Prayer Walk-CA
EXPERIENCE PRAYER WALK What Do I Need to Know About this Study? Matthew 9:35-10:1
Background It has been said, “When we work – we work. When we pray – God works!” Effective prayer is that which springs from the heart of man in line with the will of God. Any outpouring of our lives, whether that be evangelism or working hard in our school work, should be rooted in prayer. Prayer helps us put our trust in God, rather than trusting in our own abilities. Today’s focus is on a practical exercise – a prayer walk around campus. This cultivates the discipline of looking at others with God’s eyes, and trusting God to move in the hearts of students on our campus.
What the Big Idea? Corporate prayer for the lost not only trains us to develop a Christ-like heart for the world, but also models the basis of a Christ-centred movement and indeed any work that seeks to have an eternal impact.
Objectives • Give students the opportunity to practice the discipline of prayer together • Gain together a heart for the campus • Asking God to change the hearts of students for His glory!
Leader’s Preparation • Prepare a route around campus that people will follow in their prayer walk, preferably to places where there will be a number of students or key buildings on campus. • Arrange a place to regroup and discuss the exercise. • How are you going at looking at people with spiritual eyes? As you go about your week, take time to see those around you as God sees them, and respond in prayer. Continued on page 2
EXPERIENCE
Time Guide Comments for leading the group 1. Make sure to remind your group to be aware that other people may be able to hear them as they walk and pray so be sensitive to that. Walk with your eyes open :) and appearing to be having a conversation with each other. 2. Recognize that students in your group may be at different places in terms of how practiced they are in group prayer and how confident they feel. Acknowledge this and create an environment of grace, reminding them that God is not so concerned with the words you are using but the attitude of your heart. 3. Encourage them to have simple and specific prayers, but also that prayer is simply talking to God. Be real with Him. 4. Give them ideas of what to pray for. Perhaps print out a campus map, a list of clubs on your campus, or send people to areas where their faculty is located. Before breaking into smaller groups to prayer walk around campus: Take 10 minutes to “expose the need” by looking up the Scripture Study together (see next page).
Regrouping after the Walk Share how each person found the exercise, what God showed you, any insights God gave you or how you felt. Discuss ideas on continuing to develop a heart for your campus, and how to be continually in prayer for your campus. Some ideas might be praying whenever you see your school’s name, having a day of the week that you pray for your campus, or praying whenever you’re walking on your own between classes.
Getting Connected—5 minutes Expose The Need—10 minutes Prayer Walk—20 minutes Regroup—15 minutes
EXPERIENCE
Scripture Study Matthew 9:35-10:1
Why do we tend not to view people the way Jesus does? Often we only see the external side of people (i.e., the things about them that are readily apparent). We don’t see their inner condition. Outward appearances can deceive. We can also tend to focus on our own needs and interests.
Read Matthew 9:35-10:1 1. What do verses 37-38 say about the heart of God? 2. In what ways are people ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ today? In what ways does this show itself? 3. How can we have ‘spiritual eyes’ to see people as Jesus did?
ANSWERS 1. Allow the group to answer, some thoughts are: God’s heart is compassionate, kind, loving. Another verse you could point them to is: Psalm 145:8 2. People follow so many influences and trends of the world. The need is for people to follow the Shepherd, Jesus who will lead them to peace, joy and the abundant life. 3. As we pray, God reveals more of His heart to us. There are various ways to see more of God’s heart for others. Some include praying for others, reading Scripture to understand how Jesus saw people, and building relationships with people to get to know who they really are (and not just what we see from the outside).
Note: Don’t spend too much time on the Scripture Study as you want at least 15-20 minutes to Prayer Walk as a group.
Created by P2C-Students Adapted from Student Life, Australia—with permission 2012
Background It has been said, “When we work – we work. When we pray – God works!” Effective prayer is that which springs from the heart of man in line with the will of God. Any outpouring of our lives, whether that be evangelism or working hard in our school work, should be rooted in prayer. Prayer helps us put our trust in God, rather than trusting in our own abilities. Today’s focus is on a practical exercise – a prayer walk around campus. This cultivates the discipline of looking at others with God’s eyes, and trusting God to move in the hearts of students on our campus.
What the Big Idea? Corporate prayer for the lost not only trains us to develop a Christ-like heart for the world, but also models the basis of a Christ-centred movement and indeed any work that seeks to have an eternal impact.
Objectives • Give students the opportunity to practice the discipline of prayer together • Gain together a heart for the campus • Asking God to change the hearts of students for His glory!
Leader’s Preparation • Prepare a route around campus that people will follow in their prayer walk, preferably to places where there will be a number of students or key buildings on campus. • Arrange a place to regroup and discuss the exercise. • How are you going at looking at people with spiritual eyes? As you go about your week, take time to see those around you as God sees them, and respond in prayer. Continued on page 2
EXPERIENCE
Time Guide Comments for leading the group 1. Make sure to remind your group to be aware that other people may be able to hear them as they walk and pray so be sensitive to that. Walk with your eyes open :) and appearing to be having a conversation with each other. 2. Recognize that students in your group may be at different places in terms of how practiced they are in group prayer and how confident they feel. Acknowledge this and create an environment of grace, reminding them that God is not so concerned with the words you are using but the attitude of your heart. 3. Encourage them to have simple and specific prayers, but also that prayer is simply talking to God. Be real with Him. 4. Give them ideas of what to pray for. Perhaps print out a campus map, a list of clubs on your campus, or send people to areas where their faculty is located. Before breaking into smaller groups to prayer walk around campus: Take 10 minutes to “expose the need” by looking up the Scripture Study together (see next page).
Regrouping after the Walk Share how each person found the exercise, what God showed you, any insights God gave you or how you felt. Discuss ideas on continuing to develop a heart for your campus, and how to be continually in prayer for your campus. Some ideas might be praying whenever you see your school’s name, having a day of the week that you pray for your campus, or praying whenever you’re walking on your own between classes.
Getting Connected—5 minutes Expose The Need—10 minutes Prayer Walk—20 minutes Regroup—15 minutes
EXPERIENCE
Scripture Study Matthew 9:35-10:1
Why do we tend not to view people the way Jesus does? Often we only see the external side of people (i.e., the things about them that are readily apparent). We don’t see their inner condition. Outward appearances can deceive. We can also tend to focus on our own needs and interests.
Read Matthew 9:35-10:1 1. What do verses 37-38 say about the heart of God? 2. In what ways are people ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ today? In what ways does this show itself? 3. How can we have ‘spiritual eyes’ to see people as Jesus did?
ANSWERS 1. Allow the group to answer, some thoughts are: God’s heart is compassionate, kind, loving. Another verse you could point them to is: Psalm 145:8 2. People follow so many influences and trends of the world. The need is for people to follow the Shepherd, Jesus who will lead them to peace, joy and the abundant life. 3. As we pray, God reveals more of His heart to us. There are various ways to see more of God’s heart for others. Some include praying for others, reading Scripture to understand how Jesus saw people, and building relationships with people to get to know who they really are (and not just what we see from the outside).
Note: Don’t spend too much time on the Scripture Study as you want at least 15-20 minutes to Prayer Walk as a group.
Created by P2C-Students Adapted from Student Life, Australia—with permission 2012
