Customer Reviews

PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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!

This book is a wonderful, quick read, packed with motivational material which will inspire you to get up, get walking, and get praying. What makes this book so valuable is that Ms. McHenry combines practical advice on how to start and continue a healthy walking routine, with encouragement to pray and the spiritual benefits received. I particularly loved her encouragement on prayer....it really made me want to dive into a deeper "walk with God".

I've struggled with the too-much-to-do-no-time-to-exercise lifestyle, yearning both to take care of my body while keeping avenues of communication with God fresh and flowing. I read Janet's book on a harried airplane trip and resolved to put it into practice when I got home. I did and am glad I did. Janet approaches this discipline as a fellow walker on the journey, and doesn't make you feel inadequate if you don't walk as much as she does or have to miss a day or so. She knows there are some mornings it's hard to get out, but encourages you with the joys she found when spirit overruled body. She's realistic about practical things--shoes, clothes, safe places (she had a heart-thumping encounter with a criminal scene). If you've dragged your feet (pun intended) on a walking program, get this book and get started renewing your health and communication with God.

If you're looking for a lot of fluff, this book is not for you. But if you're genuinely wanting to become a disciplined person, physically and spiritually, you will find the tools for becoming so in PrayerWalk. The author doesn't promise you it will be easy-nothing worth having ever is. However, whether or not you intend to become a walker, you can benefit greatly from this book. The prayer helps and ideas offered are invaluable. Janet McHenry shows you how to pray specific prayers, and get specific answers. You'll learn how to pray for your children, for your community, for your friends and for yourself. Knowing that, why wouldn't you want this book?

As busy as women's lives are, we often put two very important things on the back burner - praying and doing something to keep ourselves physically fit. In "PrayerWalk" the author shows us how we can combine these two and not just make time for God, but make meeting with Him in prayer a daily priority in our lives. McHenry walks us through her own and others' experiences, presenting a lot of great ideas for taking the concept of prayerwalking and making it ours. She encourages us not to just follow a cookie cutter recipe for fitness and prayer time, but to seek God and His design for those areas of our lives.

This inspiring book would be a wonderful addition to your personal collection or a great gift to a friend or a church library. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it for anyone wishing to strengthen their walk with the Lord while strengthening their bodies.

Written in a very warm and engaging style, the author managed to convince me that I should begin Prayerwalking without making me feel guilty or overwhelmed. Studies show that those who take a spiritual approach to weight loss are the primary group to keep the weight off so this book fits in perfectly with my weight loss goals.

If you want to make a difference in the lives of others and your own wellness - read PrayerWalk. I read the book out of curiosity not expecting to actually do what Janet Hom McHenry was suggesting. However, I was pulled in by her story and the facts she offered. I now PrayerWalk!!!!!

I actually stayed up until 5 a.m. reading this book, although I don't recommend doing that, I highly recommend this book. I had never thought of combining exercise (walking) with spending time in prayer/with God. Walking outdoors has always felt like a spiritual experience to me, but I never thought of how many prayers I could be sending out on my journey. This book is not only a book on prayer, but gives excellent advice on walking for health as well. Including statistics, shoe recommendations etc. The authors writing style was so inspiring that I can't wait to start walking again after a long abscense, and experiencing my walking in a new way, time with God. What a wonderful combination!!