This word might be scary to some, it may make you unomfortable, it may because it did me. Something I was never interested in, something I always avoided, a gift I never thought I had.
Until I came to Nicaragua where my team was put to “Prayer Walking” ministry. This is the first time we’ve been with an actual translator and been able to communicate with people in full on conversations around the community.
Essentially prayer walking is the same thing as evangelism but you go in with the mindset of building a relationship and then praying for them. Prayer is key.
That seemed easy.
I have always thought of evangelism as sharing the gospel, asking if they would like to accept Jesus into their hearts, and maybe a testimony and prayer. That mindset quickly changed, I went in telling myself I am just building new relationships and praying for people; something I loved to do anyways.
As soon as we started walking down the street I felt a peace. All we did was talk to people, so simple, and the people here are very open, they will tell you their struggles, all about their family and their family’s struggles, their past, they will invite you in, give you a chair and maybe even fruit.
Because of this ministry, because I got uncomfortable..
I now have a Nicaraguan grandma(Mary, sweetest lil old lady you’ll ever meet), I’ve prayed over members in gangs, people that have cuts all over their arms from where they have gotten so high on glue and drugs and drunk that they wanted to commit suicide but something made them stop, men that have been in prison, I’ve seen a little boy whose life has been sucked right out of him and a family whose son just got dropped off back at home by an ambulance because the doctor said he’s helpless and was gonna die 2 days later, I’ve gotten to encourage and pour into women and men and families who have lost hope, have no job, struggling with different sicknesses and illnesses, people who feel like Jesus couldn’t love them because of their past, I’ve experienced healing in so many ways… This country is filled with hopelessness, ever since the political crisis you can feel the hurt, pain, and spiritual warfare so evidently I walk streets where not even a year ago their were riots and fires and building were torn down it’s extremely sad but it’s super cool to be able to pour into these people.
I now read scripture out of Spanish bibles to them, I get to love and pray over so many types of people who were strangers but now are my amigos. Evangelism is a new passion of mine, a new love.
And anyone can do it, it’s just building relationship, encouraging and loving people where they are at, and pouring Jesus into them.
