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?