PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline [Paperback]

Janet Holm McHenry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2001

Challenge your body.   Feed your spirit.   Change the world.

Ask any Christian woman about her most recent New Year’s resolutions, and you’ll likely find that “exercise regularly” and “pray more” were at the top of her list. We all long to look and feel our best, to live actively and healthfully. More than that, we desire to connect intimately with our God. Yet physical health and spiritual growth often take a backseat to the urgent demands of grocery shopping and bill paying, time with family and friends, and long hours at the office.
 
It’s Time to Exercise Your Prayer Life.
 
Three years ago, author Janet Holm McHenry suffered from depression, weight gain, and exhaustion. Then she began a prayerwalk routine that not only transformed her life but also profoundly impacted the lives of those around her.
 
Learn how you, too, can set out on a journey to increased energy, better health, and greater joy—and experience a rich, full prayer ministry that will have a lasting impact on your loved ones and community—in PrayerWalk.
 
 “Prayerwalking makes so much sense, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all your life!” —Heather and David Kopp, coauthors of the Praying the Bible series
 
“Honest, humorous, and insightful, PrayerWalk will encourage your heart.”
—Linda Dillow, author of Intimate Issues

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for PrayerWalk

“PrayerWalk will start a revolution! If you apply the principles of this book, you will not only discover miraculous answers to your prayers, you will also streamline your waistline and benefit emotionally!

I first began prayerwalking when I moved to Cal i fornia. I had no friends, and I found myself walking alone on the beach, talking to the Lord. Today my friends (I met my Christian friends as a direct answer to one of the prayers prayed while prayerwalking!) and I zip down the beach path, praying together, praising God, petitioning him for our needs, speaking his Word, praying for others, and thanking him. Like Janet, we have been awed as we have seen the results of our prayers and discovered God’s answers to these prayers as well as the benefits of being outdoors in  God’s beautiful world—improved physical and mental health.”
—SUSAN WALES, author of A Match Made in Heaven and Social Graces

“Based on personal experience and not just on theory, PrayerWalk offers readers practical insights on how to get up, get moving, and get praying. The results can be life changing.”
—ROBIN JONES GUNN, best-selling author of the Glenbrooke series

“Once in a while a book comes along that you just know is the book for ‘such a time as this.’ PrayerWalk is one of those. With depth and delight, Janet McHenry shares her adventures in prayerwalking, unveiling her struggles as well as her successes. Praying people everywhere will love this book and be changed by it. Those new at prayer will find it an invaluable resource. I highly recommend it!”
—TRICIA MCCARY RHODES, best-selling author of Contemplating the Cross

“Janet Holm McHenry brings the needs of mind, body, and spirit together in this wonderfully practical and encouraging book. Prayerwalking makes so much sense you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all your life! A sincere, warm-hearted, and down-to-earth book, PrayerWalk is guaranteed to motivate and inspire.”
—HEATHER (The Dieter’s Prayerbook) AND DAVID KOPP, coauthors of the Praying the Bible series and Praying for the World’s 365 Most Influential People

“Already a ‘holy hiker,’ I hoped PrayerWalk would offer new insights and hope to help me achieve greater  consistency in prayer and exercise. I was not disappointed. Honest, humorous, and insightful, PrayerWalk will encourage your heart and help your hips!”
—LINDA DILLOW, author of Intimate Issues and Calm My Anxious Heart

“Men as well as women should read PrayerWalk because it contains great teaching on prayer as well as physical fitness. If you long for spiritual and physical fitness, this is the book you should read. Practical and real, PrayerWalk shows you what to do and why and has lots of encouraging stories and practical tips for how to make prayerwalking a lifestyle.”
—ROGER C. PALMS, author of An Unexpected Hope and Enjoying the Closeness of God

From the Inside Flap

Challenge your body. Feed your spirit. Change the world.
Ask any Christian woman about her most recent New Year?s resolutions, and you?ll likely find that ?exercise regularly? and ?pray more? were at the top of her list. We all long to look and feel our best, to live actively and healthfully. More than that, we desire to connect intimately with our God. Yet physical health and spiritual growth often take a backseat to the urgent demands of grocery shopping and bill paying, time with family and friends, and long hours at the office.

It?s Time to Exercise Your Prayer Life.
Three years ago, author Janet Holm McHenry suffered from depression, weight gain, and exhaustion. Then she began a prayerwalk routine that not only transformed her life but also profoundly impacted the lives of those around her.
Learn how you, too, can set out on a journey to increased energy, better health, and greater joy?and experience a rich, full prayer ministry that will have a lasting impact on your loved ones and community?in PrayerWalk.

?Prayerwalking makes so much sense, you?ll wonder why you haven?t been doing it all your life!? ?Heather and David Kopp, coauthors of the Praying the Bible series

?Honest, humorous, and insightful, PrayerWalk will encourage your heart.?
?Linda Dillow, author of Intimate Issues

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1st edition (March 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578563763
• ISBN-13: 978-1578563760
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Walking

More About the Author

The author of 19 books, Janet Holm McHenry lives to encourage others through her writing, speaking, and teaching. She has received several awards, including the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association Member of the Year, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference Writer of the Year, and Soroptimists International Teacher of the Year. A high school English teacher, she is married to her high school sweetheart Craig, and they have raised four children in a small town in the California Sierra-Nevada. The beautiful setting has inspired her to follow her passions--prayerwalking and writing. Find out more about Janet at www.janetmchenry.com and her Up2Me blog, http://janetmchenry.wordpress.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Focus is Praying and Walking, February 3, 2002

By 

Bette L. Hall CMA, NHC (Oil Capital, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline (Paperback)

Sometimes we hear someone say something really profound that hits home with us and we think, "I wish I'd said that."

That's exactly how I feel about Prayer Walk--"I wish I had written that."

In the mid 1980's, I lived in Southern California where the temperatures were mild. From about 1984-1986, I got up early six days a week for prayer walking and singing praises to God. Many days it was just me and God. Other times a friend or two would join me.

It was during those years that I looked and felt my best, and felt close to God and in tune with my surroundings.

Now I live in a place where winters have ice storms and summers bring extremely high humidity. I still walk a little in the spring and the fall, but it's just not the same as it was during my prayer walks in California.

Reading PrayerWalk has caused memories to come rushing in about a time when my body and spirit were nourished and healthy.

One of my favorite lines in this book is, "prayer walking is not an easy way to 'take care of prayer' while you get good exercise. It is a call to spend rich time with God, carrying others' loads. The walking is only a means to make it all happen."

Janet Holm McHenry then encourages the reader to pray for your own church, law enforcement, military, public servants, the christian community, business owners, schools, family, friends, and community. McHenry has walked through tears of remorse, tears of joy, tears of suffering, victory, and answered prayer.

She relates the physical benefits of walking as reduced risk of dying prematurely from heart disease or developing diabetes, it helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, reduces the risk of breast cancer, and combats obesity.

McHenry has convinced me that it's high time for me to get back to prayer walking. The focus here is twofold--praying and walking. This book is definitly motivational. I am now motivated to becoming a woman of prayer, strength, and walking.

In this review I've talked about the prayer and the walking, but you'll have to read the book yourself if you want to hear about McHenry's interesting walking and praying escapades.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These shoes are made for walkin', July 15, 2001

By 

Lynn D. Morrissey "Lynn D. Morrissey" (St. Louis, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline (Paperback)

Gifted author and speaker, Janet Holm McHenry, takes her "Christian walk" seriously as she literally speed-walks while she prays. I couldn't imagine reading an entire book on the subject. What's the big deal anyway? You just put one foot in front of the other and talk to God. Yet Janet has written a challenging, interesting, and resourceful handbook that not only engages readers mentally, but fully equips them to become spiritually and physically fit, as well. Janet covers miles of ground from her personal struggles and victories with both prayer and exercise, to well-documented health information, to choosing foot gear and prayer partners, to understanding specific aspects of prayer, to mapping out a detailed prayer strategy for one's entire community. Surprisingly, she also includes humor and pathos; and there is sometimes a poetic lyricism to her writing.

Before reading Prayerwalk, I had to muster bootstrap determination to pray. Now I just lace up my tennies, open my heart, hit the road, and talk to God! Though occasionally I run out of breath, thanks to Janet, now I never run out of prayer topics or inspiration!

Lynn D. Morrissey Author & Speaker

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read half the book, put it down and went out for a walk!, June 5, 2001

By 

Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline (Paperback)

This book is amazing! Every Christian woman who wants a more vibrant prayer life and a healthier body should read this book!

The first thing that impressed me when I started reading PrayerWalk was that the author was very honest and made herself very vulnerable in telling about how she was feeling about herself and about life before she started prayerwalking. That really helped me to identify with her. She wasn't one of those women who have their act together in every area of their lives.

And for those of you who think that the weather in your area isn't conducive to walking outside, you can read about the weather conditions in Janet's northern California mountain valley community. The temperatures there are below freezing from September through April!

For those of you who don't think you have time to prayerwalk, consider that the author has a full-time job as a high-school English teacher as well as her responsibilities of being wife and mother. Janet walks at 5am every weekday, and it's usually dark.

She's had some interesting encounters - from a mountain lion to drug dealers. Janet had planned on praying for her own spiritual growth and for her family members and friends. As she walked, she expanded her prayer list to include many others in the town in which she lives - she prays for businesses she walks by, government buildings and what goes on inside, and so much more. I found this both humbling and exciting to see how God can lead you when you embark on this new endeavor of prayerwalking!

I read this book in 24 hours. After I read the first 70 pages or so, I put the book down, grabbed my jacket and went for a 30 minute PrayerWalk! Using the author's formula, I figured that my target heart rate is between 85 and 129. I enjoy contemporary Christian music, so I took my DiscMan along and the words of the music helped me form my prayers. Does anyone else do this?

Please check out my reviews of other Christian books and music!