After spending a month prayer walking in Laos and Thailand, I realized it may have been beneficial to take a class regarding how to actually do so. Thus, I decided I would write a rough draft of what I think would be advantageous for a person to know before doing this type of ministry.
1. Ask God for help
Before praying for others, pray for yourself
Although this may seem so simple, it is often forgotten. Cover yourself in God’s protection and spirit. Ask Him to give you strength, endurance, and energy before beginning; this will make a surprising amount of difference.
Matthew 7:7-8
Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.
Ephesians 6:10-12
A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all the God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
James 1:3-4
For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
God gives you power and strength through the Spirit.
Be a vessel for the Lord
First, remove anything that is in the way of allowing God to fully use you according to his plan.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed, so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
Romans 8:5-6
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
3. Be empowered for you are speaking life as God did
God spoke life into existence…we have the Holy Spirit in us and therefore are able to speak life into others.
Genesis 1:3&9
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear.” And so it was.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Proverbs 18:21
…For the tongue can kill or nourish life.
4. Pray for people not against people
With so many different religions and beliefs it is easy to just pray against those religions and “wrong” beliefs. Instead of being the one to claim what’s “wrong” versus “right”, let God be the Judge.
Rather than praying against someone and their beliefs, pray for them…to see God’s love, grace, sanctification, power, and strength.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord bring you into an even deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.
2 Samuel 23:4
He is like the light of the morning, like the sunrise bursting forth in a cloudless sky, like the refreshing rains that bring tender grass from the earth.
Isaiah 40:27-31
O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
5. Don’t lose hope
Praying can feel exhausting and not fruitful when you don’t actually get to see the fruit harvested. BUT, praying is a crucial part in bringing the Kingdom.
Tilling the dirt and preparing the field is necessary before planting seeds in order for there to be fruit produced.
Remember, God had gone before, after and is with you. He will give you strength and fight for and with you, just has he has promised.
Joshua 1:9
I command you-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 23:10
Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Note: These are lessons I have learned and have observed to be helpful, but is not limited to just these points. Prayer is very personal and is between you and our creator, so make it your own.
Philippians 4:12-14
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
After spending a month prayer walking in Laos and Thailand, I realized it may have been beneficial to take a class regarding how to actually do so. Thus, I decided I would write a rough draft of what I think would be advantageous for a person to know before doing this type of ministry.
1. Ask God for help
- Before praying for others, pray for yourself
- Although this may seem so simple, it is often forgotten. Cover yourself in God’s protection and spirit. Ask Him to give you strength, endurance, and energy before beginning; this will make a surprising amount of difference.
Matthew 7:7-8
Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.
Ephesians 6:10-12
A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all the God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
James 1:3-4
For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
- God gives you power and strength through the Spirit.
- Be a vessel for the Lord
- Remove anything that is in the way of allowing God to fully use you according to his plan.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed, so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
Romans 8:5-6
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
3. Be empowered for you are speaking life as God did
- God spoke life into existence…we have the Holy Spirit in us and therefore are able to speak life into others.
Genesis 1:3&9
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear.” And so it was.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Proverbs 18:21
…For the tongue can kill or nourish life.
4. Pray for people not against people
- With so many different religions and beliefs it is easy to just pray against those religions and “wrong” beliefs. Instead of being the one to claim what’s “wrong” versus “right”, let God be the Judge.
- Rather than praying against someone and their beliefs, pray for them…to see God’s love, grace, sanctification, power, and strength.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord bring you into an even deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.
2 Samuel 23:4
He is like the light of the morning, like the sunrise bursting forth in a cloudless sky, like the refreshing rains that bring tender grass from the earth.
Isaiah 40:27-31
O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
5. Don’t lose hope
- Praying can feel exhausting and not fruitful when you don’t actually get to see the fruit harvested. BUT, praying is a crucial part in bringing the Kingdom.
- Tilling the dirt and preparing the field is necessary before planting seeds in order for there to be fruit produced.
- Remember, God had gone before, after and is with you. He will give you strength and fight for and with you, just has he has promised.
Joshua 1:9
I command you-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 23:10
Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Note: These are lessons I have learned and have observed to be helpful, but is not limited to just these points. Prayer is very personal and is between you and our creator, so make it your own.
Philippians 4:12-14
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
