What is Prayer Mapping?

Pull out a map of your state and look it over. What does it tell you? Roads, highways, directions, points of interest, topical information like mountains and waterways and elevations, city and town names, distance information, locations of parks and probably some blowups of major cities and their road systems. The map makes it easy to navigate around the state. Think what it would be like trying to visit a city within your state by taking off in a car without a map in the hope you will eventually hit upon it.

A prayer map or spiritual map tries to provide information in the spiritual realm as a regular map does in the natural realm. It is looking at a geographic territory from a spiritual perspective. The purpose? There is only one bottom line reason to prepare a prayer map for a city, town or region: in order to pray effectively to bring that territory under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The prayer map assesses the current spiritual conditions in the area so that a strategy can be drawn to recover any ground currently in the possession of the enemy, Satan, and his demonic hoard.

What goes into a prayer map?

The prayer map consists of all the scraps of information that can be gathered about a region that will give clues to what is really going on behind the scenes, supernaturally. If you have a detective’s heart or love mysteries you may be made for prayer mapping. You gather clues, piece them together, apply some natural and supernatural wisdom, pray for help and come up with a prayer map that can be the basis of effective prayer.

You are looking specifically for blessings and curses that influence the territory of interest. You are determining how far the gospel has penetrated your region and how much work still needs to be done.

Good Sources of Information

Local history department of the library. Learning the history of your city is a very important first step. When and why was this city founded? Who developed it? Who were the first settlers? Were there ever Indians on the land? What major events have happened in the city’s history? How did Christianity get introduced to your area? What is the city known for? Slogans and mottos associated with the city? All these things lay a foundation for your prayer map.

Local newspapers and local TV broadcasts. If you are prayer mapping you should be constantly alert to the current events in your city. Pray before reading the paper or listening to the news and ask God to give you a nudge anytime there is a story that will bring insight to the work you are doing. Is there a story about a coven of witches operating in your city? Cut it out and save it as that may be a big clue to a curse that you will need to deal with.

Maps, tour guides, Chamber of Commerce material. Look at your city from a geographic standpoint. Particularly evaluate your city by observing these five power centers: government centers, commerce centers, communications centers, education centers and spiritual centers. You will learn much from studying and observing the seats of power in your community represented by these five centers.

Interviews. Sometimes it is possible to interview older individuals who can give you interesting parts of the city’s history firsthand. If so, this will save you lots of time and trouble. If possible, find those people who have studied local history and attend their presentations or read their material or call and see if you can interview them.

Statistics such as census material or crime reports. Is the population of your city growing or diminishing? Is crime falling or rising? How do your schools rate academically? The “per capita” statistics about many things are often relevant so as you come across them, save them. You never know when some tiny detail will unravel a mystery you are working on.

(Now you are ready for
Part 2 of Prayer Mapping: Executing the Plan)

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