Campus Prayer Walk: Leader’s Guide
If you have never led a prayer walk before, this Leader’s Guide provides a grab-n-go template for those who desire one. There is not only one way to do a prayer walk, but this guide will lead you through a prayer experience on campus that will last around 30-60 minutes. Feel free to customize it to match your own style. In it, you will find:
- a basic framework divided into sections.
- sample scripts to use, as needed.
Welcome The Team: (1-3 minutes)
Gather everyone at the meeting spot and welcome them.
LEADER: Hello, everyone! My name is__________. Thank you so much for coming today to prayer walk the campus together!
Orient the Team: (2-3 minutes)
It is important to let people know what to expect. Here are some ideas of things you may want to communicate:
- Explain “campus prayer walking.” (It is simply praying for a campus while you walk around it.)
- Provide an overview of your plan.
- Include the time/place you will regroup to process/close in prayer.
Specify what time the event will end.
Open in Prayer Together - (5-7 minutes) (optional)
If you want everyone to open in prayer all together at the meeting point before you all begin walking around the campus in smaller groups to pray, you will want to read on. If not, stop now and jump directly to the next section labeled Begin Prayer Walk.
The basic format you will see in this Open in Prayer section includes:
- read pre-selected scripture passages.
- thank God for who He is.
- pause to reflect and confess silently.
- ask God to guide, unify, and protect you as you prayer walk.
SAMPLE FORMAT with SCRIPTS:
LEADER : Jesus, today we remember the promise You made to us in Matthew 18:19-20 that says: “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Wow, thank you, Lord, for being here with us today.
We THANK you for Who You are… Right now, we take a few minutes to remember some of the attributes we appreciate about You.
[Invite people to think of an attribute of God for which they are thankful and then in a single word or short phrase, say it out loud. As the leader, you may need to go first. For example, you might say something like, “God, you are abounding in love.” Allow two minutes for others to participate, then continue.]
Now, Lord, before we begin this walk, we invite You in the words of Psalm 139: 23-24 to “Search me, oh God, and know my heart…Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” We PAUSE now to allow the Holy Spirit to point out anything inside us that offends Him.
[Allow one to two minutes to listen. Then say…]
Take a moment to silently CONFESS those things to Him. [Allow one to two minutes of silence. Then proceed.]
Now, Holy Spirit, we ASK you to guide our prayers today. Help us see the things about which You want us to pray. We ask You to unify us and protect us as we walk. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Begin Prayer Walk (suggested 20-40 minutes)
Before you send people out to walk, here is a list of basic things you may want to consider doing:
- Select a prayer walking guide. Provide digital or printed versions. We recommend:
- If using a guide above, you may want to go over it. Ask if anyone has any questions.
- If desired, organize people into groups now. Usually this means breaking up into groups of two or three. Helpful Tip: Try to make sure there is at least one person in each group who is comfortable praying out loud.
LEADER: It is time to WALK the campus and PRAY. Allow the Holy Spirit to prompt your prayers.
You will have until [insert number of minutes] to pray. Please return to [insert meeting spot] by [insert specific time]. At that time, we will briefly share anything that felt significant to us and close in prayer by [insert time].
God often meets with us as we pray. Taking time to regroup and debrief what happened after a prayer walk creates an opportunity for everyone to hear what happened/ways God moved.
Regroup & Debrief (5-10 minutes)
This section helps you as the leader bring closure to the prayer walking experience. God often meets with us as we pray. Taking time to regroup and debrief what happened creates an opportunity for everyone to:
- hear what happened/ways God moved.
- be encouraged and strengthened.
- express gratitude.
- close in prayer.
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
LEADER : It brings me great joy to think of our Father in heaven moving into action as He heard our prayers today. It brings me joy to think of Jesus being right here with us the whole time.
Before we close, we are going to take a 5-10 minutes together to share anything you experienced today during the walk that felt significant or meaningful. This is an invitation, not an obligation. So no pressure. But we take time to share these kinds of stories to strengthen and encourage each other in our faith.
[Allow time for people to share. Remember, a little silence is ok. Some people need a minute to gather their thoughts or courage before they speak. You may need to share something first or ask someone else ahead of time to go first to get the ball rolling.]
Close in Prayer (1 minute)
SAMPLE CLOSING PRAYER
LEADER: Holy Spirit, thank You for being our guide today and our constant companion every day. Jesus, thank You for being right here with us. And Heavenly Father, thank You for listening to our prayers and for moving into action on our behalf. We trust You wholeheartedly to answer our prayers in Your perfect way and in Your perfect time, for Your glory and our good. Would You please bless us and protect us now as we return home? In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Don’t Forget to Thank Everyone for Coming!