We greatly need to learn that increase growth, development and progress can only come to God’s work through the supernatural power of God (1 Cor. 3:16. Ps. 127.1)
Fruitfulness in God’s work is a supernatural process (Jos. 15:15). Our excellent leadership, organizational structure, preaching and teaching programmes or such like, cannot produce growth and progress in the church unless we learn to draw down the mighty arm of the Lord through prayer.
The Key for all growth lies in the prayer life. If the churches don’t have a prayer emphasis, the planning, preaching and programming will be powerless. Prayer must return as the main business of our life and church. Prayer, believing prayer is God’s price for supernatural power in our life and church. “No prayers, no conversions; no prayer, no power, no prayer, no church growth”.
1. Prayer And Church Growth
The church, a living organism, with Christ as the head must receive the inflow of life from Christ if it is to grow. As the body of Christ, growth is fundamental, since the head of the church is alive. Growth is natural to living organisms. But for true growth quantity, quality, observable, and expansion, the principles of prayer must be foundational in the church. A corporate and personal prayer is an essential sign of growth found in every growing church. The church that never prays never grows.
2. The Church In Acts Act 1:13-14; 2:1-4; 3:1-10; 4:23-31; 6:4; 12:5: 13:1-3; 14:23.
The first church made much of prayer. The early church was a praying church as well as a working church, and it was a working church because it was a praying church. As soon as it was born it began to pray and it grew in strength and efficiency as its prayer life developed. None can deny the prayer factor in the early church. We must learn then, that without increasing the number of Christian workers or their financial support, we could see multiplied results, if we multiply prayer.
3. Example of Apostle Paul – 1 Tim. 2:8; 2:1; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:1-18; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 3:14-20; 1:15; 19; Phil. 1:4; Col. 1:9-12.
We could see that prayer was the highest exercise in the life of Apostle Paul and assumed the same high place in his teaching and practice. He linked the growth of
The church, the spirituality of the converts and their spiritual enlightenment and upliftment to prayer. We can safely conclude then that without fervent, importunate and believing prayer the church cannot truly experience growth life of the church. The church with the east developed prayer ministry records least growth. The decline of the church is the testimony of the neglect of prayer.
4. Prayer Must Have First Priority
Prayer must become number one ministry in the church. It is when we accord prayer such high priority that supernatural growth will come. You need to pander the following facts
- Prayer is number one with God-Mat. 7.7-11. Gen. 4:26. Isa: 45:11
- Jesus Christ made prayer number one Mark 1:35, Luke 613
- Prayer is number one with the HOLY SPIRIT-Rom 8:26
- 4 Prayer is number one purpose and use of God’s word-Eph 6.18
- Prayer is number one in the life of faith Jam. 1.5-8
- Prayer is number one in the battle against Satan-2 Cor. 10:4-5
- Prayer is number one ministry of the church-Acts 1 14,6:4
- We cannot stumble when we are on our knees
5. Contemporary Examples
1. David Yonggi Cho of the famous Korean church attributed the spectacular growth of his church to the highly developed prayer ministry of the church. He says “Church growth is 60% prayer and 40% principles and methods”. Furthermore, ‘you could remove the powerful preaching from our church and it would still continue You could remove the administration of pastoral care through the cell group system and the church would still continue. But if you remove the prayer life of our church, the growth would collapse”
2. At the time of the declaration of the people’s republic of China in October 1949, Christians were numbered 700,000 to 1 million. In 1991 the estimate varied from conservative twenty to fifty million. But in June 1993, the state statistic Bureau report of the Republic of China officially declared that there were 63 million Protestant and 12 million catholic Christians in China.
Recent statistics says 25,000 people are getting save daily. What is of equal interest is that this phenomenon has occurred without outside assistance and infact, it is claimed that apart from prayer no external help is needed Pastor Wang Mengdao explained, we have nothing- no pastors no churches, no Bibles-nothing! We only have God. Therefore we go to Him in desperation’ Through prayer God is their first, only and last resort.
3. Las Acasia Evangelical Pentecostal Church in Caracas, Venezuela, has grown from 500 to 3,000 in the last decade. For sixteen hours a day, 5.00a.m. – 9.00p.m. People are praying in the sanctuary. Pastor Samuel Olson attributed prayer as the major factor for the growth. He says’ “If you take away our prayer ministry our growth would cease and sputter out”
4. Sidlow Baxter says “I have pastured only three churches in my more than sixty years of ministry. We had revival in everyone. And not one of them came as a result of my preaching. They came as a result of membership entering into a covenant to pray until revival came. And it did come, every time”.
5. At second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, Pastor Ed Young saw membership increase by thousand two in 1987. He claimed that nothing much was happening until their church became a “house of prayer” in 1982.
6. From these examples we not that “the key for all growth lies in the prayers life”.
Recommended Reading
PRAYER & SPIRITUAL WARFARE: THE EFFECTIVE PRAYER WARRIOR
FLOURISHING MINISTERS, FLOURISHING MINISTRY: LIFTING UP THE STANDARD
The Great Commission: Our Responsibility to Reach the Lost
9 Mistakes Singles and Newly-Weds Need To Avoid
6. Levels Of Prayer For Growth
a. The Pastor as a man of Prayer – Lk 6:12; Mark 1:35.
If he doesn’t set the example the people will not follow. His people must know him as a prayerful leader. Pastors tend to be activists, yet they must get serious enough about the growth of their church to create time for prayer.
b. Prayer Concerts
i. Personal prayer life of people
ii. Family alters
iii. House groups prayer meetings
iv. Prayer warriors’ evenings or vigils men, women,
v. Intercessors – part of full time
vi. Prayer rooms or mountains where people can come and pray.
iv. School of prayer – run courses on prayer
viii. Minister of prayer – take charge of the church prayer minister
ix. Week of prayer
x. Specialized prayer team for programmes
c. Corporate prayers
i. Early morning prayers
ii. Powerful prayers before services
iii. Sanctifying the church for services
iv. Prayers during and after services
v. Weekend prayers and fastings
vi. Fasting for volunteers on public holidays
vii. Protracted periods of fasting and seeking God.
These prayers in the church will signify the seriousness of prayer for all to see and when persistency, fervency, and importunity are part and parcel of them; supernatural growth will definitely be the outcome.