One of my favorite things to do is walk around neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh and pray. My relationship with God, and my relationship with my neighbors, is worked out in the context of the places where God has called me. I love to be in the streets of Homewood and East Liberty. I get a sense of home there because that is where God has asked me to spend my time as a pastor.
When one looks at a city, great signs of need and signs of hope can be seen. As a follower of Jesus, it is particularly important for me to be in constant prayer in order to discern where and when the Holy Spirit is at work. God literally directs my path as a pastor and a leader. God might ask me to enter into a painful situation, or God might ask me to enter into a hopeful situation. I can only know what to do and how to do it if I'm spending time in prayer listening to my heavenly Father.
That is why prayer walking in a city is so important. I've said it many times before, but effective ministry rarely happens in sterile conditions. Urban ministry can be messy. It's important for those who are called to cities to be in the streets, mixing it up with people right in the middle of all of the activity. If a person or an organization is called to a cause in a city, that calling will likely be very challenging. Prayer walking is an incredible way for Christians to effectively advance the kingdom of God in the midst of complex urban environments.
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