The Kind Of Prayer That Downloads Church Revitalization, Part One

I don’t pretend to be the authority on the subject of church revitalization, and I’m not sure that anybody else is either, but I think I’m on to something.

I’ve studied the subject seriously and I’ve listened to great stories from great people. In two posts I’m going to briefly share five of my most important conclusions to date. There will be more on this subject coming up when I re-write the prayer chapter (“Scripted Play #5) from my REVITALIZATION PLAYBOOK.¹

I’m going to call these my five, big, surprising conclusions.

1. The kind of church revitalization we really want is what we used to call “revival.”

The term “revival” has fallen on hard times. The wonderful events of church history which we refer to by this term were powerful, unusual, temporary acts of God’s Spirit which resulted in repentance on the part of God’s people which, in turn, led to holiness, joy, evangelism and church growth.

Some would say that all true revivals are purely sovereign acts of God.  Some of us would answer that, while they are sovereign acts of God, human choices and actions are very much involved.

Sadly, in the last one hundred years, the term has mostly been used to describe special services held in churches that may or may not have involved any degree of actual, spiritual revival.  “We have a revival scheduled for the third week of April, as we do every year.” Younger believers in particular, distressed by such misuse of the term, often resist using it at all.

But the term itself – revival, like the term revitalization – tells us that we’re talking about a greater degree of life, vitality, power from on high. Improved results effected by improved human performance or improved practices does not constitute revival.

If there are any actions which mere mortals can take which can move the hand of God to send revival, they seem to be repentance and prayer.

2. Best practices do have a part to play in church revitalization.

I’m not repenting of writing a book on church revitalization which includes five scripted plays (initiatives) which we must do and fifteen optional plays which we can do. Whether we’re talking about coming to grips with the actual condition of our churches or improving the welcome we give to newcomers, all such good efforts have their place.

The earliest Christian leaders knew that some types of church work were more effective and important than other types of church work – see Acts 6:1-7.  They also knew that some issues needed to be addressed so that church practices didn’t hinder those who were in the process of coming to faith in Christ and membership in their churches – see Acts 15:19.

Best practices do matter. Your new and improved web site won’t bring you revitalization, but it might help you channel some of that new life from heaven when it arrives. Even the healthiest vine needs a decent trellis. We need to do evangelism wisely. We need to welcome guests warmly. We need to disciple new believers effectively. Best practices are certainly better than worst practices or mediocre practices.

3. Pastoral leadership has a part to play in church revitalization.

One of those best practices which really does matter is good leadership.

I know that this is a huge subject but here’s the bottom line:

Good pastoral leadership – which usually comes from a godly team led by a respected and capable individual – helps to guide and direct the individual and collective efforts of revived Christians. The church which has been transformed from a dysfunctional recovery group to something approximating a battalion of life-infused warriors for Christ still needs – or needs, more than ever – good direction from a Spirit-led group of godly leaders.

This does not mean that every pastor who hopes to experience a revitalized church must first become a dynamic, “take the hill” leader. He will need to pull together or pray down a degree of organizational clarity and inspiring vision, but he doesn’t have to do this alone – board members and coaches are available – and, in an empowered church, he won’t have to attempt to steer a multi-ton vehicle that is sitting motionless in the garage (something I tried to do as a child).

I’m about to show you how the vehicle previously sitting in the garage can begin to move.

4. Church “health” – largely a matter of relationships between the members – has a part to play in church revitalization.

Is there any church which God will not revive?  I would say that the only congregations He will not help are those which will not repent of their sin and lethargy and those which will not resolve personal issues between members.

This may not be an absolute requirement for all the relationships within a congregation.  I’m not sure about that.

But it certainly seems to be the case for a congregation’s official leaders and unofficial influencers (also known as power brokers, pillars, or, in some cases, bullies).

I’ll go so far as to say that if there’s any congregation which needs to be dissolved, it’s the congregation with intractable relationship problems. Dare I say that this is something that God “just can’t stand”?

On the other hand, I’ve seen churches in which key members got things right with each other and God responded with almost immediate blessing.

5. The right kind of prayer is the most important factor in church revitalization.

I’m going to introduce this vital subject today and return to it next week.  It’s worthy of its own post.

The bad news is, if you see prayer as being the hardest thing to motivate your congregation to do – with evangelism usually being a close second – then I’ve just told you what you didn’t want to hear.

But here’s why this is actually extraordinarily good news: First of all, serious, revitalization-downloading prayer does not require great intelligence, learning or skill. Secondly, the kind of prayer I’m going to describe next week puts all of us – big church people and small church people – big city people and small village people – charismatic leaders and awkward plodders – all on the same level.

I know I tell this story constantly, but the campus group that led me to Christ had next to nothing by way of earthly resources: no building, no band and a part-time leader with an old house the group met in weekly. What they did have was Jesus Christ, each other, Bibles and the blessing of God, and it was really something special.

The Savior who makes his presence known in a powerful way in the mega-church is just as willing to make his presence known in the mini-church (Matthew 18:20, Revelation 3:20, Ephesians 3:17).

Until next week, I’d like to leave you with three intriguing quotes and my own “bottom line” conclusion:

The church that balances the winning, building, and equipping involved in making disciples, experiences the manifest power and presence of Christ. (Paraphrase of Dr. Dann Spader, author of “Growing A Healthy Church,” and, with Gary Mayes, “The Everyday Commission” )

 “Revival is having Jesus Christ, obviously present and actively in charge of your church.”   (Oliver Price, author of “Pray With Christ”)

 “I like to relate to a church, small or large, that if they have Jesus, they have everything they need to be all that God intended for them to be.”  (Joe Humrichous, author of “Lead Pastor” and “The Vine And The Church”)

 The right kind of prayer is the most important factor in church revitalization.

I’ll describe the right kind of prayer in more detail next week.

 ¹The upcoming expanded edition of my REVITALIZATION PLAYBOOK may or may not be made available in a paperback version.  It will definitely be made available as a “free or any donation” download from my website, www.helpingchurchesthrive.com. I’m hoping to have the new edition done by early 2027.