Europe cross walks

Between April 2024 and April 2025 I followed a burden in prayer to visit all 51 capital cities of Europe with a large cross, to pray with Christian leaders for a spiritual awakening in the whole of Europe.

It was an amazing and challenging prayer mission. I met some wonderful Christian believers, I had opportunity to talk with many people from many nations about the meaning of the cross and God’s love for them. I had great support with friends joining me for walks, and people praying from the UK for all these nations and capitals.

Below is a my reflection on the Europe Cross Walks prayer mission, a link to a YouTube video of our reflections evening in May at the Beacon house of prayer, Stoke on Trent, links to the Facebook and Instagram photos and write ups, and the original call.

• My Reflection on the Europe cross walks

The Europe cross walks prayer mission has been accomplished! It feels strange to say that I have completed the 51 capitals of Europe, when at the beginning it felt an almost impossible task. I am humbled when I think of how the Lord has opened up visits, connections, prayer walks, friendships, God encounters in every nation of Europe. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and looking at one leg of the mission at a time… and stage by stage, the assignment has been completed. All I know is that God wanted the cross to be walked, seen and lifted up in all these capitals; he wanted this sign of Jesus’ sacrifice and victory, of his all embracing love to be carried in a simple way all over Europe. 

Here are a few reflections on this whole Europe cross walks assignment:

1. It felt a defined mission, with some clear parameters – to be done within a year; 51 capitals in 14 trips, an assignment that could be broken down into parts; a cross to be made that I could transport easily; the creation of a vision video, Facebook page, Go Fund me support link, and regular newsletters. 
2. I was given two pieces of advice from wise friends that made a difference in my spiritual preparation. ‘What kind of a cross are you carrying?’ it is not the cross of empire, war and control, but the simple cross of Jesus and God’s love. ‘The cross needs to be received by local people to release the authority of prayer’. Hence the reaching out to connect with prayer people in each city, to bring a partnership of prayer walking and blessing.
3. I learned to live with and continually explain this strange mission with the cross. There were assumptions of it being in your face evangelism; there were also different cultural expectations of prayer walking. ‘Are you an evangelist?’ ‘Why do you need to come from England with a cross to pray here?’ I knew and shared that the mission was mainly a prophetic prayer act, and yet it was an opportunity for simple and gentle evangelism. The combination of both was surprisingly effective.
4. I adjusted to the challenges of the prayer walks in themselves. I knew that I was juggling a few dynamics all together: sensing God’s heart for a place, some hours of constant intercession, pulling together a spontaneous prayer group, chatting with the makeshift team, talking and praying with passers by. It made for quite a full on and intense time in the city centres.
5. God helped me find some amazing connections with people. Every place was different, and the type of contact was varied: from individual missionaries, single congregations, church networks, prayer groups, Catholic communities, and evangelical mission bases. In each place I tried to find quality time to eat and fellowship together, to listen to their stories, and glean something of what God was doing with them and in their nation. All I had in a day or two was a snapshot of Christian life and witness in a city, but I believe it was a microcosm of the church in their nation.
6. The Lord gave beautiful encounters with people along the walks. In big and bustling cities, the walk went unnoticed by many. Ninety percent of people just passed us by, through either indifference, embarrassment or busyness. Yet in each place there were always people who needed to see the cross; and we looked for the people who looked, asked, ran after us, or we felt God leading us to. We noticed spiritual openness especially amongst groups of young people in the cities. Hundreds of small prayer crosses were given out, lots of people were prayed with; spiritual questions answered. For the majority of those we chatted with they were impressed and grateful for the walk with the cross in their city; there seemed a general awareness of the need for prayer and for peace in Europe.
7. There were clearly some God timings of being in places. Without coordinating it, we often were visiting either just before or in the flow of a significant prayer, societal or mission moment, whether a special season of prayer, an outreach event, a political upheaval, or the beginning of a new season physically and spiritually. 
8. I had some great companions sharing in the mission. My family were behind me – Karen and Sarah joined me at the start, my son Joshua nearer the end. Friends from the Beacon Alison and Mike came on three trips, Paul and Kev on two. Other friends I reached out to took time out to travel, Ian White in Ukraine, Ian Watkin in the Balkans, and Dave Butler in Italy. It was special to me to have the joy of fellowship in mission and prayer, and the help of friends in navigating in and around foreign cities.
9. I discovered the wonderful provision of God – yes financially, because the mission grew more expensive the further we traveled. We raised just over £10,000 towards the travel expenses, an amazing amount of giving. God provided too in some uncanny ways – booking accommodation almost blind then to find ourselves in air bnbs and hotels in just the right places next to metro stops, a church to meet with or walkable to the city centre; major travel connections working out, connecting flights, buses and trains located, cancelled transport miraculously rescheduled; lost baggage returned quickly; generous hospitality by local people treating us to meals and giving up days to host us as visitors to their city; joining in worship events or prayer services, to find welcome, to bring greetings, and to realise how amazing the body of Christ is. 
10. I found myself becoming more aware of my spiritual senses. Europe is full of unease, fear and discontent; my sense is that there is more turmoil coming all across Europe. Yet the church seems freshly stirred in a passion for prayer, and a rising up in  mission. There seems to be a new boldness in faith, and people placed in cities and nations who are sold out for Jesus. My sense in the churches of Europe is of a growing expectation for a great awakening.
11. I went to some strategic cities. Every place was special and God has a plan for each for blessing and renewal. Yet I felt it very important to walk in the really big cities. Places like London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Athens, Madrid, Moscow – these are cities where the gospel impacts not just a country but a region. It was a privilege to pray in all these places.
12. I was surprised by how much I was moved by God’s heart for people and groups. I was in tears in Vatican City for the Roman Catholics, and in Moscow for the Orthodox communion. One of my prayers before I started was that I would have room in my heart for each city and nation. These last twelve months I have found myself carrying a deposit of God’s heart for each city after the prayer walking with the cross.
13. I have been so aware of my own weakness. A stranger in each place, language barriers, people’s varied reactions to this strange English man with a cross, my personal sense of inadequacy to do this mission. Most of the time I felt as though I was crawling like a little ant across Europe. Yet my sense of weakness kept me humble, and it seemed to allow God’s grace and strength to flow in me and through these walks. I was simultaneously so aware of fellowship with Jesus, the one who bore the cross to calvary for the sake of the world. He was my prayer walking companion, I was his, on this mission through Europe.
14. I realised the power of the prayer declarations that we made in every city: it is time for salvation; it is time for the gospel to be central; it is time for the power of love over evil; it is time for the church to shine; it is time for a new spiritual awakening. It seemed that bringing the cross into the centre of each capital and making prayer declarations was heralding real breakthrough, and something the devil had no power to stop. The message of the cross is the power for salvation in Europe.
15. I was more than grateful for the blessing of praying people across the UK who covered the walks, myself and my family, the companions, the contacts and the spiritual nature of this mission. It was so good to tell the people I met, that they were being well prayed for by the saints back at home. The prayer times at World Prayer Centre and the Beacon, the messages from so many people to assure me of their intercession over the mission trips, the watchful backup of prayer covering from the cross walks support group – this felt like a prayer mission that, whilst I was the front man, was so much bigger than me. 

• Link to the reflection evening after the completion of the walks – at the Beacon house of prayer in May 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePjsusMLALA

• To follow the year long story on Instagram & Facebook, search for – crosswalks.will

• The original call to walk with the cross in Europe