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Praying While Walking

I’ve heard it said many times that you can’t be mad at a person you are praying for.

Prayer is a powerful thing. In my short time in ministry I have found prayer walks to be a valuable practice. I focus my prayer walking on a specific physical location.

As a youth pastor, most of the people I minister to spend 40-plus hours in Cimarron Jr. High/High School. With this in mind, I have committed to walking around this building every single day that school is in session this school year. We’ll see how this goes on cold, snowy days.

The school is rectangular in shape. To focus my prayer, I have things that I pray for on each of the four sides. Along one long side, I try to think of as many students’ names that I can, praying for the things that I know are going on in their lives. On one of the short ends, I think of the other youth ministries in the area, praying over their events, students and leaders. On the other long side, I pray for my students and their relationships with their families. Some of my students have wonderful families, while others are a bit more complicated. I pray that the parents will lead their kids in faith when that is possible. For the students who have unbelieving parents, I pray for the parents’ salvation. On the last side, I pray over our community as a whole.

This practice helps to center my focus. Intentionally praying over those I am ministering to helps remind me why I am doing what I do. A few students as well as a faculty member have seen me walking and have asked what I am doing. They have all responded gratefully.

I’m not sure of your ministry context. Maybe you serve in a small community or maybe you have a “non-traditional” role in the church. Regardless, your congregants live and work in a physical location. Think of ways that you can be intentionally praying for your flock. If walking is a way you can do that, get stepping even if it’s around your church or a residential block in your community.

*About the author: Dustin Mulkey is the youth pastor at Valleyview Bible Church in Cimarron, Kansas. Dustin began his ministry career at VBC in August, 2017, after graduating from Central Christian College of Kansas in McPherson, Kansas, in May.

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