Try a Walking Prayer

Here is a spiritual discipline that may prove to be very rewarding for you, whether you are a seasoned Christian or a seeker or anywhere in between. The walking prayer is simple to perform and yet can be quite moving. To practice this form of prayer, first turn off all your electronic devices (okay, this is an ancient practice and I've added that to it for all us moderns out here). Still with me? Good. Now, pick a Bible reading related to God and Nature. The first chapter of Genesis will work well, or, if you are pressed for time, try Psalm 65, focusing particularly on verses 5-13. Read these verses over a few times, until they are settled in your memory and your mind is focused on God's creation. Now take a walk outside. Keep all of your senses open and really take in your surroundings. Look, listen, feel, smell, and taste God's world all around you. Keep your mind free of distracting thoughts as much as possible. Focusing on your senses helps keep away your myriad to do lists, as does leaving your electronics at home. As you walk, taking in nature all around you, you may discover (and this may take several tries) that suddenly the natural world comes alive all around you. The trees and grass and sky seem to glow. The manmade world appears to recede as you become enraptured by God's creation all around you. You discover God in your surroundings, moving through creation, active and alive, and you begin to rejoice. Listen to the birds, smell the world around you, feel the breeze play across your skin. For me, the experience brought to life one of my favorite old hymns from childhood, I Come to the Garden Alone (And He Walks with Me). I truly felt like I was taking a personal walk with God, just as in Genesis 3:8 it states God would come to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. I hope this works for you and you too can take a closer walk with God. God bless you on your journey.