4 Ways to Prepare for a Prayer Walk

Prepare Your Heart

Surrender the Prayer Walk to the Lord. Ask the Lord for one or two scriptures to help prepare your heart. Jot them down. If you like, use them to inspire the people you invite, or share them with your team the day you meet to prayer walk. Pray for:

Divine appointments with people.
Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help.
God to guide your steps.
Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Team

Pray for Names. Ask the Lord to bring to mind specific names of students, volunteers, parents, pastors, and/or faculty you can ask to join your prayer walk. Keep in mind, this is not about numbers. Even one prayer partner is enough. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Invite the People that He brought to mind. Decide what mode of communication is best: text? social media? phone call? Give them a brief description of what a prayer walk is and what they can expect that day. Share what has motivated you to gather a team to pray. Be sure to tell them the date, the start and end times, and the location. Give them an RSVP date.

Send them any final details on the day before. Remind your team what time you will begin and end and the location to meet. Let them know what to bring and any adjustments needed due to weather or other factors.

(During a Prayer Walk) Pray for: Divine appointments with people. Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help. God to guide your steps. Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Campus

Check with an Insider at Your School. Once you choose your campus and gather your team, you may want to check with an insider at the school to see if there is anyone you need to notify ahead of time. Most likely, it will not be an issue if you are prayer walking after school or over the weekend on the parts of the campus that are open to the public. Avoid prayer walking on campus during school hours without permission.

Prepare Your Details

“WHO” DETAILS: By now, you know WHO is coming. But here are some other “WHO” questions to think about if you have a larger group. Who will…

begin the prayer walk (introduce/explain it)?
end the prayer walk?
lead smaller groups (if your team is large)?

“WHAT TO BRING” DETAILS: You may want to bring copies of the Prayer Guide and the Leader Guide.

“WHERE/WHEN” DETAILS: Make sure everyone knows the date and time you will meet. Include starting point (address of meeting spot) and ending point (time and meeting spot).

“HOW” DETAILS: For your convenience, this Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide provides a general flow and includes sample scripts of what to say from start to finish. If you can read it, you can lead it. But you may need to think through the unique needs of your prayer walk.

Would you like the prayer walk to be more casual or more organized? Do you have people who are comfortable prayer walking or more new people who may need more instruction?

You have prepared your part. Time to grab your walking shoes. Let’s do this!

Next Step

It is time to get on the campus to pray. Text one friend today and ask them if they would be willing to go to the school to prayer walk with you this week. Get your feet on the campus and pray together. Once you have done it yourself, it will be a lot easier to gather others to do it with you.

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Daniel’s Story

Daniel’s life was a map—Texas to Florida, then back to Texas again. The moves were just moves, until the last one. That’s when things got rocky. That’s when Daniel found himself caught up in a scene he never planned for. Parties. Bad decisions. Nights that blurred into mornings.

One night, driving home from another party, Daniel’s thoughts wandered to a Bible verse – Matthew 16:24-25: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

The words hit him like a weight. Take up your cross. He couldn’t shake it. What was he doing? Where was he going? Right there, on the side of the road, Daniel pulled out his phone and texted his friends, Matthew and Carson: “Hey guys, we need to stop. What are we doing?”

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

The next day, they quit. No more parties. No more empty nights.

But Daniel didn’t stop there. He started talking to others—first his friends, then younger guys heading down the same road he’d just left behind. He wanted to help them before they went too far. And the incredible part? They listened. One conversation turned into another, and then another.

Soon, Daniel found himself leading a group of those same guys—meeting at youth groups, starting Bible studies, sharing verses and stories instead of excuses.

Cru gave him the tools. They showed him how to lead, how to share his testimony, how to handle the logistics so he could focus on the people in front of him. It wasn’t always easy. Not every conversation went smoothly, and not everyone listened. But Daniel stayed at it, because seeing one life change made every hard moment worth it.

It’s not always easy, but seeing lives change makes every challenge worth it.

Last year, there were three of them. Now, there are 17.

Daniel still thinks about that verse from Matthew. Take up your cross. It reminds him that purpose isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, reaching out, and choosing something better—day after day.

And so Daniel keeps going. Because once you realize what matters, you don’t go back.

You just keep walking forward.

Next Step

Pray and ask God to show you 2-3 areas in your life where you must begin to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him.

Matthew’s Story

Matthew grew up in a small town in South Texas, carrying a lot of frustration about himself. By the time he reached high school, he was really struggling with his self-image, which led to a lot of anger—anger at himself and those around him. He tried to fill the emptiness he felt with family and friends, but nothing seemed to work for long. Eventually, he turned to alcohol and drugs. By the time he was 14, he was drinking heavily, and for the next couple of years, his life felt like one endless cycle of bad habits and broken relationships.

Then, something changed. Matthew had a friend named Daniel who stepped in and encouraged him to take a different path. Daniel told him, ‘Hey man, we need to be better for ourselves, for the people around us, and most importantly, for God.’ Those words struck Matthew deeply. He decided to quit drinking and began working to turn his life around. It wasn’t easy. Not long after, Matthew suffered a knee injury that took away his outlet in sports, and he found himself struggling again. But God had other plans. Matthew ended up attending a Cru getaway—a Christian retreat—that gave him a fresh perspective and renewed sense of purpose. Through that experience, Matthew found clarity, direction, and most importantly, a community of believers who supported him every step of the way.

We need to be better for ourselves, for the people around us, and most importantly, for God.

Now, Matthew is thriving. He’s surrounded by friends who push each other to grow in their faith, and he’s committed to helping others find what he’s found in Christ. When he looks back, Matthew says he barely recognizes the person he used to be. His story shows just how powerful God’s grace can be and how much of a difference a caring friend and the right opportunities can make. If you’re feeling lost, remember Matthew’s story: God can use even the toughest times to draw you closer, ignite your spirit, and lead you into a purpose greater than you ever imagined.

Next Step

Using this testimony worksheet, write out your own story and ask God how you can encourage friends to grow in their faith.

TESTIMONY WORKSHEET

Jaclyn’s Story

Jaclyn struggled with intense anxiety from an early age. As she moved into middle school and high school, she put enormous pressure on herself to succeed in everything she did, feeling like she needed to be the best or she would disappoint herself and those around her. There were many nights when the anxiety was overwhelming—she couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and felt constantly knotted up inside. Despite knowing about God and attending church occasionally, she felt like a crucial piece was missing from her faith journey. Though she grew up in a Christian household, attending church wasn’t a consistent part of her family’s routine due to busy weekends filled with sports and activities. Without a regular church community, Jaclyn found herself lacking the kind of support system she needed, though she always had the love of her family around her.

In her sophomore year, Jaclyn came across Cru during a lunch period at school. Drawn by the warmth and genuine kindness of the people she met at their table, she decided to get involved. She joined a girls’ Bible study led by a volunteer named Hunter, meeting every week to learn and share. For Jaclyn, this Bible study quickly became the highlight of her week. It offered her a sense of community she had always been looking for, and she grew close to Hunter and the other girls. In March 2022, Hunter asked the group a question that stuck with Jaclyn: “If you were to die today, are you sure you would go to heaven?” This question made Jaclyn realize that she hadn’t fully surrendered her life to God. A few days later, a conversation with her dad, who shared his own testimony of coming to faith, seemed like the final nudge. It was as though God was speaking directly to her through repeated messages, urging her to make her faith her own. She decided to fully surrender, and immediately found a new sense of peace and joy, replacing the anxiety that had weighed her down for so long.

“If you were to die today, are you sure you would go to heaven?”

Since then, Cru has continued to be a powerful influence in Jaclyn’s life. It has provided her with mentors, resources, and the confidence to step out in her faith. She learned how to share her testimony, something that once felt uncomfortable, but now she sees as a way to plant seeds in others’ hearts. Jaclyn has grown in boldness, leading Bible studies and sharing her story with others, trusting that God will use her words, whether or not there is immediate visible change. Through Cru, she found the community she longed for, and it has helped her find the courage to live out her faith openly and impactfully.

Next Step

Using this testimony worksheet, write out your own story and ask God for an opportunity to share it.

TESTIMONY WORKSHEET

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