A movement of youth who are taking to the streets in their cities is spreading—but this movement involves prayer walking and the public declaration that “God Belongs in My City.” Thousands of students and young people in cities such as San Antonio, TX; Orlando, FL, and Nashville, TN, have organized prayer walks to make bold statements that honor God.

It began in 2009 when a youth group in New York City was stirred to action because of an atheist advertising campaign in the subway system. It said, “A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?” The young people approached their youth pastor, who then went to a network of youth pastors with the question, “What are we, as the Body of Christ, going to do about this?”

The resulting prayer walk involved 1,500 youth who walked from the north and south of Manhattan, meeting at Times Square and Grand Central Station. They wore simple t-shirts that stated, “God Belongs in My City.” (There are now a variety of t-shirts and hoodies available online.) Since 2009, the movement has grown to more than 40 cities and five nations. The fourth annual prayer walk in New York City took place October 27, 2012.

Those wanting to schedule a prayer walk through the streets of their city can go to godbelongsinmycity.com.