Praying the Map

Our smartphones and laptops have become a portal to what is going on in the world. As recently as a hundred years ago, a person might go their whole life without ever leaving their state. Now, global events are in the palm of our hands. This near-instant access to the world opens up new possibilities for evangelism and discipleship. We can engage with and pray for communities and individuals across the globe in a deeply personal way. Google Maps is just one way to do this. 

Let’s say you wake up one day to hear about another crisis in the world. It happens often and, if we haven’t heard about one today, there probably is one we don’t know about. Let’s say you become aware of another atrocity, another war or rumor of war. You feel the urge to pray.

With Google Maps, you can virtually navigate the streets of any city or village in the world, allowing for a more informed and focused prayer. It helps to see what you are praying for. As you “walk” through these areas on your screen, you can pray for the specific needs of the community. You can pray for peace. You can pray for the restoration of infrastructure. You can pray for healing to reign in the midst of turmoil. 

We often can’t see God’s work in the news, but God is always working. There are individuals that God has helped. There are helpers that God has helped. The work of the Spirit sometimes bubbles up from the unseen until it rushes onto the scene with a mighty force.

Seeing what you are praying for, at least in part, can transform a distant news story into personal intercession. It can help bridge the gap between you and those you’re praying for.

Google Maps is not just a tool for personal discipleship. It can be used to disciple others. By sharing screenshots or live navigating through areas in need, you can guide a group on a virtual prayer walk. This shared experience can be incredibly powerful, building unity and missional purpose. It makes the abstract concrete. It builds empathy toward people about which we might otherwise be dismissive. It fosters a global sense of God’s love within the community of faith.

Here are just a few of the ways you might leverage tools like these:

• Current Events and Prayer: Stay informed about global events. When a particular issue or crisis catches your attention, locate the area on Google Maps. Spend time “walking” through the streets, praying for the people affected, the local government, and relief efforts.
• Discipleship Groups: In a discipleship group, use Google Maps to visually explore the area you are praying for. This can lead to a deeper understanding and more heartfelt prayer as the reality of the situation becomes more tangible.
• Missions Awareness: If your church supports missionaries or specific global projects, use Google Maps to “visit” these locations. Pray for the missionaries’ efforts, the community’s needs, and the spread of the gospel in these regions.
• Teaching Empathy: Use Google Maps to teach others—especially children—about different parts of the world. As you explore these places together, discuss the challenges people face and how you can pray for and support them.
• Strategic Prayer: Create a prayer strategy for different regions. Use Google Maps to identify key locations such as schools, hospitals, government buildings, and churches. Pray for God's presence and guidance in these strategic places.
• Personal Pilgrimage: Choose a biblical location, such as Jerusalem, and use Google Maps to walk where Jesus walked. As you explore, pray through the events that took place there, using the journey as a devotional exercise.
• Biblical Justice: Identify areas of the world that are experiencing injustice, such as regions with high levels of human trafficking or exploitation. Use Google Maps to pray for justice and consider ways you can take action or advocate for these people.

As we have seen throughout this course, discipleship is not just about gaining knowledge. It is about being transformed and then being tools of God to lead others to transformation. It is about applying what we learn in a way that impacts our world. Integrating Google Maps into your discipleship rhythms demonstrates a conscious effort to connect with the broader story of God’s work in the world. It involves stepping beyond the boundaries of our immediate surroundings and embracing a kingdom mindset that reaches to the ends of the earth.