I remember when my pastor and I first tried to introduce prayerwalking to our congregation. We announced a week or so in advance when we would prayerwalk the church neighborhood. We shared a little about what prayerwalking means—“praying on site with insight,” walking while praying for each home, praying aloud with others, etc.

That night just the two of us showed up! We planned for another time, thinking perhaps people didn’t really understand. When we announced the next prayerwalking night, we did a little skit—actually praying while walking across the stage. Our designated night came, and this time my pastor and his wife, my wife and I, and one single woman and her dog showed up. We gave up.

Prayerwalking is a powerful method of spiritual warfare. Churches and believers need to do it more. But it is hard to get people to practice it. I know one church that has devised an effective way to get people used to prayerwalking by bringing the concept into their weekly prayer meeting—without calling it prayerwalking.

When they gather, they usually worship for a short time. But when they go to prayer, people do not stay in one place. As prayer needs and prayer points for various ministries are scrolled on the screen, people start walking and praying. Some never leave the sanctuary, but keep walking around—to the stage, around the seats, etc. Others head to different parts of the building as they pray, often in teams of two. The children’s wing and youth room get prayerwalked every week. The staff offices, foyer, and fellowship hall are bathed in prayer as well.

Their people are now comfortable praying while they walk. So now they do it in their neighborhoods, at the mall, and in other strategic places.

This is a great practice to break up routine prayer meetings and teach people to walk and pray. From time to time encourage people to pray throughout your building as part of your prayer meeting. Then challenge them to do this in their neighborhoods, at work, or wherever they walk.

–Jonathan Graf is publisher of Prayer Connect.