The Walking Jericho

Walking the Jericho is a phrase I use to describe a specific to myself type of spiritual warfare. I have been using this specific type of warfare for a number of years now and have seen the effects of it firsthand more than once.

Let me start by telling you what I mean when I say, Walking the Jericho. The story of the Jericho begins in the Bible; in the sixth chapter of Joshua. You see, the Israelites had come to the city of Jericho and the Lord God has promised that city to the Israelites and He had a specific plan for how the Israelites were supposed to conquer the city. For the first six days they were to walk around the city once each day. Then on the seventh day they were to go around the city seven times. Then they were to blow a ram’s horn, shout a great shout and the wall of the city would fall down flat. Now, there’s more to the story than that; I invite you to read it over when you get a chance. But, that’s more than enough to give you the gist of what I am going to talk about here.

This story had always seemed so powerful and transformative to me. It captured my attention as a child and still caused me to marvel at the power it represented as an adult.
Several years ago, my husband and I decided to host a summer party. Our goal was to unite people from different parts of our life, to come together as a group, in a safe neutral setting to just have a good time. A time and place where it wasn’t about who went to church where or whether they went to church at all. It wasn’t about who knew who or people squaring off into their various cliques. A time when people could get together and just have good, clean fun. No alcohol, no drugs, just good music, good food and good company.

Now, this sounds simple right? Just a group of people having a good time. But, it turns out that that is a little easier said than done. When we had the party, straight off, we learned a number of things:

• People don’t automatically mingle with other people.
• Some people, who shall remain nameless, like to carry their drama and/or demons with them wherever they go. Including nice, family friendly parties. Then, they try and share their drama/demons with those around them.
• Church people can be a bit cliquey when it comes to people from other churches. (Yeah, I know. I don’t get it either.) We found that people tended to group up with only people from whatever church they were from.
• People can be really negative at parties.

Now, I’m sure if I thought about it for awhile, I could list other things, but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. Because all that really matters is the solution. And that solution I found, I call, ‘Walking the Jericho.’

As you might have guessed, ‘Walking the Jericho’ involves a lot of….walking. But not just any walking. Intentional, God focused, prayer time. In a somewhat circular fashion. When I walk the Jericho, I go outside my house and I walk around the edge of our property. Now, if we had a really big property I probably wouldn’t circle the entire property, but for sure any area where I would expect in this case, my ‘party people’ to be. When I first start out, I start by praying about myself.

I tend to feel like I need to make sure that I am in the right place mentally, spiritually and emotionally before I start praying over people and events. I walk through the Armor of God. (see Ephesians chapter 6) I pray as I mentally walk through putting on each piece and as Priscilla Shirer talks about, using prayer to activate said armor. I then move onto any attitude issues I have in myself, any specific misgivings I have about this particular event and anything else that I feel would hold me back from praying effectively.

Once I feel at peace with where I am, I then move on to the event in question. I pray for different things. I pray that there would be a seal and a shield over this place. That the people coming would be able to feel safe. That no little nasty demons find their way in. That anyone carrying a demon of addiction (figuratively or otherwise) for example, would have to leave it off property. That this would be a time for them to be free of the things that weight them down. A chance for them to know what it feels like to walk without carrying the weights and burdens that otherwise hang onto them. A time for them to just be in a safe space, to have a good time and to hopefully have some quality interactions with other people. To get prayed for if that is their desire.

I then pray for those who are unwilling to let go of their weights and demons. That if they are truly unwilling to leave them off property, that God would intervene so that they wouldn’t come. I don’t want anyone to drive all the way to my house only to not be able to cross the property line essentially. I know God isn’t going to force them to give up what they don’t want to. But that doesn’t mean that He has to let their car start right that second either. Or that He couldn’t send something else their way to do or whatever. But my hope for those people is that they will come to a place where they are ready to shed these weights and burdens, even if they are not ready to do so right this minute. Then I move on to pray about whoever and whatever God lays on my heart.

The Jericho part comes in because on days when I really don’t feel like one or two or three laps is enough to get the breakthrough that I am looking for, I will do what I have come to call, a full Jericho. What was the goal of the Israelites when they were marching around Jericho? To get victory. They wanted breakthroughs (literally) and they wanted the victory that God promised them. And how did they get it? By obeying God’s commands and walking it out. Same concept. I go out, looking for victory. I want breakthroughs for my friends and family. I want victory. I go out walking, carrying my phone with the Bible app on it, where I can pull up God’s promises at any point, and I speak out what God says in His Word as I walk and I declare victory over any attack of the enemy upon these things.

Now, let me tell you a little story. A few years ago, I think it was the year that I got sepsis after surgery, I was not doing very well. I was so exhausted from the infection and the fall out from the major surgery I had had and I just could barely get out there at all, let alone to do a full Jericho. So, I told my little people (I call the youngest three as a group ‘little people’) that I really needed them to go out and pray over the property for me because I was just so tired. I don’t really know how much they prayed overall really. Cause you know, they were kids and they kept getting distracted by things and whatnot. But this one day, a few days before the party, I looked out a window and saw my one son out in the yard and he was walking back and forth from one side of the driveway to the other. I found out that he had been out there praying.

The day of the party arrived and people came and laughed and had a wonderful time. I remember saying goodbye to a couple of people who were just happy and laughing and I watched them for just a moment as they walked to the vehicle they had arrived in. The vehicle was parked just beyond where my son had been walking and praying just a few days prior. It was the craziest thing. It was like there was a literal line drawn on my driveway. One second they were on this side of the line, happy and laughing. The next, they had crossed beyond where my son had prayed and instantly, they started arguing with one another. I will tell you what. After seeing that first hand, I have never doubted the power of walking The Full Jericho. (Full Jericho being a full seven rotations around. If I didn’t clearly communicate that.)

This year I had to walk it two days in a row. That’s how much under attack it felt like we were. The morning of the open house I was anxious and stressed out. My body was just in so much pain as well. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it to the time of the open house, let alone through it. So, I head out for the second time in two days. I was so out of sorts, it took me three rounds around to get to a place where I could pray about everything else. When I got to about five and half rounds around though, my body pain began to dissipate, my attitude improved; by the time I completed the full seven rounds, I was ready. I made it through the party without wanting to fall down and weep. I received strength to shut down the residual drama that somehow still weaseled it’s way through. I even managed to make it through the extra pool party time I agreed to and watch a movie with my kids after we got the bulk of the cleanup done. Considering the amount of drama that had been coming from certain people leading up to the party, who then showed up at the party, THAT was a MIRACLE. God is good and His mercy ENDURES.

And that my friends, is the Walking Jericho.