Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Walk before Me, and be blameless. Genesis 17:1
I struggle to think in a straight line. It isn’t only when I’m trying to focus on a task but also when I pray or listen to God. Walking helps me. Walking, I can focus on a single idea for longer than when I sit still. More than that, my body’s motion helps translate ideas into emotions and intentions. This isn’t just my reality; it’s a human reality. Walking creates a bilateral stimulation of the brain. That means we begin to operate in both hemispheres of our brain. This kind of neuro activity strengthens learning and resolve.
I tend to be a cognitive person. I live in my thoughts. The side effect of that is that I struggle with emotions. I have found that my body bridges my thought life and my emotional life. Walking, singing, and dancing help me to move from thought to emotion.
Some of these things may be true for you as well. The scriptures speak of “walking with God.” Perhaps that is a more literal statement than we often think. That is why walking can be such a spiritual activity.
Try taking a walk with God this week. Think of a subject that you want God to speak into. Place that thought before your conscious mind and begin to walk. Ask God about it. What does he think? What does he want you to know? What does he want you to do? Once you are finished, evaluate whether walking helped you engage with God better than if you had prayed while still.
