On this walk, we are going to focus on the presence of the Shepherd with you as you pray and how we can bring God’s peace, presence, and kingdom near.
Today’s scriptures:
- Psalm 62:5-8
- Nehemiah 1:3-4
- Nehemiah 2:4-8
What you will need to bring:
- A walking partner, in person or via phone call
- A piece of chalk OR a pencil and sticky note/small piece of paper
- A phone (or some kind of device) to take a photo
Suggestions for where to walk:
- Meet your walking partner(s) at a train station (or another large public transport area). At the beginning of the walk, you can walk more generally around the station. When you get to the ASK part of the walk, be where you can see departure platforms.
On each walk with The Spark, we use P.R.A.Y. to structure our prayer time. See The Spark Guide for more information about this way of praying. There are recommendations for how long to spend in each section of P.R.A.Y., however, you are encouraged to let the Spirit lead your timing.
PAUSE
5-10 minutes
🪑 Find a bench or some other place to sit and enter into physical stillness. Take a moment of silence until you and your walking partner feel your heartbeats slow down or your breathing becomes calm.
💬 Begin by each person saying aloud the following prayer:
As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still, to breathe slowly, to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God.*
⏸️ Pause for a moment to do what you have just prayed: be still, breathe, recenter.
🎵 Listen to the song “Psalm 23” by Shane and Shane. If it’s possible, close your eyes as you listen. Imagine Jesus with you as your Shepherd. How is he caring for you as one of his sheep?
Listen on Spotify | Watch on YouTube
👣 Begin walking. Pause as needed whenever you need to read something.
REJOICE
Approximately 5 minutes
📖 Later in today’s walk, you will intercede for your city, your nation and Europe. First, you will engage with a well-known psalm; be encouraged to look at it with fresh eyes. Read slowly. Pausing after each sentence to give thanks and rejoice aloud for what you’ve read about the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23
✍️ The Good Shepherd is going with you today. What is one thing that stood out to you about the shepherd? As a reminder of that one thing, draw a shepherd’s staff on your hand.
💬 Take turns sharing what the shepherd’s staff on your hand is going to remind you of.
REFLECT
5-10 minutes
📖 Prior to the passage below, Jesus has been in ministry for some time and people have seen him preach and perform miracles. He has been inviting people to follow him, and some have said “no.” In this scene, Jesus is with those who have said “yes,” and he is preparing them to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Luke 10:1-4
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
Luke 10:1-4
Reflect on how you feel about being appointed and going ahead of the Lord of the harvest to the places Jesus is about to go.
💬 What excites you about being sent into a plentiful harvest? Take turns praying aloud.
Jesus knows being sent won’t be easy. He points out a few circumstances we may face and he gives instructions: the workers are few, lambs among wolves, do not take…, do not greet…
💬 Take turns naming aloud one of the things listed above that feels difficult to accept today. Talk to the Lord of the harvest about what feels difficult and what you want to ask him for.
🗣️ Look at the shepherd’s staff on your hand again and declare together aloud that, no matter the circumstance, the Lord is our Shepherd.
ASK
10-15 minutes
At this point of your walk, please try to be in a central part of the train station where you can observe the train platforms, the departure schedule, and passengers coming and going.
📖 Luke 10:5-11
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
Luke 10:5-11
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’”
LOCAL
🤔 First, think of someone you each know personally who needs peace.
💬 Ask God how you can pray for the peace that is needed and for more of God’s presence in their life. Take turns praying for these people aloud. To close these prayers, declare aloud “The kingdom of God has come near to [person’s name]”.
👀 Next, look around you. Is there someone who appears stressed or worried?
💬 Ask God how you can pray for the peace that is needed and for more of God’s presence in their life. Take turns praying for this person. To close this prayer, declare aloud, “The kingdom of God has come near to this person”.
(If the Holy Spirit invites you to approach the person, go for it; allow the Spirit to guide your conversation and whether you should pray with that person.)
NATIONAL
👣 Choose a train that is departing to another city you want to pray for in your country. Walk closer to or all the way onto that platform.
👀 Observe the people waiting to take that train. Do you notice anyone who appears to work in a certain sector (for example, healthcare, business, arts, or government)? If you’re feeling bold, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to someone you can ask what sector they work in and explain that you are praying for people today.
💬 Ask God to reveal what is happening in that sector in that city and how you can pray for peace and more of God’s presence in that sector. Take turns praying. Then, to close this prayer, declare aloud, “The kingdom of God has come near to [city]”.
👣 If you have more time, choose another platform and pray for that city too. If not, walk toward the area with a shop or kiosk that has newspapers and magazines, or where there is a TV screen with the news playing.
EUROPE
👀 Look around at what news you notice in the headlines in another country or region in Europe. Pick one headline as the focus of the following 3 P’s.**
💬 People afflicted: Ask God to comfort those who suddenly find their lives torn apart by this situation who are perhaps experiencing grief, loss, fear or trauma.
💬 Pastors and priests: Ask God to give courage to church leaders seeking to bring Christ’s presence and hope in the midst of this situation.
💬 Peacemakers, politicians and police: Ask God to give clarity and wisdom to government agencies and NGOs, blessing and supporting their efforts to bring justice, reconciliation and aid.
💬 If you have more time, choose another headline to pray for. If not, close this prayer by declaring aloud “The kingdom of God has come near to [country/region]”.
YES
Approximately 5 minutes
👣 Walk toward a main entrance/exit of the station but do not exit yet.
🖍️ As a final declaration that the kingdom of God has come near, use your chalk or pencil and sticky note or paper to draw a small crown to leave at the station.
📸 Take a photo of your crown as a reminder of what God did today.
YIELD
Approximately 5 minutes
👣 Exit the station.
💬 What was your experience like today? Talk about any ways you felt welcomed and encouraged today, then thank God for that. Talk about any challenges you encountered, then wipe your feet on the ground to symbolically “wipe the dust” and give those challenging moments to God so you can leave behind any negatives.
🗣️ No matter how your walk went today, take turns declaring over each other “Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near” (Luke 10:11b).
NEXT STEPS
🏷️ Post a photo of your crown to Instagram (or Facebook) and tag @thespark.europe and #thesparkwalk4. In your caption or in a story, share your prayer for peace and more of God’s kingdom to come in your city, country, and Europe.
👍 Follow @thespark.europe and look at #thesparkwalk4 to see what others have shared, and pray with them for a move of God in Europe.
🎆 Who is someone you will invite to do another prayer walk with you? Text them now to find a time and date to prayer walk together.
*Quote taken from the Lectio 365 devotional app by 24-7 Prayer www.24-7prayer.com/lectio365
**Adapted from How to Intercede for a Large-Scale Crisis (Praying the 3 P’s), a prayer tool by 24-7 Prayer https://prayercourse.org/toolshed/
