What Now?
Week 5 Guide
Week 5
Lay down: hurry
Pick up: neighborhood prayer walks
The frantic pace of our lives is one of the primary reasons that we miss out on what God wants to do in and through us. This week, as we slow down and learn to be where we are, we will begin to cultivate an awareness of the presence of God at work in our lives and our communities. Refer to the provided strategies for fasting hurry, and in its place spend some time walking and praying for the neighborhood around your house or church. Use the provided prayer guide to help structure your time.
Lent 2021 Fast – Week 5 – Hurry
The frantic pace of our lives is one of the primary reasons that we miss out on what God wants to do in and through us. This week, as we slow down and learn to be where we are, we will begin to cultivate an awareness of the presence of God at work in our lives and our communities. See below for some strategies for fasting hurry, and in its place spend some time walking and praying for the neighborhood around your house or church. Use the prayer guide below to help structure your time.
Go to bed earlier. Get plenty of sleep. Wake up earlier. Have a slow morning.
Dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to silence and solitude.
Severely limit your screen time (I know we already did this one, but one of the primary ways we fill our hours is with unnecessary screens).
Sabbath: take one full day off this week to rest, spend time with family and/or friends, and do things that give you life (no work).
Take a hard look at your calendar. Is there anything you can cancel? Can you space out your day a bit so you’re not rushing from one thing to the next? Do you have breaks throughout your day?
Slow down in the car. Drive the speed limit. Stop at stop signs. Avoid your horn. Don’t text and drive.
Have a hard stop ending to your workday.
Get outside. Take a meeting outside. Take lunch at the beach or the park. Go for a walk.
In place of hurry, spend time walking your neighborhood and praying for your neighbors. Here are some things you might pray about:
Schools: In one way or another, most everyone who lives in your neighborhood are connected to one of the local schools. Pray for the administrators, faculty, and staff of your neighborhood schools, especially as they navigate this uniquely difficult COVID season.
Neighbors: Whether you know your neighbors by name or not, spend time praying over the houses you walk past (and, if you see a neighbor whose name you don’t know, stop and introduce yourself). Pay attention to any specifics God might be putting on your heart (a specific house, apartment building, people group, city, etc.).
Businesses: This has been an especially difficult year for many businesses in our neighborhoods. Pray provision and encouragement over the businesses you pass.
Churches: There is likely at least one church in your neighborhood. As you walk, pray blessing, power, and provision over each of our sister churches.
For Families with kids
Parents, encourage your children to choose something they can cut out of their schedule to help them slow down this week. Include them on the prayer walk around your neighborhood. Ask them specifically if they have friends that need prayer. Encourage them to choose a neighbor to pray for this week—maybe they need healing, maybe they need to know Jesus, maybe they seem lonely. Share with them that when we slow down God can speak to us because we have the time and space to listen. Invite them to take a few quiet minutes to listen for who God might be wanting them to pray for— you might just be surprised to see whose faces and names come to mind. Then, make a plan to pray for that neighbor every day this week.