayer walk has been called a moving intercession. Being physically present in a certain location helps focus our prayers. (click to tweet)

Candyce Carden, Ed.S; M.Ed; MAPW; is a mother of three and enjoys life just north of Atlanta. She loves the beach and spends part of the year in Destin, Florida, but the thing that puts the biggest smile on her face is being “Grami” to a handful of the sweetest kids ever.

In addition to writing curriculum and designing thematic teaching units, Candyce contributes devotions to several outlets.

She hopes to draw others closer to Christ as she shares devotions on her blog, “Harvesting a Life of Abundance.” The life of abundance Jesus came to give can be elusive for new Christians as well as maturing ones. Seeking the face of God in the ordinary moments of life, being His hands and feet, and nurturing a personal relationship with Him are keys to abundant living.