Praying Through the Neighborhood

Tonight’s prayer walk with the students was amazing.  We asked the students that were willing to write down their experiences so that we could share them with you: things they saw, things God spoke to them, things that God downloaded to their hearts, etc.  Here’s some of what they wrote down.  I left out some names for privacy reasons.

• When we were on the prayer walk, I saw a lot of pain and unhappiness with some people, but when I prayed and walked through God’s eyes, I heard that no matter how much ugliness is in the world, there is always more beauty to overcome it! I saw so much of God’s beauty in nature, and also the happiness in one parents eyes, as they were playing with their child in their grass-less yard. They seemed to not care that they were not wealthy in worldly possession, but were still truly happy! – Stephanie F.
• God’s light shining through in dark and dreary places. An awakening happening through us. Where we walk, God will go before! – Shawn S.
• God was showing me that there is a lot of poverty, and a lot of people who are really just struggling to live, and to feed their babies, and also to bless those families. – Amy K.
• An alignment of people in all the jobs, to where they affect the people they do work for, and an alignment of the people living there, and affecting the others. – Tyler G.
• God told me that he was going to help this city with a harvest — meeting with lots of people. – Nate G.
• We as humans tend to judge people, but God told me that he created them and loves them so much, and I should too. They need him just as much, if not more than us.  They may not have what we have, and they still are equal in God’s eyes. – Becca W.
• That every one of us makes mistakes and sins, and you need to accept them for who they are. – Caleb L.
• That _________ would find the courage to let go of something that he has held on to for his whole life. What he is looking for — he can find that and more in God. – Amanda B.
• On the walk, God showed me the physical challenges people go through, just even around the church – anonymous
• Everybody crossing the water symbolized __________ crossing to God with his drinking problems – Jason
• God, you have shown me a lot today. This walk has opened my eyes. I have seen so much. It feels like I was looking through your eyes. – Staci
• God showed me a picture of all the hurting people. – Cynthia S.
• That the neighborhood and the people need lots of prayer. – Bridget D.
• I felt like God was showing me the importance of spending time with him and the need to make him the center of my life. – Sam H.
• As we walked by __________’s friend’s house, the song “Set Me Free” by Casting Crowns popped into my head, so I prayed that God would break the chains in his life and that God would just really show himself to ___________’s friend. – Ali L.
• During our walk, God showed me a picture of a man — in this case, __________ — chained to the ground and on those chains were written “alcohol,” etc… and then a man came and broke those chains and helped him to his feet and walked with him away from those chains of addiction. – Chris Morgan
• I looked up at the sky and I realized that I need to be kinder to my cousins, pray for me. – anonymous
• I want to pray for the homeless guy and that God will help him in every way possible. – Madison
• When we were walking, I was feeling lead to pray for people to be drawn to the church. I got a picture of the building being highlighted and when the door was opened, angels and the light would flood out. I got this feeling like everywhere we walked was anointed and the presence of God was following us. It was like everywhere was dark, but where we were, it was like a path of light. – Sarah L.
• As my group was praying for _________, I got a picture of a man drinking and then felt extremely sad for him. As we walked past all the trailer houses, I could feel how badly God wanted to minister to them. The little park thing next to the trailers — God showed me pictures of brand new equipment. – Ryan H.
• He showed me that the area we walked in and go to church is so broken and poor and hurting. They need reaching out to. They need Jesus… – Sam R.