A Prayer Scavenger Hunt

Three weeks ago the Engedi team was joined by 9 young adults over Spring break. We spent the week in our German State's (Hessen's) capital. The following is an except from a letter I sent my prayer team:

Wiesbaden
And what else? Last week a team of 8 people, 7 students and a leader, spent the week with us in our state’s (Hessen) capital city of Weisbaden. Our goal? To pray- for the church there, the city, the people. How do you measure success without something tangible? Trust in the Lord (and wait to see some tangible results). I wish I had time and words to tell you about it. It was WONDERFUL. God is up to something in Wiesbaden.

One of the highlights was a guided prayer time we did in groups of 3. We walked around the city in a spirit of prayer but with some things to find and do- it was a prayer scavenger hunt. Each group started at a different point & went in different orders so as not to overlap.

My group started at “a big clock” (the world’s largest cuckoo clock to be exact). We talked to God about how we spend our time, where our priorities are and how that shows through how we spend our time. Then we found a place to buy a flower – we prayed for the person we bought it from and found a woman to give it to and pray for her as well. Our next stop was a bus stop. There are so many people coming and going. We sat still. We asked the LORD where we were going/what he had for us next in addition to consider where we were coming from.

Then we went into a large department store and did a little people watching. We thought about what we are pursuing- and watched to see what others in our world are pursuing. Back out on the streets we were to find a street performer or beggar. We were to give them some “pocket change” and pray for others like them, deeply in need.

For our American guests their experiences at the banks in Germany were for the purpose of exchanging money- US dollars for European euros. We gathered near a bank and chatted with God about what we had already exchanged and some of the things we want to exchange.

There are lots of bread stores in Germany. The inviting scent of fresh-baked bread wafts through the air drawing at least the glance, if not purchase, of many baked goods. We made our way to one such shop and gathered around a bistro table outside. We prayed the Lord’s Prayer. We especially focused on the line, “Give us this day our daily bread…” We acknowledged our need for daily bread from the Lord. Today’s bread won’t do for tomorrow. We need fresh bread. The bread, life, filling, from this week won’t carry through next week; we need fresh bread from you, Lord.

Finally we made our way to a large, beautiful cathedral. Admittedly they are all over Europe, but they never cease to capture my attention for at least a moment and awe me to silence when I step in their doors. Each of the three of us made our way down the aisle, each stopping and finding a place to sit along the way. We were to simply (or not so simply) be still and quiet for 15 minutes- listening, not talking, to God. Enter, here, the sigh of relief. What an amazing practice. We ended up staying for at least half an hour before making our way back to the church to meet up with the others.

It was a wonderful, relaxing, helpful, hopeful way to spend an afternoon. You should grab a friend or two and try it...revamp it even. And then tell me about it. =)