This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James.
So today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about how to take a walk with God. And I mean it literally. I mean, how do you actually go for a walk with God? This is going to be fun, James. Where do you want to start?
Well the way the way you started, Dalve made me think of Enoch. Yeah. And so that's right. I mean, I know that verse, Enoch walked with God, and then he was seen no more, for God took him away. Yeah, yeah, just think about that.
I mean, here's a man who walks so closely with God that he doesn't die. He walks straight into his presence. And that makes me think about Other times you see God taking a walk in Scripture. You see him walking in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day in Genesis 3:8. And you get the feeling just from reading that, of course, that's after Adam and Eve had sinned in their hiding, but you get the feeling that God had done that before.
You know, Adam and Eve must have joined him for walks, but In it, you know. And now they're hiding. Yeah, or you think about Jesus who literally walked everywhere during his ministry. You know, so let's talk about this. Walking is healthy, and walking with God makes it even more healthy, in my opinion.
Like, I can tell you that I try to do that every day. It's one of the more amazing things that gives me life in the middle of the day, not just when I get up in the morning. is to be refreshed through that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah. And there are so many different ways we can do this.
And I think the main challenge we face is how do we keep our focus when we're walking? Because it's so easy to get. distracted with whatever is going on around us. But What one of the best suggestions I've heard is to take a verse and think about it. step by step.
You know, what a great time to memorize something. You know, write it down beforehand and put it in your pocket. Uh I I like verses that that mention walking, like the first two verses of Psalm 1, you know? Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, And who meditates on his law day and night? I mean, you could practically act that out while you're walking.
Or how about Psalm 116.8? for you, Lord, have delivered me from death. My eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I love that because that's a prayer and that keeps us close.
No, I do. I'm just totally with you because all week long I have been trying to figure out in a back. One, there's a verse that talks about you're supposed to go up the mountain with wood and build this temple, which I feel like is in internal instruction. Emma. As I've been walking, like I'm thinking about those verse.
I've been, you know, meditating on it, like, okay, God, show me the wood. And everywhere I look is wood. And I'm... You know, I I walk actually in the woods in Bethabra and uh And I'm like, okay, I see wood, but help me understand, you know, and we're just talking as we're walking. And it it really It makes such a difference in my day from all the time.
All the things that have me all bother to talk with a bank or an insurance company or whatever drove me nuts. And now I can go walk with God for a few minutes, right? And you notice what you did there was you started By uh basically asking him to join you, you know? I mean, you were already thinking about his word, and you know, Lord, help me to have. insight into this as I'm going along.
So You know, I like that aspect of just praying, God, let's go for a walk. What Oh, oh. Show me things that you want me to see. What do you want to talk about? Help me to listen to you.
Is there something that. that you want to show me. And I remember you've told me some great stories about that. I remember the time you told me about. when you were walking by a stream and you saw these flowers and it was just So clearly.
you know, a God moment for you. Oh, it uh it is, and I have also Actually, I turn up my hearing aids to the highest setting. Because it's so s walking is a very sensual thing. Like I want to smell things and when I smell them God Help me delight in you and And let me really try to sense what you're trying to tell me through that. Or if I hear a bird or I hear something else, God, what are you trying to tell me through that?
And all those sensory cues for me or asking God Why am I hearing this? Why am I seeing this? Like yesterday, this deer just ran out right in front of me. And I'm like, well, there you are. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Yeah. It's wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Again, you know, this is a way of I've just Being with Abba Father In the beauty of what he's made, if we're blessed to have nature to walk in, as you and I are.
And um it's It it's so special because When we start to sharpen our spiritual senses to what God is doing in the moment, Man, I mean it's an adventure. And and That's what this is about. There are other things you can do as well. You can sing something while you're walking along. Um you know I Funny, I This goes way back with me.
I uh remember my grandmothers taking me for for walks when I was just a little guy. And my grandmother Banks was a very just proper uh you know straight standing bugsome woman whom you did not mess with and she She was intent on teaching us manners. And so I remember walking up to a fire hydrant and she had us, you know, shake the chain of the fire hydrant and say, Good morning, Mr. Fire Hydrant. How are you today?
But when you're walking with God. Yeah again there There's no end to the things that that he might show you. Ah, that's so beautiful. It's like a perfect time to pray, actually, James. Abba, Father, help us to walk with you.
And Lord, not just. figuratively, but literally to go for a walk. with you. to just spend time with you, to love you, to worship you. to meditate on your word, to to think of you.
Lord, thank you. Thank you that you want us to walk with you. Just bless us in this unexpectedly. We know that you will, and we praise you for it. In Jesus' name.
Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
