Prayer Walking with Dick

Dick Mason had a brain-wave for Lent this year. He chose to walk and meditate with the Lord first thing every morning until Easter. After a conversation with Pastor Mark, Dick reached out to me about making his Lenten practice into prayer walks at Creekside, open to anyone. And so it began. The first walk was at 6:00AM but then we sprang forward with the time change, and it was pitch dark at 6:00. So we shifted an hour, chasing the sunrise, and settled on 7:15AM three days/week and 8:15AM on Tuesdays.

Dick has been faithfully walking/praying now for four weeks. Four others have joined him at least once at Creekside. I’ve been with him about seven times and each time we’ve walked in a different part of the neighborhood. We’ve discovered pockets of houses that we didn’t even “see” driving down 173rd or NE 24th. Lots of neighbors are getting put on our radar screen.

We’ve generally kept to a 30-minute session, rain or shine. This Monday we took a long detour to hike part of the Tam O’Shanter Park Trail. There are fewer houses along the pretty forest trail, but at a high point, we overlooked Bennett Elementary and its residential neighbors. We found ourselves pondering how different from ours is God’s vantage point. God has as much intimate knowledge of every person living in each home, as He does of us. We paused to marvel.

Suburbia is built to shut out inquiring eyes and hearts. We know nothing about the people inside the houses we pass. We find ourselves praying lavish prayers for good and against evil, and for Jesus to come near to those who do and don’t know Him. And we riff on what we do see, like acres of daffodils (thank You for this lover of flowers; make Your Spirit bloom in their hearts) or a pint-size scooter (bless the children) or an electrical substation (thank you for powering this neighborhood; let Your Spirit’s power flow into each house).

One time we met a neighbor with two dogs, taking their customary jog. We learned the dogs’ histories. One, engaging and friendly, patiently sat down on the trail without being asked, to await his master’s pleasure. He grew up in the household. The second was held tightly to his master’s side. We were warned not to extend a hand to him. This one was found in a box on a street in Tacoma. Even with wise and tender care, he can’t quite shake the neurons that fire a danger message in the presence of strangers. We were permitted to pray for the dog and his caregivers.

While building neighborhood awareness, we’re also building fellowship. As Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) Though two fit better than three on the sidewalks! Still. Each one contributes something unique reflective of God’s Spirit. And if show up with concerns of our own (or grumpiness) we pray about that too. We have lots of time! Though 30 minutes seems to fly by.

Prayer-walking is good for faith. At least, I feel the world of prayer enlarging, which is perhaps just to say that my vision of God is enlarging. I haven’t solved the dilemmas of good and evil, or unanswered prayer. But, those issues are not derailing my prayer efforts as much as they used to.

And now Dick has voiced another idea for the remainder of Lent. “Why don’t we take this prayer-walking concept to all the neighborhoods where Creeksiders live?”

Well, why not? Would you like our prayer-walking band of brothers and sisters to come to your neighborhood? Shoot an email to prayer@ecreekside.com or let Dick or I know in whatever way is convenient, and we’ll put it on the calendar.