I want praying to be like breathing. The exhale of my sins and worries and the inhale of God’s grace and wisdom should flow freely between my heart to His. After all, He invites us to come boldly before His throne. (Hebrews 4:16)

Believing hearts come. They come assured of His love and convinced of His infinite power. But sometimes believing hearts struggle. We may struggle to find “the right words” or to find any words at all.

Then the most important conversation of the day could become the biggest conversation I avoid.

Until a year ago.

The announcement of my state’s lockdown cleared my calendar of gatherings, large and small. But the space made room for something new and needful. It radically changed my prayer life. 

Finding something new in our prayers may not be the way God speaks. It may be the way we listen.

I started hearing these words in Psalms 27 again — and again.

“Hear me as I pray, O Lord . Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “ Lord, I am coming.” (Psalms 27:7-8 NLT)

So I came. Maybe it was a sense of urgency driven by the pandemic or the need to get outside. But I began prayer walking daily.  At first, it was the fresh Carolina air that drew me out into the sunshine. But eventually, the appeal was unmistakable. It was the endearing presence of God. Day by day, step by step He drew me into deeper intimacy with Him.

Confessing sins and struggles is a welcome release. Praying for other people gives me a clearer sense of how much God cares for them too. Instead of focusing on the length of a prayer, I focus on the power.

“I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” (Psalm 120:1 NIV)

Hence, the something new in our prayers may not be the way God answers. It may be the way we trust Him.

Trusting in Christ’s redemption is the first step. As a result, I’ve been familiar with the concept of prayer walking for years.  Prayer targets may be aimed at a neighborhood or city. Prayer walks may also be a part of an individual or a group retreat. But this was a different step of faith. The pun is fully intended.

Praying the perimeter of our home sets the atmosphere for how I live inside its walls and throughout my day. Without time with God, my temperament can be easily shaken. But His Word is forever settled in heaven. Often pausing to look up at the sky, I long for the power of His promises to settle some issues in me. (see Psalm 119:88-90)

Because even as I walk by faith, my feelings may lag behind me. But as I focus on the faithfulness of God, my feelings catch up to my faith. There is no fear too great, no ache too deep and no dream too big for us to include in our petitions. Nothing is too hard for God to overcome, heal or fulfill.

I’m learning to trust Him more. I’m still prayer walking.

Is there something new in your prayer life?  A new level of consistency or a new study on the discipline of prayer can deepen our walk with God. Joining a prayer group or a prayer partner also deepens our fellowship with others.

In a time when life felt more restricted, prayer walks increased my openness to God’s possibilities. It’s a life lesson. Our choices may be limited but He never is.  I’m grateful He used Carolina air and sunshine to allow me to breathe in something new.

For more on my prayer walking journey read my post "Prayer Walks Keep a Heart Focused on God" on the Her View From Home blog. You can find it here.