How to Create Your Own Prayer Walk Using the Psalms

Create your own retreat using the Psalms with this printable Prayer Walk as you connect to God through nature.

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WHAT IS A PRAYER WALK?

My favorite part of the book of Psalms is that you can easily turn the verses into a personal prayer for yourself. A few years ago I was invited to a women’s retreat for the weekend and part of our activities was a self-guided prayer walk along dirt paths and bridges winding through a beautiful property in Texas. While we started out in small groups, I felt the need to break off to finish up on my own.

I feel most connected to God when I am alone in the quiet, listening for his voice.

Although I haven’t heard anything audible on these walks, I feel a calm and peace come over my spirit, as I breathe in gratitude for the beauty and the opportunity to have a moment to think.

Sometimes it is more of a listening experience. Maybe a journal entry by a creek, or a minute to pause and watch for wildlife in the trees.

PLAN YOUR OWN PRAYER WALK

Nature has a way of speaking to us and bringing us closer to our creator, and I encourage you to plan a moment (or a few) each year where you can get away for even an hour to reflect.

Here are my favorite places to be still and reflect on what God is teaching me:

Walk along the beach in the early morning before the crowds
Hike a simple nature trail in your local community
Go on a bike ride in your neighborhood after dinner or before breakfast
Sit on a porch or balcony on a vacation with a view
Sip on coffee in the backyard and listen to the birds
Turn on nature sounds for an indoor break

It’s not simply about taking a minute to get back into nature–it’s about reconnecting with God. An easy way to do that is to pray and journal the Psalms out in his creation.

MARK THE MEMORY

In the Bible when God did something that the Israelites wanted to remember, they offered a sacrifice, started a tradition or set up stones of remembrance.

On my personal prayer walk, we were asked to collect something along the way, like a rock, and write a word that stuck out to us on our journey. I still have my rock with the word trust written on it sitting in my office. I was going through a especially hard time in my life, and the reminder of the prayers and conversations I had with God that weekend stayed with me throughout that time.

This week I modified the Prayer Walk we used on our women’s retreat into one you can use on your own, anywhere you’d like.

ORDER THE PRAYER WALK PRINTABLE WORKBOOK

My Prayer Walk Workbook is simple to reprint year after year if you want to make it a tradition. You can staple it together or I like these clear protector sheets that make it into a little booklet. You can find them here or at most stores that sell office supplies.

The Printable Prayer Walk Workbook includes directions and activities for a 1.5 hour self-guided nature walk and follow-up suggestions.

Want the details? Purchase includes:

Workbook cover page
Prayer Walk directions and schedule
6 guided activities to study the psalms (gratitude, lament, praise, restoration, stillness, transformation)
7 journaling prompts for ongoing prayers
Topical Psalms list for further study
Cheat sheet on writing your own psalm
Reproducible Prayer Record Keeping