Prayer: Why is prayer the first step in our community transformation?
Prayer is frontline, preparatory action.
Firstly, prayer is described as “front-line’ action,” the ultimate weapon in the struggle against spiritual forces of evil.
Our communities aren’t just struggling, they are being held back from flourishing because of spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:10-18). Real spiritual forces have blinded the minds of people so they cannot see the light of the gospel.
However, Jesus is the light of all lights! Prayer is essential because we enter upon communities read to battle for people to see in the physical realm what God desires in the spiritual realm.
Prayer is a necessary first step and an ongoing element in the journey towards seeing spiritual transformation and movements emerge. Prayer always precedes movements, and sets the foundation for future kingdom work. You never actually leave prayer; you begin in prayer and continue in prayer.
Prayer is partnership, with God.
Secondly, prayer is a means of partnering with God in His work. It involves joining God in preparing hearts to receive Him in the places where you live, work, study, or play. Tools like prayer walking take prayers to the very places where you desire to see God’s presence manifested and your prayers answered. It welcomes Jesus to the community in all His love, forgiveness, healing, and cleansing. Prayer releases a new Kingdom energy into situations and lives that only Jesus can bring. The concept of “Kingdom come” is an invitation to step back, lift our eyes, and remember that Jesus has a mission in this world—the renewal of all things—and prayer is a way to attach our lives to Him and His mission.
Prayer provides insight.
Thirdly, prayer provides insight into what God is already doing and the needs within a community. Through listening prayer, believers are encouraged to ask God where He is already at work in their relationships and how they can join Him. The Holy Spirit is said to reveal what needs should be prayed for and to direct believers as they pray. Observational insights gained during prayer walking—through sights, sounds, and smells—help to sensitize believers to the issues and engage their spirit in intercession. The Exegetical Prayer Walk tool (provided below) emphasizes “reading” or interpreting the neighborhood through careful observation to discern the truth of God’s presence and identify areas where the Kingdom is not seen, asking Jesus how to help change that and demonstrate the good news.
Prayer is personally transformative.
Finally, prayer is seen as transforming the heart of the person praying, leading to a deeper commitment to the places being prayed for. A “Spirit-tenderized heart, sensitized to a Spirit-directed need, results in Spirit-filled acts of compassion”.
This internal transformation fuels the external action needed for spiritual change in the community. The more one prays, the more “coincidences” they experience, suggesting that prayer opens doors for God’s action in the world.