How I Started a Simple Prayer Walk Routine (When Quiet Time Wasn’t Working)

I’ve always had this picture in my mind of what my mornings with God should look like.

A warm cup of coffee, a quiet house, my Bible open under a soft light as the sun comes up. Peaceful. Focused. Unrushed.

But if I’m being honest… that’s not the season I’m in right now.

I usually wake up around 4:30 in the morning, and on work days I have to start getting ready by 6 and at work by 7. In theory, that gives me time. But in reality? I’m often tired, foggy, and just trying to get my brain to function.

There have been mornings where I sit down and can barely keep my eyes open. Or I try to pray and my mind is already running through everything I need to get done that day.

And I started to realize… I wasn’t really giving God my best anymore. I was giving Him whatever I had left in a moment where I was already struggling to be fully awake.

So instead of continuing to force a version of quiet time that just wasn’t working for me in this season…

I decided to try something different.

I started a simple prayer walk routine.

Over the past few months, I’ve been slowly coming out of a really heavy season—mentally, emotionally, and even physically. (If you’ve read my post about how God pulled me out of emotional paralysis, you know a little bit of what that looked like.)

I’ve been trying to rebuild my energy, my focus, and honestly just my ability to function well again day to day.

Around that same time, I kept hearing people talk about how movement—especially in the morning—can help regulate your body and bring your energy back. Not intense workouts. Just something simple and consistent.

And then, almost at the same time, I started hearing about prayer walks.

The idea of combining movement with time with God just… clicked.

Because the truth is, I wasn’t struggling with wanting to spend time with God. I was struggling with the way I was trying to do it.

Sitting still, trying to read, trying to focus when I was exhausted—it just wasn’t working in this season.

But walking?

That felt doable.

That felt like something I could actually show up for, even on the days I was tired.

So instead of forcing a quiet time routine that wasn’t serving me, I started taking a morning prayer walk—just to see what would happen.

And honestly… it’s been exactly what I needed.

If you’ve never heard the term before, a prayer walk is exactly what it sounds like—going for a walk while you spend time talking to God.

There’s nothing complicated about it.

It’s simply taking that time you might normally sit still and choosing to move your body while you pray, think, listen, and connect with Him.

For some people, that looks like praying intentionally over their neighborhood—their home, their neighbors, their community, their kids’ schools. For others, it’s more personal—talking through what’s on their heart, processing things with God, or just being quiet long enough to hear from Him.

And there really isn’t one “right” way to do it.

A prayer walk could look like:

• walking in your neighborhood in the early morning
• listening to worship music while you pray
• walking in silence and paying attention to what God might be speaking
• praying over specific people or situations
• listening to scripture or a devotional as you walk
• taking a short walk around the block or a longer one if you have the time

Some days it might feel really focused and intentional. Other days, it might feel simple and quiet.

Both are okay.

The goal isn’t to do it perfectly—it’s just to create a space to be with God in a way that actually works in your life.

And while that can look different for everyone…

here’s what it’s looked like for me in this season.

Right now, my mornings start early.

I usually wake up around 4:30, get dressed, and head out into my neighborhood while it’s still dark and quiet. I walk about 2.2 miles, which ends up being around 45 minutes.

That time frame works really well for me, especially on work days when I need to start getting ready by 6 and out the door by 6:35. It gives me a set window to move my body and spend time with God before the rest of the day begins.

I do bring my phone with me, mostly for safety. My husband and I use an app to track each other, so he can see where I am while I’m out. But other than that, I try not to use it.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve made a few simple “rules” for myself that help protect that time:

• I don’t scroll or check anything while I’m walking
• I can listen to worship music if I want to, but I don’t have to
• most of the time, I keep it quiet and just listen to the sounds around me—the birds, the stillness of the morning, everything slowly waking up

There’s something about being outside, before the day really starts, that makes it easier to focus.

No one needs anything from me yet. There are no dishes to do, no distractions pulling me in different directions.

It’s just me, walking… and time with God.

One of the things I love most about this time is that it isn’t rigid.

There’s no checklist. No “right way” to do it.

Most mornings, I find myself moving between a few different things, depending on where my mind and heart are that day.

Sometimes, I just talk to God.

I’ll pray through whatever is on my mind—my family, my day ahead, things I’m working through, things I’m grateful for. It’s not formal or structured. It’s just conversation.

Other times, I don’t say much at all.

I’ll walk in silence and just listen. Not necessarily expecting some big, clear answer—but just creating space to be still and pay attention. Those quiet moments have been some of the most meaningful.

And then there are days where I feel like I’ve said everything I needed to say… or I just don’t know what to pray.

On those days, I’ll open the Bible app and listen to a day or two of the Bible Reset plan. It gives me something to focus on and keeps my time centered on God, even when my own words feel limited.

It’s just me, walking… and time with God, while the sky slowly starts to change.

That’s really the rhythm of my prayer walk right now.

Some days are more prayer-heavy. Some are quieter. Some are more focused on listening to scripture.

There’s no pressure for it to look the same every day.

The goal isn’t to do it perfectly—it’s just to show up and spend that time with Him.

One of the biggest reasons this prayer walk has worked so well for me is because it meets me where I actually am right now—not where I wish I was.

Physically, it’s helped more than I expected.

After a long stretch of barely having the energy to do more than the bare minimum, simply getting outside and moving each morning has started to shift things. I don’t feel as sluggish during the day, and I can tell my body is slowly rebuilding strength and endurance again. At this stage of life—especially with the desire to get pregnant again—I know taking care of my body matters, and this has been a simple, sustainable way to start.

Mentally and emotionally, it’s been just as important.

Before I started doing this, my mornings felt rushed before they even began. My mind would jump straight into everything that needed to get done, and I’d already feel behind before the day even started. These walks have given me space to clear my head, process what I’m carrying, and step into the day with a little more calm and focus.

But more than anything, this has been most impactful spiritually.

Because for the first time in a while, I feel like I’m giving God my full attention again.

Not what’s left of me at the end of the day. Not a distracted version of me trying to push through exhaustion. But a set-apart time where I can actually focus, talk, listen, and just be with Him.

There’s no pressure to perform. No pressure to do it perfectly.

It’s just consistent, intentional time with God—and right now, that’s exactly what I needed.

Something I’ve been thinking about during these walks is how often Jesus Christ stepped away to spend time with God.

In Luke 5:16, it says that He often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Not occasionally. Not when it was convenient.

Often.

And while I wouldn’t go so far as to say Jesus was out there on a structured “prayer walk” like I am, there’s something about the idea that feels similar—stepping away, going somewhere quiet, removing distractions, and choosing to be alone with God.

(So in a very simple, very human way… I guess you could say I’m following His example here.)

But in all seriousness, this part has been important for me to recognize:

In this season of my life, if I want to truly focus on God, I have to step away.

I can’t do it well sitting in the middle of my house where there are constant reminders of what needs to be done. I can’t do it halfway while also trying to manage responsibilities or mentally plan out my day.

I need space.

And while we don’t know exactly what Jesus did every time He stepped away from His disciples, we do know this—He separated Himself to be with God.

That alone has been enough for me to take this time more seriously.

Because sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply remove ourselves from the noise… and make room for God to meet us there.

If I’m being honest, this isn’t what I always pictured my time with God looking like.

I love the idea of sitting down with my Bible, a cup of coffee, and a quiet house—slowly reading and studying as the day begins.

But right now… that’s just not the season I’m in.

Part of that is practical. My mornings are early, and on work days, I’m on a timeline. But part of it is also just how I’m wired.

My eyes are really sensitive to light first thing in the morning, so reading right away isn’t always easy. And on top of that, I’ve realized something about myself over the years—I’ve trained my brain to associate reading with falling asleep. Ever since I was a kid, I would read myself to sleep almost every night, and that habit never really went away.

So when I try to sit down and read first thing in the morning, especially when I’m already tired… it doesn’t usually go the way I hope it will.

That’s why audio has been such a helpful option for me.

Listening to scripture or a devotional allows me to still take in God’s Word without fighting against how my body and brain are functioning in that moment.

And honestly, that’s been a big shift for me—realizing that I don’t have to force a version of quiet time that doesn’t fit my life right now.

This isn’t necessarily my forever routine.

It’s just what’s working in this season.

If you’ve been struggling to stay consistent in your time with God… you’re not alone.

If you’re tired, overwhelmed, distracted, or feel like you just can’t seem to “get it right,” I want you to hear this:

You’re allowed to do this differently.

Time with God doesn’t have to look like a perfect, quiet, uninterrupted moment every single day.

It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be structured. It doesn’t have to look like what works for someone else.

It just needs to be real.

And sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do is find a way to meet with God that actually works in your life right now—even if it looks a little different than you expected.

One of the things I didn’t expect is how much these prayer walks have started to shape what I’m building behind the scenes.

If you’ve been around here for a bit, you know I’ve been working on Simply Shielded—creating tools and resources to help make prayer feel more approachable and consistent, especially in seasons where life feels heavy or overwhelming.

And right now, these morning walks are actually helping guide that process.

I’ve been paying attention to what helps, what feels natural, what removes pressure, and what makes it easier to show up and spend time with God—and that’s directly influencing what this next step will look like.

I’m currently working on a simple 7-day prayer reset, designed for women who feel stuck, disconnected, or unsure where to start.

Nothing complicated. Nothing overwhelming.

Just something to help you reconnect with God in a real and doable way.

If this is something you’ve been struggling with, maybe don’t overthink it.

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You don’t need the “right” setup.

Maybe this week, you just try something simple—like taking a short prayer walk.

It doesn’t have to be 2 miles. It doesn’t have to be early in the morning. It doesn’t have to look like mine.

Just step outside, start walking, and start talking to God.

Even if it feels simple. Even if it feels quiet. Even if you don’t know what to say yet.

That’s it.

And if you’re interested in the 7-day prayer reset I’m working on, make sure you’re on my email list—I’ll be sharing updates there as it comes together.

Sarah Waterbury

Sarah Waterbury, the heart and voice behind Simply Waterbury, invites you into a cozy space where faith, family, and home beautifully intertwine. As a Christian wife and mom, she shares heartfelt experiences and budget-friendly DIY tips, navigating life’s adventures. Join Sarah in crafting a joyful home and embracing life’s beautiful moments. Let’s explore the twists and turns together, finding inspiration in everyday joys while building a community that celebrates the beauty of faith and family. Here’s to shared stories and the magic of home!