20 Powerful Prayer Points To Pray for Healthy Church Growth
What’s Inside: 20 Amazing Powerful Prayer Points to Pray for Church Growth- How to Pray for Church Growth
As a pastor’s wife, I’ve sat in church services when my husband preached to little ole me (and no one else) and to hundreds of people packing the church sitting in the church pews in the very same church building.. (Those church benches are called pews in case you didn’t know)
With the help of the Lord, if there’s anything we’ve learned to do over the years, is how to build a church. We’ve built them from zero, took ones that were lower in attendance and those that were thriving.
But what worked best for us? What worked worst? How did we experience real church growth?
How to Pray for Church Growth
We’ve tried promotions. And giveaways. And BBQ’s. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but we’ve found the best way to grow a church is to pray for church growth and ask God to bless our church.
Who should be responsible for praying for church growth?
Simply telling you to say a prayer for church growth is kind of like telling you to make a complex recipe and only giving you the ingredient list and not sharing what to do with those ingredients.
In this article, I would love to share with you the best way to pray for church growth, and exactly how you can pray.
Who is Responsible to Pray for the Growth of the Church?
Prayer for church growth isn’t a job only for the pastor or pastor’s wife building a church from scratch. Prayer for church growth doesn’t quit when the pews are filled.
Praying for church growth isn’t something that should be done only by the pastor, his wife, and the ministers and leadership in a church.
Who should be responsible for praying for church growth?
Everyone in that local body of believers of the church.
What is the Best Way to Grow the Church?
One of the most beautiful prayers we can offer up to God is for the growth of His church. Why? Because when we pray for church growth, we are asking for more believers to join our congregation for the spiritual development of each one.
As believers, it is our responsibility to pray for the growth of our church, not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of that local body of Christ.
When we pray for church growth, we are asking God to work through us and our church to spread His love and message to others.
The Importance of Praying for Church Growth
Why is praying for church growth important? Because we are praying for hearts to be opened, the gospel be responded to, and Christ be formed in the lives of a soul.
What an honor it is to play an integral part of a person’s salvation by praying for them.
Prayer is not a small thing in regards to the growth of the church. In fact, prayer is one of the most important things we can do as believers for the church today.
Prayer is not a small thing in regards to the growth of the church. In fact, prayer is one of the most important things we can do as believers for the church today.
As I pray for church growth, I am reminded that it is not just about increasing numbers, but about the gospel message reaching more people and transforming lives.
As leaders in our churches, we need to be guided by God’s wisdom in making decisions that will help our churches grow. We need to be able to discern what is best for our churches and have the courage to take action when necessary.
The Foundations of a Bible Based Church in Relationship to Church Growth
A small church with sound doctrine is much healthier and on surer footing than a 10,000 member church with shallow doctrine. Effectiveness for the kingdom should never be gauged by the size of the church, but by its faithfulness to the truth.
Grant R. Castleberry
The quote above by Grant R. Castleberry, really spoke to my heart.
Sound doctrine and discipleship should be the bedrock of all church growth. It is my opinion that if you put numbers before sound doctrine and making disciples of God’s heritage, you are on shaky ground. One possible danger is that you will have a Laodicean church who cares for worldly things and not the things of Christ. Another danger is that, once the unbelievers have outnumbered those who have the mind of Christ, you will have a social club rather than a church.
A churches focus should never be on the activities or projects more than on the focus of intimacy with Christ. Relationship must come first before anything.
Sound doctrine and discipleship should always be the foundation of the Lord’s church.
Another mistake I have seen is the belief that if a congregation is big, it means that God is glorified and that the work of the Lord is being done.
This is absolutely not true.
When the truth of God’s word is not being preached at a church, the church (ie: people) still continues to gather. But that doesn’t mean that God still abides in that assembly.
The foundation of a Bible based church is Christ the rock (the foundation), sound doctrine, discipleship and then church growth that is Christ centered.
How to Pray for Healthy Church Growth
Sound doctrine, spiritual growth and discipleship is an often overlooked factor in church growth. And it is one of the most important. Christian discipleship is a transformative process that shapes every aspect of a believer’s life.
Sound Doctrine, Spiritual Growth and Discipleship
There are three important factors a church must have when/while/before you pray for church growth. Those are sound doctrine, discipleship and spiritual growth.
What does discipleship mean? The root of the word discipleship is the word disciple and means a learner and a pupil. Discipleship is the process of teaching new (and all!) believers to spiritual growth in the Lord Jesus and His teaching.
Spiritual discipleship starts with a relationship with Jesus, focuses on learning and studying the Scriptures, following Jesus example, growing in faith and making disciples.
Imagine having a church built on a hollow foundation that doesn’t include sound doctrine. spiritual growth and discipleship. A church that doesn’t include the foundation of discipleship is one built on a shaky foundation.
A tool of satan is a focus on numerical growth that doesn’t include sound doctrine, spiritual growth and discipleship. When you have abundant growth without genuine faith, there is danger of a fleshly church where Jesus isn’t the focus and seats are filled.
A church built on numbers will leave you with a building full of people and no spiritual depth with God.
It’s better to have a smaller group of equipped believers who have been properly discipled and grow from there. Church growth before being spiritually grounded can lead to spiritual pride, superficial faith and doctrinal confusion.
A church built on numbers will leave you with a building full of people and no spiritual depth with God.
Prayers for Church Growth
Now that we’ve gone over the essentials, let’s go over some topical prayers for church growth that you can use daily.
- Pray Against Strongholds: When intercession for church growth is made, you can bet that there will be strongholds from Satan to prevent souls being added to God’s kingdom. Pray for divine intervention that Satan’s plans would be prevented and banished.
- Pray for wisdom and knowledge: Ask God for wisdom and knowledge to reach those in the churches community and city to implement the best methods to spread the gospel.
- Pray for humility: Pray for humility and ask God to help you be humble in your efforts to grow the church. If you aren’t leadership, pray that leadership remain humble as they serve the Lord in the capacity of church building.
- Pray for bearing fruit: Pray that the church would bear fruit and that the sermons, lessons, children’s church and various ministries would be faith-filled content that would benefit spiritual growth.
- Pray for Acts 2:42: Pray that Acts 2:42 would be a living example in the church. Ask God God to help the church to be devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship with one another, to break bread together, and to pray together. (check out the Scripture below)
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acte 2:43 NASB
Prayer Points for Church Growth
Below you will find an abundant list of church growth prayers to pray. God calls every believer to pray for church growth and to take your place in prayer for biblical revival.
- Foundation of Prayer: Pray that the church be built on a foundation of prayer
- Pray for the salvation of the lost: Pray that each person who steps in the doors of the church be receptive to the gospel message.
- Pray for new believers: Pray that every new believer feel loved and accepted in the church and that they have a spiritual hunger and thirst for God.
- Discipleship: Pray that each new church member be discipled in the word of God and established in the faith
- Knowledgeable in God’s Word: Pray the Pastor and church body be knowledgeable in God’s Word.
- Pray for evangelism: Pray that the church leaders and members have the courage and boldness to share the good news of salvation with others. Ask God to give them the words to say to those in need.
- Pray for Your Pastor: Pray that your pastor walk in humility, be equipped in God’s word and have a genuine love for souls.
- Pray for ministry leaders: Pray for the other leaders in the church and that God would give them wisdom, understanding, and inspiration as they lead the congregation.
- Unity in the Church: Pray that there be a spirit of unity amongst the entire church
- Pray for perseverance: Pray that all in the church would have the perseverance to continue in their spiritual growth and to persevere through spiritual warfare.
- Pray for community: Pray that the church members will be united in their love for God and for each other and that they would support and encourage one other.
- Pray for revival: Pray for spiritual revival in the church and that God will purify believers with fire and bring us to a new life in Him.
- Pray for Bible study: Pray that the church members will be diligent in their study of God’s word.
- Pray that the word of God be taught: Pray the word of God be taught without error, and in Spirit and in truth.
- Pray for healing: Pray for those in need of healing and that God would give them strength to persevere through their trials.
- Pray for preaching: Pray that the messages be God inspired and preached with all boldness.
- Pray for pastoral support: Pray that the church members will support their pastors and leaders and uplift them in their duties.
- Pray for member support: Pray that each member be loved, appreciated and not ov. rlooked.
- Pray for spiritual growth: I pray that the church members will grow in their relationship with God, understand His will and to follow it.
As we pray for church growth, let us remember the words of Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Let us trust in the Savior and pray for His guidance and direction in all that we do.
A Prayer for Church Growth
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with humble hearts, seeking Your blessing for the growth of our church. We believe that You are the source of all growth, both in our personal lives and in the body of believers. We acknowledge that without Your presence and power, our efforts are in vain.
Father, we ask for Your wisdom and discernment as we make decisions that impact the growth of our church. Help us to be sensitive to Your leading and to follow Your will faithfully. Give our leaders insight and vision, that they may effectively shepherd and guide Your flock.
Lord, we pray for unity and love to abound within our church family. Help us to set aside differences and personal agendas, and instead, focus on our common purpose of glorifying You. Grant us hearts of compassion and kindness towards one another, that we may be a shining example of Your love to the world.
Father, we lift up our evangelistic efforts to You. Equip and empower us to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us. Open doors of opportunity for us to reach the lost and bring them into Your kingdom. Give us a burden for the lost, that we may fervently pray for their salvation and be intentional in our outreach.
Lord, we ask for Your provision and blessing in every area of our church’s growth. Provide the resources, both financial and human, that we need to carry out Your work effectively. Bless our ministries, small groups, and outreach programs, that they may bear fruit and bring glory to Your name.
Finally, Lord, we commit the growth of our church into Your hands. We surrender our plans, desires, and ambitions to You, knowing that You alone can bring true growth and transformation. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in our midst.
We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Spiritual Warfare Prayers
The gospel is a message of salvation that every man, woman and child needs to hear. When a person refuses the truth of gospel, they are literally sending themselves to hell. satan will do everything in his power to have someone have Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The salvation of a soul is a literal battleground and it is so important to pray prayers of spiritual warfare regularly.
Bible Verses for Church Growth
Prayer for the growth of the church is not a new concept. In fact, it is mentioned throughout the Bible, as you will find in the Scriptures below. praying for church growth Scriptures
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42 NASB
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:47 KJV
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.
John 12:32
So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace, as it was being built up; and as it continued in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it kept increasing.
Acts 9:31 NASB
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2 Timothy 4:2
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
The responsibility to pray for church growth lies on the shoulders of each and every member of the body of Christ. I pray these prayer points for church growth are a blessing to you and your church family!
