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Straight from a Youth Worker's Mouth

Prayer Walk for Large Churches | For Small Churches

Explain to your students that you will be doing a Prayer Walk – a walk around the campus in which you focus on God’s presence and power in each place and person.  Depending on the size of your group you may want to stay together or split up into smaller groups.  If you split into smaller groups, instruct each group leader to start at a different place on campus or in the neighborhood to give everyone some space as they walk.  Give each group leader a copy of the PRAYER WALK guide. (Add other facilities that you have on your church campus or in the surrounding neighborhood and adapt the guide to better suit your particular church as necessary.)

After a set amount of time (30 minutes or 1 hour) have the groups come back together in one location so that you can debrief the experience.  If you went as one group, still come back to the starting place to debrief together.

Some possible debrief questions:

1. Have you ever done a prayer walk before?  If so where was it and how was it compared to this one?
2. As you walked and prayed what images struck you?
3. What particular place was meaningful for you?  Why do you think it was meaningful?
4. Have you ever thought about all the groups and types of people who are here at our church on a daily basis?
5. How did it make you feel to pray so specifically for these people and for the various ministries that take place here?
6. What other places could we do a Prayer Walk? (park, downtown area, school campus, etc.)

The Walk

Walk around the church campus with your group.  As you walk think about the people who are on this campus everyday not just on Sundays.
 
The Preschool
Pray for all the children that come here every day
Pray for their growth, physically, intellectually and spiritually. 
Pray for their families that they will all grow in the knowledge that God loves them and is there   for them. 

The Day Care
Pray for all the babies and toddlers who come everyday. 
Pray for their safety, growth and development.
Pray for their parents as they work.
Pray for the people who take care of the babies. 
Pray for every family that is touched by this ministry. 

The Youth Area
Think about yourself and the many times you have been here. 
Offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for the friends you meet here, and that Jesus meets you here just as you are every week. 
Pray for future youth who will come here, that they might meet Jesus here too.

The Fellowship Hall
Think about all the functions that take place here and the opportunities people have to fellowship. 
Praise God for all the celebrations, dinners, and fun times that have been in this place.  Pray for the families who have gathered here after a funeral, to grieve with each other, with family and  friends. 
Pray for the Sunday School classes that meet here each week, that they may learn and grow in their walk with Jesus.

The Music Area
Pray for all the musicians and singers who help us experience God through music.  Thank  God that these musicians serve with their gifts and talents to help lead worship each week. 
Thank God for the gift of music in your life.  Think for a few moments about what kinds  of music helps you relax and feel peaceful in God’s presence.  Be grateful to God.

The Office Area
Pray for all the people that work here everyday to take care of the church business. 
Pray for those who answer the phones, create bulletins, prepare the sermons, plan worship,  manage the finances and coordinate all the events that take place on this campus.

The Sanctuary
Praise God for this place of worship!
Be thankful that we live in a country where we can openly worship, gather and pray together.  Even though worship can be boring sometimes, this sanctuary is a holy place – a place we can come and seek God and find him. 

Pray that all who come here will encounter the living God.  Whether they are seeking, hurting, praising, burdened, weary, just getting by…whatever their situation pray that God will be present in their lives and that they will feel God’s love and take it with them when they leave this place.