In site or Inside?

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"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen; then He will reward you openly" (Mt 6:5,6).

With the renewal of interest in the subject of intercession and spiritual warfare has come the practice of organized walks across the streets of cities and towns called Prayer Walks. Is this right?

First and foremost, it must be pointed out that, according to Jesus, prayer must be essentially offered in secret (Mt 6:5,6). He condemned the intentional habit of certain religionists of His day who loved to pray "on the corners of the streets." According to Jesus, the secret of prayer was praying in secret. Rarely do we read Him praying in public. Even for the sick He never prayed in public. He simply healed them.

When Paul saw the city of Athens full of idols, he did not organize a Prayer March. Instead he reasoned with people daily in the marketplaces (Acts 17:16,17). When Peter was imprisoned, the believers did not march around the prison walls. Instead they prayed in houses behind closed doors, and God miraculously delivered him (Acts 12:5,12,17).

The march of Israelites around the walls of Jericho is the oft-quoted Biblical example to support and promote prayer walks (Joshua 6). But this incident is not meant to directly teach us about spiritual warfare prayer in the New Testament era. The sphere of evil powers is "in the heavenly places." We as believers in Christ are seated with him "in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12). As such the warfare is not at the horizontal plane. We fight the enemy from above him. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem also does not suggest prayer marches. "Hosanna" simply means, "Save us, O Lord!" It was just a cry of anguish by the Jews to be delivered from the brutal rule of Romans.

The promise that one will inherit whichever place he treads was a national promise given to the Old Testament Hebrews. It was geographical (Dt 11:24; Gen 13:14,15). In the Gospel dispensation it is not places but people. If the time and energy spent to organize prayer marches are invested in aggressive Gospel preaching, the Great Commission will be fulfilled much sooner. Prayer marches are not wrong but they are unnecessary. It makes no difference whether prayer is offered in site or from inside the closet.

Go on your way rejoicing, and to the world proclaim:
Behold, Messiah bringeth redemption thro' His Name!
                                   (Fanny J. Crosby, 1823-1915)


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