Why Walking Is a Powerful Spiritual Practice
By Greg Stier
When people ask me, “What are your hobbies?” I give them a boring answer: I walk. Walking and prayer.
I don’t play pickleball.
I don’t golf.
I don’t fish.
I don’t bike.
I don’t do CrossFit.
I walk.
Walking = Multitasking at Its Best
Why do I like walking?
It gives me time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. (This is especially easy because I live in the exceptionally beautiful state of Colorado.)
It gives me time to think, process, and meditate on what God is doing in my life.
It gives me time to pray.
On every walk, I spend time worshipping the Lord, bringing my requests before Him, and interceding on behalf of my family, our ministry, and the next generation.
When I walk with a friend or family member, we spend the first half of the walk chatting and the last half praying.
Next-Level Walking
Once a week, I go on a long walk with a 50-pound rucksack on my back. This is what the Army does to help soldiers build strength and endurance. This is what I do to stay in shape (along with daily workouts in my basement). Even my “rucks” are a prayer and reflection time.
In the summer, I like to walk with my family in the mountains (also known as hiking). We especially love to hike the countless trails in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park.
When I did a 40-city tour with Winter Jam as an evangelist, along with my partner-in-crime Zane Black, I’d walk through every new city the tour bus would stop at and pray for the city we were about to preach the Gospel in.
