Students walk around campus with heads bowed and voices raised. Tuesday mornings students meet in the student parking lot to pray for the school reminiscent of Joshua’s march around Jericho. Participants make a physical commitment by walking while they make a mental and spiritual commitment to seek God’s will for the campus.

“As we walk and as we pray it’s a way of reminding ourselves that this is not about just us, that we need God’s help in everything we do,” Paul Haroutunian, Director of Community Prayer & Student Led Evangelism Clubs for Youth For Christ, said. “Often times as we prayer walk, especially on campus, God will lay some things from that campus on our heart.”

Haroutounian organizes the prayer walks on every campus in the Fresno area. He plays off of the idea presented in the book Prayerwalking by Steve Hawthorne.

“We are praying on site with insight,” Hawthorne wrote. Haroutounian likes this idea because physically walking around a campus while praying often gives more inspiration and insight to those praying than those who sit in a huddle removed from the area.

Hawthorne promoted the idea of walking around buildings, especially school campuses, and praying. One of his role models has been Joshua, who walked around the city of Jericho until it fell.

“During the prayer walk, it’s good to be in touch with God and interact with students,” Shawn Cason, ’04, said. “We’re praying for revival, and we see little things start to happen. It’s encouraging. Little things do lead to bigger things.”

Cason and others have recently joined the team and claim to see the Lord moving.

“It’s fantastic to see a group of students coming together to do the Lord’s work,” Ben Daniels, ’04, said. “There’s really quite a conviction on my heart to strive to be an example to younger Christians.”

Prayer walking seems to change the hearts of others in similar ways.

“Prayer walk started out with me being the only girl,” Erin Elmore, ’06, said. “We prayed for God to impress prayer walk on the hearts of more girls and not one but two girls showed up the next week. It’s been a great bonding experience for us.”

Prayer walk has been taking place on campus for just over a year. Until recently, this group has consisted entirely of young men. Now three girls regularly attend the meetings.

“A prayer walk really does unify the group you’re working with,” Justin Kenyon, Clovis High School ’06, said. “It’s a good experience to go all out praying. I believe that if we’re going to start revival on our campus it has to start with prayer.”

Kenyon and others are actively participating in prayer walks on campuses in Fresno and across the nation.

All students are welcome to attend the weekly Tuesday prayer sessions at 7:30 A.M. in front of the gym. For information on the history of prayerwalking and how to get started visit http://www.peopleteams.org/miao/prayerwa.htm.