Prayer Walking

Today I "prayer walked."

This summer I am encouraging people to consider this form of prayer. And so twice a week I will meet whoever comes to the church so that we can prayerwalk - not together - but at the same time.
This morning one person joined me.

We began with silence and then each of us took a piece of paper from the table that was upside down so we could not see it. They were various Bible verses.
Mine was from Psalm 146

"The Lord opens the eyes of the blind,
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down
The Lord loves the righteous."

And then I went walking for about 25 minutes using this verse as a mantra. Saying these words, singing these words, allowing them to really come into my mind and my heart.

I found myself repeating - Opens....opens, opens, opens....the eyes of the Blind.

What I know is that I am so often blind and, of course, I don't know it. I only see what I see. So there is comfort and challenge that the Lord is opening my eyes. I want to see more -beauty and presence of God. But I also want to see the needs here in my church and family life. It is easy to focus on what makes me comfortable and not see the challenges that bring me to awareness of others and my own helplessness without God.

And so, as I begin this day I begin with this prayer for God who open me up and help me to see.
I think this is a good beginning of this summer prayer time.

We ended by reading a blessing from "Blessing Upon Blessing" by Maxine Shonk

"May the God who calls bless you with ears to hear the voice of God in the cries of the poor, the whispers of the meek, and the silence of the helpless.
May you hear God's call in cricket and bird song, in thunder and rain, and in the prayer of children.
May the God who calls bless you."

I look forward to prayerwalking on Thursday morning.