Prayer Walking the Nations
Prayer Walking the Nations
Many years ago I saw no value in prayer walking. My belief was that we
could pray just as well at home, but God has His ways of bending our
thoughts. In the late 1980''s anointed songs began to flow through the
churches; songs that struck a note within God''s people calling them to
go to the nations. During that time intercessors were called to stand
up and take their place in God’s service. A move of prayer walking
among villages, cities, states and nations, as never before began.
Along with many others I said, "Here am I Lord, send me!" (Isa 6:8).
We were called to pastor a church that was located in a heavy
witchcraft area in California. The city was surrounded by mountains.
Our first home in that area was on top of a mountain. I ran the
mountains praying in a seven mile radius.
Within six months the home we lived in sold and another home opened
for our family. It was located in the neighboring area on another
mountain. I ran and prayed that radius. So went my course over the
next three years. Every six months the home we lived in sold and we
were moved to the adjoining area. At the end of the three years I had
prayed and ran around the whole city. Many times I ran into and
through sacrifice areas. There were rattlesnakes, bears, and cougars;
always I was protected.
At the end of the three years a home opened for us to buy that was
located within a half mile of where we began. Those three years of
prayer running preceded a visitation of God that we experienced in
that area.
Prayer walking is praying where you are walking. As you walk prayers
are concentrated on that area. It is a category of specialized
intercessory prayer. When you walk into dark places you carry the
light of Jesus with you. Some prompted by the Spirit of God, are
called to go upon the Lord''s errands in other lands. He leads them to
walk, pray, take in Bibles, encourage ministers, and actually touch
the people of those lands.
Sometimes God will use prayer walking in preparation of something that
is going to happen in that area. On one such occasion I led a team
into Olympia, Washington. God had revealed there would be a large
earthquake and we were to go and pray for the safety of the people
there. We prayer walked the capital buildings and fellowshipped with
churches. The pastors in the city gathered together after we left and
prayed for the safety of their city. A year later when the earthquake
came there was much destruction, but no one was injured.
In Montana God led my team into a Native American reservation area in
the north. We went in and prayer walked the area and later that
reservation experienced an awakening of the lost. While we were on
that prayer walk we had something interesting happen. We were
followed by a rainbow. Wherever we went it showed up over us.
When my husband and I were Foursquare pastors we were sent in a pastor
team to Belize to prayer walk. We had many divine appointments while
we were in that nation. One night we made our way through the dark
part of Belize City to a small church gathering that was under heavy
spiritual attack. The pastor’s wife, along with other missionary
wives, had been experiencing terrible headaches. We prayed with them
and encouraged that church. The prayer walking in that nation cleared
the way to establish two new churches.
In 1979 God laid a burden of prayer on my heart for the nation of
Iceland. In 2003, God said, “Go!” Heavenly connections were made
and we knew we were moving in God''s perfect timing. National pastors
and ministers welcomed us into the nation of Iceland with open arms.
We traveled around the nation on the Ring Road prayer, walking in
villages. When we reached Eglisstadir in the northeast we stayed at a
farm guesthouse. We had a window of time to ride the Icelandic horses.
High up on a mountain we ran into large group of Thor worshipers.
We prayed and broke their works, and then rode on.
In one village two young men walked up and I began sharing Jesus with
them. One of the men cried as we prayed for Jesus to come in and
change their lives.
Before leaving for Iceland God had given me a prophetic word for the
nation. It was shared in a church in Keflavikas. Afterward a woman
stood and said, "This is from God, last night I heard the same message
from a pastor from Sweden who has come to minister at the National
Camp Meeting."
Prayer walking can lead you into serious situations. In Heavenly
armor my team of seventeen entered the land of China. (Eph 6:11-18).
Our entrance was preceded by six months of intercessory prayer in
one accord for God’s leading. We landed deep into the interior at
the capital city of that province and proceeded to a city where few
foreigners had been. We were in a city immersed in the old traditions
and superstitions of China. We knew that we were treading on ground
where persecution of Christians currently was taking place, forcing
many of them into the labor-prison camp just outside the city limits.
During our prayer time one night God impressed on us as a team that we
needed to do a quiet prayer walk around the large prison grounds.
After dinner we gathered for more prayer. Then we got into three
taxis reserved by our interpreter to take us to the village adjacent
to the prison grounds.
As we walked, an old woman, obviously possessed by an evil spirit,
walked beside us heckling our interpreter. Our interpreter kept on
walking nodding her head occasionally; I was binding the evil spirit
in that woman.
Two PSB police officers in a patrol car drove up. They began to
question our interpreter. One gruffly asked, “Why are you here?
Where are you staying?” The rest of us silently prayed. The
officers said, “You need to leave this area and return to the hotel!”
After the questioning was over they drove away, and we finished our walk.
When we arrived back at the hotel the parking lot had numerous police
cars and a paddy wagon. It was obvious we were in real trouble.
When we came through the hotel doors the lobby was filled with
policemen. We were told we were under house arrest. They began
interrogating our interpreter
I wondered, “Why God, did You lead us to prayer walk that prison?”
Our faith was being tested beyond what many on the team had ever been
tested. Around midnight a friend of mine from the capital city came
in and spoke with the police. News travels fast in China.
The police allowed us to go to our rooms where we gathered for prayer.
My friend said, “I told them you took your daughter Faith, and the
team to that area so you could show her where she came from. He said
“A guard and his wife in the prison took Faith in when she was very
little, and raised her until they were not able to take care of her
anymore.”
I said, “Is that true?
He said, “Yes.” I had no knowledge about this, other than the vision
and words that God had originally given me concerning our daughter
“Her parents are in prison for their faith, and they will die there.”
The four of us wept at the goodness of God to lead us to prayer walk
the very prison where Faith’s parents had been.
We prayed that God would intervene on our behalf, and lead us out of
this beehive. We had perfect peace even though we possibly faced
prison. My friend called his government connections in the capital
city and we were told we could go to his city, to a hotel that was
designated, and stay there until they decided what to do with us. We
rejoiced and thanked God! (Ro 12:12).
As we neared the capital city my friend received phone calls
concerning our situation. He made the decision to take us to the U S
Embassy instead. As we stepped onto the US Embassy grounds we were met
by the Consulate on duty. He said, “We need to get you all out of
here quickly!”
On the way to the airport calls kept coming. He was concerned because
the police were looking for us. We boarded a plane headed for
Beijing. On the run way, just as we were ready to take off, a
torrential rain began. After we left, the whole area was flooded for
three days and the airport was closed. It was clearly God’s
protection for us.
Prayer walking missions are the realm where God loves to release His
power and miracles. It makes no difference if it is your city or
across the world. The key is to step out when God speaks and go where
He opens the doors. (Ps 2:8). Will you go?
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