Prayer is Active (By Jon Perkins)

I remember my first “Prayer Walk.” I was a young youth pastor who was learning the ropes daily while attempting to cover deficiencies with creativity. One of the “creative” ideas came from a friend of an intern at the church. We were on a retreat of sorts and it was suggested that we leave the house individually and walk the mile to the next meeting location praying over certain things.
    
You would think I would be excited about this but I was filled with nervous energy. I wasn’t nervous about the students walking by themselves praying – don’t worry, I had my volunteers intermingled and at different posts. But what I was nervous about was, what the heck I am going do for a mile…a mile walking…a mile not trying to be the first there…a mile where all my thoughts were supposed to be on God…a mile by myself…a mile (5,280 feet) …a mile with a moderate pace will take 15 to 20 minutes!
    
I can still recall my thought when I took my first step on the path, “What in the world can happen in 20 minutes?” Yes, my sarcastic nature decided to take the lead in both my head in my heart.
    
I wish the story would have ended with some huge revelation at the end of the walk, but honestly nothing happened. I was relieved it was over and started looking forward to the rest of the retreat. The students had an opportunity to share what they learned later that night over a bonfire. Side note: bonfires in East Texas look closer to what I would imagine the fire in Lord of the Flies looks like and I love it. While they were sharing, the Lord revealed to me that prayer is active and gave me a new view of “pray without ceasing.”
    
Ever since that night, prayer while moving (running, walking, driving, etc.) has been my favorite, so much so that it has become part of my daily routine. Something I look forward to every day. Setting my mind and heart on Him while grocery shopping or in a drive thru line can be difficult, but the reward is much greater. 
    
This last month or so has been difficult. I don’t even remember when this all changed, but it seems as though March and April each had 100 days in them. I have missed seeing everyone and have missed praying while walking in and through the church throughout the day. 
    
I have adopted a phrase during this time: “grow during what I am going through.” And as a staff, we want to help our church family to do the same. Prayer is one of the cornerstones of our church. We have had amazing “Prayer First” services and we desire to provide opportunities for us to continue to pray together even during quarantine.
    

So, save Sunday, May 3 on your calendar. We are going to have a Drive Through Prayer Experience from 1:00 to 4:00pm. There will be stations of prayer with our staff as well as being able to take communion with your family. You don’t want to miss this. Who knows? Maybe after you leave you will be encouraged to pray for your neighborhood as you drive back home!