my prayer walk

Took my favorite walk these days, Sunday, to one of my favorite coffee places and back, again with my wife, Deb, at my side. We were chit-chatting a bit, mainly Deb pointing out this and that on our way. But as I had told her, I use these walks, mainly to pray. Especially so when I'm by myself. And at the halfway point (not quite a mile and a half, over 2.25 kilometers), I get a nice (as in big) cup of good coffee.

The first half of these walks I'm kind of floundering, as I pray to God. Trying to bring myself squarely and completely into his presence through prayer. Of course we can come boldly into God's presence through the blood of Jesus. And we're to come, just as we are, with all our sin, with unresolved issues, whatever it is, we can and should seek to come into God's presence with any and all of that. I do, and I do so regularly.

It seems like as I near the coffee place, I normally am beginning to sense that I'm getting through to God, or that I'm really praying, with some sort of traction. As I head out of the coffee place, on my way back home (often straight back), I begin to sense that God is hearing my prayers, that I am getting some assurance that way, and just as importantly, or as a part of that, I'm getting a sense of direction or of moral, spiritual equilibrium.

Deb, who is used to moving right along (it used to be quite the opposite, as my legs are quite longer than her's) kept getting ahead of me. I go on this walk in a rather contemplative manner, a leisurely pace more for prayer than for exercise. Wanting to really pray, and get a sense that God has heard my prayer. All else is secondary to that for me then. Of course with Deb present, I wanted to hear her as well, and she doesn't seem to need a walk to pray. It seems like a walk helps me. She says she prays just fine in her little room at home.

Are there any of you out there who find that taking a walk, even in a suburban/urban area such as where I live, can help you to pray? We certainly can and do pray wherever we are. But what is it about that special place or way (for Deb, her little room, I suppose) that helps one pray? I do have more thoughts on this. And you can draw them out from what I've shared, already. But how about you? How do you pray in a way or place, in which you can especially get the sense of having done so, so that you have the sense that God has heard, and you have a sense of direction or assurance from him? How does this work for you?

What thoughts from these questions, or related to this post, would you like to share?