prayer walking – m to the 5th

I went walking today, so my footwear was a prime consideration. You might think that the weather or comfort would be the most important factors influencing my choice of footwear for said walk. You would be correct. However, there was a time when the style, brand and popularity of what I wore on my feet carried far more weight than any practical considerations. I even used to wear high heels. (what was I thinking?) Not so anymore.

One thing is still true however. There are shoes for every occasion and every activity under the sun. There are running shoes, hiking shoes/boots, dancing shoes, basketball shoes, ballet slippers, soccer shoes, rain boots, snow boots, wingtips, sandals, clogs, crocs – there are water shoes and even footwear for swimming and scuba diving – aka flippers! One of my favorite shoes as a teenager was a pair of soft leather moccasins complete with fringe. Not much foot support but super comfortable. I wore them everywhere. They were cool. Then there were my very uncomfortable, well actually very painful, pink toe shoes from my ballet days. Ballet is a beautiful but painful pastime and I had the bloody toes to prove it at the time.

Since footwear has become so important and so specialized nowadays, this begs the question – what are the appropriate shoes for me to wear for prayer walking? (one guy in our group wears flip flops pretty much year round and we have all four seasons here) After all, prayer walking is a very specific type of walking, encompassing both all terrain and all weather walking, as I have alluded to in previous posts. (post -“walking on what?”) You would think this would call for some very specialized footwear and you would be right. God’s word clearly describes the footwear that I need to put on for this particular activity.

“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15)

I need to be fitted with special footwear, specifically designed for just the type of walking I, along with my prayer walking friends, do on a regular basis. Fortunately, my Heavenly Father provides me with this very specialized, personalized, powerful footwear. It is just what I need to enable me to walk the distance and to have sure footing on all types of terrain. I don’t want to stumble and fall. Fortunately, God’s footwear enables me to walk with confidence as is promised in Proverbs –

“When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.” (Proverbs 4:12)

God’s shoes make it possible for me to walk, to run and to stand, which I also need to be able to do, just as it says in Ephesians –

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,” (Ephesians 6:13-14)

These special prayer walking shoes are part of the armor God graciously provides for his children, knowing that we are in a spiritual battle and that we need the protection His armor provides and the ability His shoes provide us to both go where He sends us and to stand firm when we get there. I am told my feet must be fitted with this readiness so that I am ready and able to walk anywhere at anytime, and when I reach my destination, I am able to stand firm in my specially fitted, God provided, shoes.

This is some fabulous footwear for sure! I guess that makes sense because beautiful feet require special shoes and God’s word says this about my and my friends’ prayer walking feet –

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ ” (Isaiah 52:7)

In Romans I read this same sentiment –

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15)

My Heavenly Father says my feet are beautiful! And He provides me some fabulous footwear so that I can safely and effectively carry His gospel of peace far and wide, to anyone and to everyone. King David knew about God’s special shoes. He said this –

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights.” (Psalm 18:32-33)

And in Habakkuk I read –

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:19)

I definitely need special shoes if I am going to stand on the heights. And I really need special shoes if I am going to carry God’s gospel of peace to the neighborhood where we prayer walk every Saturday morning. Without fail, my Heavenly Father provides me these shoes when I need them (which is twenty-four/seven). These shoes fit me perfectly, they are totally comfortable, they don’t wear out and they never go out of style. I guess that’s because the good news of the peace of the gospel never goes out of style either.

The peace of the gospel is ageless and priceless. Kind of like God’s fabulous footwear that enables me to go on the heights, to walk in all weather, on all terrain, to deliver the good news to all people and to stand firm. Nowadays, these are the only shoes I wear. These are the only shoes I need – God’s designer shoes, specially fitted with the peace of the gospel.

“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15)

thank You, Lord, for the gift of Your fabulous footwear!

sincerely, Grace Day

What if I told you I was walking on water yesterday? That’s right – I went water walking. Well, ok, full disclosure, the water was frozen, so it was actually ice I was walking on. Although, having walked on said ice without sustaining any falls or injuries, I consider this no less a miracle than walking on water. I found myself wondering, however, if this is what it feels like to go glacier walking?

One of the rules of glacier walking is that you never walk alone, but always in the company of others. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone as I “glacier walked” the sidewalks and the streets of this inner-city neighborhood. My intrepid, all weather, prayer walking partner was with me. Due to below freezing temperatures, the snow and ice have remained on our streets and sidewalks, although there are now increasing patches of pavement between the “glaciers” that still flow across most of the sidewalks and streets that comprise our prayer walk route.

As my friend and I picked our way carefully across the stretches of ice and snow in our path that we were forced to cross in order to get to the next patch of visible pavement, it occurred to me that people actually pay money to do this, walk on snow and ice, that is. Glacier walking is a real thing in places such as Iceland and Alaska. There is a whole tourist industry built around doing just this. Of course, the scenery is a bit more dramatic on actual glaciers, being full of ice towers, deep ice caverns, waterfalls and beautiful views.

The ice patches (or mini glaciers) we encountered on this particular morning weren’t that deep, definitely not as dangerous, but still just as challenging for us to walk across. (in my opinion) Perhaps it is because my friend and I were not properly prepared for glacier walking on this morning or on any morning for that matter. We were not equipped with the essentials of glacier walking which include crampons, rope, a climbing harness, a helmet and an ice axe. We had none of these things. Neither of us had even so much as a walking stick to steady us, nor did we have special shoes. We were totally unprepared for glacier walking.

BUT – we were prepared for prayer walking. Before setting out on our prayer walk this morning, my friend and I had suited up with all the essentials that we would need. How did we know what to put on and what to take with us? Our instructions are given to us in Ephesians chapter six.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:11&13)

Interesting, the goal is to stand. That was certainly my goal as I was glacier walking on this cold morning. My goal was to keep from falling, to remain upright. My goal was to stand. Our instructions continue –

“Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17)

So my friend and I found ourselves glacier walking while wearing full armor. Seems cumbersome and counterintuitive at best. But, I gotta say, having the sword of the Spirit is even better than having an ice axe. The sword of the Spirit cuts through anything. Here’s how the sword of the Spirit is described in Hebrews – (remember the sword of the Spirit is the word of God)

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Sounds like the sword of the Spirit is sharper than any ice axe, so I guess my friend and I were in possession of the more powerful of the two weapons. And our footwear? (which is pretty important when one is walking on ice) My feet and my friend’s feet were custom fitted with “readiness” – perhaps readiness to face and to flourish in any situation – even glacier walking? At any rate, we were bearers of the gospel of peace – a large load to carry in treacherous terrain such as we found ourselves traversing. A weighty message, the gospel, yet inexplicably light, a joy to carry. Must be why Jesus told His followers –

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

That’s how we ended up glacier walking in the first place, my friend and I. We are servants of the gospel, commanded NOT to keep this Good News to ourselves but to share it freely, just as it was freely given to us. And so sometimes we find ourselves walking in places that are not always easily traversed. There are deserts and oceans to cross, and valleys and mountains and rivers to ford and sometimes even glacier walking is necessary. No one ever said following Jesus is easy. BUT following Jesus is the ultimate adventure. Jesus told His disciples this –

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

One translation of “must deny himself” says – “you must give up your own way.” That’s how I ended up glacier walking with my friend early on that cold weekend morning. Left to ourselves, we would have been asleep, warm and indoors. BUT – I wouldn’t trade our slippery, semi-perilous, very cold, praying, glacier walking time for anything. Better to be about my Heavenly Father’s business than my own, even if I end up walking on ice!

sincerely, Grace Day