Prominent prayer leaders, church leaders, activists and marketplace Christian leaders appear in a video calling on South Africa Christians to get behind a grassroots movement of prayer walking during lockdown exercise time.
The street prayer movement began in Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town early this month and spread rapidly to other areas of the Western and Northern Cape and beyond, to areas such as Heidedal in Bloemfontein.
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“I am encouraging you, as you put on your exercise clothes go out into communities, pray during that time, and let’s see this period as a time of reformation,” says One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane in the video which was created by SA Back to God.
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When you go out there and you pray, and you walk, and you pray the Word of God over your neighbourhood, you are a Presence-bearer — you are the fragrance of God,” says Dr Suzette Hattingh of Voice in the City International
So the call is clear — whether you walk, run or cycle in your exercise time — release the presence of God in your neighbourhood and know that God uses prayer to extend His Kingdom on Earth.
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Watch the video below:
I find this strange that people are doing what is not commanded in the New Testament – nowhere did the Apostles or believers who came to faith through their preaching do or instruct others to do “prayer walking” – and are not doing what Jesus commanded the church to do, go and make disciples of all nations. God has chosen, through the foolishness of preaching, to save some (1 Cor 1:21). The gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16-17).
Hi there Luella 8- have a look at Eph 6 vs 18. Verses such as this clarify that we may pray where ever we are and what ever we are doing. I personally enjoy praying as I am either walking or running. There is certainly no instruction that we may not do this, which I think is more to the point. And where there is a call by Christian leaders to partake in some activity it is always only as an encouragement to do so, not a command or instruction as such.
Hi Val, I have no problem with praying wherever and whenever. I often use my early morning walks with my dog to open my heart to the Lord. I do have a problem with “prayer walking” as something special. If you read through Acts, you will see that the Apostles didn’t organise prayer walks. They preached the gospel and the result, especially in Ephesus, was the breaking down of the worship of Diana and the silversmiths’ business of making images of Diana to sell. Why is preaching the gospel in every way possible not promoted rather than prayer walking?
Wow , here we go again Paul, Peter and the apostles , your belief is in JESUS not them ,go and read what JESUS said , JESUS is the only authority , JESUS has said it all , We need to get back an listen to what JESUS says , the Spirit of GOD wants you to talk (praying) to GOD every minute of the day , there is no set way to do it , get out there and speak life out of your tongue that is what JESUS wants to hear and see , when we speak life all THINGS CHANGE
You are dead right, Wayne. If you read your Bible correctly, Jesus sent His disciples out ahead of Him to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom and to prepare for His ministry among His people, not to do prayer walking. How can walking and praying in a specific area change the atmosphere of that place? It’s the power of the gospel that changes people, and when God’s kingdom is in people, they do things according to God’s will. Read Acts 19, my brother. I find no instruction anywhere in the New Testament to pray for the salvation of unbelievers or to “change the atmosphere”of any area through prayer walking. Paul’s prayers focused on believers, that we may know….Jesus, and who He is in us and who we are in Him. “Speaking life” into the air is nonsensical. We speak life when we speak to people about Jesus because faith in Him brings life. Let’s get real. Be like the Bereans. Go back to the Word!