Prayer WalkUsing The Lord's Prayer

The prayer that Jesus taught (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4) contains structure and principles that can be applied to every circumstance.

Our Father in heaven, your name be honoured as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

Before you begin, huddle together and pray for God’s Leading. Open the walk by humbling yourselves and asking the Lord to teach you how to pray lead your group and time of prayer. Commit the time to him and his purposes and plan.

Wherever you pray, it is important to pray out loud. It doesn’t need to be loud (you can pray under your breath) but it is import for it to be audible. Prayer isn’t just about talking with God (vertical), it’s also about asserting truth according to the word of God and declaring intentions and boundaries (horizontal) to our own flesh and the kingdom of darkness as well.

The bible is clear that the entryway into the presence of God is through worship (Psalm 100). Start your walk by each taking a few moments to proclaim the name of the Father over your lives, the street, neighbourhood and city. You can quote verses that describe the power, majesty, sovereignty and characteristics of the Father. Speak them as fact over your lives and the places you’re walking, the homes you pass and the people you see. Take time to make a verbal declaration of Jesus’ Lordship, the One to whom all authority and power has been given and is above every name in heaven and earth and at the Name of Jesus’ every knee and power will bow to the glory of God the Father.

Example:

Father we love you. We worship you and declare your majesty, glory and goodness over our lives, this street, the people in these homes and this city. You are worthy of all glory honour and praise. Father, You are robed with majesty and strength. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev 4:11) We praise you Father because you are great and greatly to be praised. Father it is you who are to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:4) Father we make a declaration in this place of the Lordship and authority of Jesus Christ, your son. We proclaim that “there is salvation through no one else and by no other name can one be saved” therefore we exalt Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and subject all powers and wills to God alone who rules over all. We come in the name of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as His ambassadors to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to open the eyes [of those in this neighbourhood] in order that they be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in  Christ’ (Acts 26:18).

Next, take a few moments to pray for the desire and purposes of God to be fulfilled in the lives of the people in the neighbourhood. (For instance, scripture says that God desires that “none would parish and that all would come to know him.” 2 Peter 3:9 – you can assert the truth of this verse as you walk).

We aren’t praying for what we want or think should happen, we are asking the Father to accomplish what He desires.

Take time to listen: Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about the Father’s will for the neighbourhoods around the church.

Example:

Father we declare your purposes and desires over this street and the people who live here. Father we know that your desire is that no one would perish, and that everyone to come to know you, so we declare your salvation, love and mercy over this street and the people who live here. Father we come into agreement with you and ask that what you have established in heaven for these people would be fulfilled today in Jesus’ name. In the name of Jesus we command that if there is anything present here that opposes your name, presence, or desire it be bound and restrained now so that the purposes of God might be fulfilled. In Jesus’ name, according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 we remove every blinding effect of Satan that keeps people from seeing the light of the Gospel and the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, and free them to recognize and respond to His truth just as He wills. For it is written, He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Together we destroy every argument, lofty opinion, or influence raised against the knowledge of God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We now release them to know His truth and respond to Him for their salvation. Now Father draw them to yourself for you have said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:44). Father we ask that everything purposed by you for the people in these homes would be fulfilled today in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Jesus is the bread of life, the bread that came down from heaven. (John 6:35) Ask the Father to release the fullness of Jesus’ life, truth and living water in the neighbourhood according to his desire. Pray for Revival on that street; that God would move powerfully in our community drawing men and women back to him, using conviction to change the hearts of those far from him and to pour our his Spirit in our community.

Pray for opportunities for the Good News to break through to each person who has not yet taken the step of trusting Jesus Christ as his or her Saviour.

Example:

Father we believe that Jesus is the bread of life, he is the bread from heaven and word that became flesh. Father we declare today that man doesn’t live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Deut 8:3; Matthew 4:4) Father we ask that you would release your word today over this street and neighbourhood. Father we ask that every word you have purposed for their lives today would be fulfilled. Father we declare your word over these homes today and ask for rivers of living water to begin to flow on these streets.

Take a few moments to ask the Father if you have grieved or quenched the Holy Spirit in any way. LISTEN. Then take a few moments to repent.

Next, take a few moments to ask the Holy Spirit how you can repent on behalf of the people of Niagara. This is called identificational repentance, where we confess before God the sins of our family, church or nation.  There are many examples of identificational repentance in the bible. Moses sought God’s forgiveness on a corporate level after Israel’s worship of the golden calf (Exod. 32:9-14; 34:8-9; Deut. 9:18-29; 10:10-11; Ps. 106:6, 23). Note particularly that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel did not commit the sins they confessed, but as representatives identified with and confessed the corporate sins of others: Isaiah repented on behalf of all the Israelites (Isa. 6:5). Jeremiah confessed the sins of his generation and his forefathers (Jer. 3:25; 14:7, 20). Daniel’s identificational repentance delivered God’s people from the demonic principalities of Persia and Greece (Dan. 9:8, 20-22; 10:2ff.). Ezra’s identificational repentance (Ezra 9:6-15) led to corporate repentance (10:1-4). Nehemiah’s identificational repentance (Neh. 1:6-9) also paved the way for corporate repentance (8:9-11; 9:1-2)

This worldview can still be recognized in Jesus’ and the Apostles’ ministry. They spoke to cities (Matt 11:21-24, Luke 10:13-15) and churches or corporate bodies of believers within whole regions (Rev 2&3) in regard to their actions and their sin. The Bible indicates strongly, while God most definitely engages with individually and personally, He also relates us as families, tribes and nations. In the West in particular, where individualism and consumerism have infiltrated the church, we need to address this imbalance.

After you have confessed your sin take time to confess the different ways our city has rejected God, grieved him and sinned against him. In this way we are appealing to the Father and his mercy, patience and love.

After confession and repentence for your life and on behalf of our city, Pray for blessing Pray over every person, home, and business you encounter; for God’s intervention in each life. Renounce the influence of anger, hurt, unforgiveness, and division at work in our church and community. Ask the Father to fill our neighbourhoods with his peace, unity, forgiveness, mercy and kindness. Pray for the release of the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5)

Example:

Prayer of Confession: Father, in Jesus’ name I renounce anything I’ve done, looked at, relied on or believed in that is opposed to You and Your truth. Father I surrender my life to you and invite you to search me and know me today. I invite you to test my anxious thoughts and point out anything in me that has grieved or quenched you. (Psalm 139:23-24) Father in Jesus’ name I renounce any false motives, mindsets or perspectives that aren’t consistent with You or Your truth and in Jesus’ name – if there is anything present that opposes my fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ or His Lordship in my life, I command it to come out into the light and be made known to me. Father I praise you for your unfailing love and mercy. I thank you that I am saved by grace through faith and that as far as the east is from the west you have removed my transgressions from me. Father now I confess to you the sins of our city and region. I confess to you Father our selfishness, pride and independence. (take time to allow the Holy Spirit to bring other things to mind) 

Praying Blessing Instead Of Cursing: Father I appeal to you for mercy and patience on behalf of [the person or group]. Father I ask that your mercy would triumph over your judgement according to your word (James 2:13). Father I pray that you would bless those who live here. Father I ask that you would fill them with your hope and forgiveness. Father in Jesus’ name, I remove the influence and effects of anger, division, hatred, strife, unforgiveness, offence and hurt. I ask Father in Jesus’ name that you would flood their hearts with your peace and joy. That there would be a spirit of reconciliation and restoration released on our streets and in these homes in Jesus’ name.

Finally, take time and assert the Lordship and victory of Jesus Christ the son of God over every street, neighbourhood, home, power, influence, person or gathering purposed against the Jesus and his bride (the church). In Jesus, name cut off and forbid anything that is being permitted in that area that opposes the will of God and assert the blood of Jesus and his victory over them. In Jesus’ name, forbid the plans of the enemy of God from coming into fulfillment and ask the Holy Spirit for insight into any traps of the enemy or specific tactics that he is using.

Example:

Father, we assert the resurrected Lordship and dominion of Jesus Christ the Son of God over every region, power, gathering or person that is purposed against the will of God, name of Jesus or influence of his church and over every region that has permitted or is permitting spirits in or through their territories or is being invoked against the purpose and will of God. In the name of Jesus we command that every blinding effect of the enemy of God be exposed and cut off from it’s source of power so that the good news of the gospel of Jesus can be heard and received by all on this street. In the name of Jesus we break off every scheme, tactic, assignment and influence of the enemy over the lives of those who live on these streets and pray that everyone on this street would not perish but come to the saving knowledge of God. Father, we ask in Jesus’ powerful name that you would drive out the power of the evil one and establish your name and kingdom presence here in Jesus’ name. This is your street, these are your people made in your image, deliver them Father in Jesus’ name.