For 180 years, the Adventist Church has striven to fulfill its mission — yet obstacles persist. Could a deeper commitment to prayer be the key to unleashing real transformation? Discover anew how prayer ignites the Holy Spirit’s power, enabling the church to overcome apathy and secular pressures and, ultimately, reach one more for Christ. By intentionally inviting the Holy Spirit into our efforts, we open the door to renewed faith and divine guidance, empowering us to fulfill our mission with passion and purpose. Together, we can reignite the passion for evangelism and make a meaningful difference for God's kingdom.
The contemporary church faces significant challenges in fulfilling its mission of reaching the world for Jesus. Various factors contribute to this struggle, including external pressures such as secularism and anti-Christian sentiment, as well as internal issues like apathy and a lack of commitment among members. Despite numerous attempts at reform — ranging from innovative evangelism strategies to well-researched literature — sustained effectiveness remains elusive.
Amid these complexities, prayer emerges as a critical component of outreach and ministry. By fostering a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit, the church can address both internal and external barriers more effectively. This exploration seeks to demonstrate how intentional prayer can revitalize the church’s mission, enabling it to overcome contemporary challenges and fulfill its divine purpose.
It was God’s purpose from the start that His church should be effective in accomplishing its mission of saving mankind. Before Jesus went to heaven, He told His followers that He possessed all authority and thereby sent them out.
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20). As He sent them out to evangelize Jerusalem, Judea and to the end of the world, He promised to give them unlimited power through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
The State of the Church Today
As the years go by, we see the church’s influence rapidly waning and diminishing instead of flourishing and increasing as we would expect. Less than half of the inhabitants of the U.S.1 and Canada2 now affiliate with a house of worship.
There was a decline in the U.S. between 2007–2019 in those who identified as Protestant from 51% to 43%, as well as those who identified as Catholic from 24% to 20%. Those who identified as "Nothing in Particular" rose from 12% to 17%. Over the same period, agnostics or atheists grew from 2% to 5% respectively, more than doubling their number.3
In North American Division, the average growth4 for the period of 2012–2021 was 1.04%. In 2022, NAD experienced a decline of 2.93%. Just to highlight how dismal the numbers are in NAD, we can compare them to the worldwide church growth rate. The average worldwide church growth rate between 2012–2021 was 2.3%. In 2022, the worldwide church experienced an increase of 1.47%. These statistics5 highlight how poorly we are doing in North America and in the world.
According to Christianity Today, Bible reading is also on the decline among Christians. Between 2011–2021, 50% of Americans read the Bible at least three or four times a year. In 2022, only 39% read the Bible multiple times per year. In 2022 only 10% of Christians read their Bibles daily — a 4% decrease from before the pandemic.6
These societal trends reveal the fact that biblical values and stories are no longer the dominant ones being shared or the ones shaping the culture. People are turning from divine authority to human authority as their primary influence. On top of that, an anti-Christian posture has been steadily growing.
These trends are significant for us because in the past our evangelism centered on helping people know the truth. Today, that is becoming increasingly difficult because people have very little knowledge of the Bible, and most people have no biblical worldview.
God’s Solution
Where can we find hope? The Bible reveals both the source and solution to the problem. The source of the problem lies in the church’s tendency to neglect its reliance on the Holy Spirit.
The early church shows us the solution. Their situation was much like ours today. Before Pentecost, the church was weak. The gospel message had been rejected by the people. Israel had falsely prosecuted and crucified Christ. The followers of Jesus denied Him and ran away from Him. The church looked like a complete failure. But all this changed when the Holy Spirit came upon them. During Pentecost, a great transformation took place.
The followers of Jesus went from being fearful of their enemies to becoming faithful champions of the gospel. They traveled from place to place, turning the world upside down. Thousands gave their lives to Christ. The church grew to thousands in a short period. During the New Testament era, the church grew faster than any other time in history — percentage-wise. Just as God brought life to the dry bones of Ezekiel’s vision, by breathing on them (Ezek. 37), so He revived the church by sending them the Holy Spirit.
Jesus taught His disciples that the Holy Spirit’s infilling and empowerment come through prayer and waiting on God. In Luke 11:5–13, Jesus told them that God was eager to give them the Holy Spirit but that they had to ask and make it the ultimate priority in their lives. In Acts 1:4–8, He instructed them to wait upon the Holy Spirit.
The disciples understood this to mean that they must pray for the Holy Spirit because they immediately banded together and prayed in one accord for 10 days (Acts 1:13–14; 2:2). In answer to their earnest prayers, the Holy Spirit’s power was sent to them as they were gathered in asking for the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2–4, 37–47). God sent the Holy Spirit to them and filled them with power and the ability to evangelize and turn the world “upside down" (Acts 17:6).
The power of prayer continues to be one of the most important lessons we can learn today. Scripture is full of stories of God manifesting His power to do great things when people pray.
- Abraham prayed and God delivered Lot from fiery destruction (Gen. 19:12–38).
- Joshua prayed and God made the sun and moon stand still in the sky (Joshua 10:12–14).
- Daniel prayed and God shut the mouth of the lions (Dan. 6:18–23).
- Esther prayed and God delivered His people from annihilation (Esther 4).
These stories show us that God’s power is released through prayer. The early church understood that their effectiveness was in proportion to the time they spent in prayer. They didn’t just pray in the upper room for 10 days for the Holy Spirit. They continued doing so. Acts 2–6 records that the disciples “devoted” themselves to prayer. We see the clear results of their devotion to prayer. They received spiritual power to witness for the Lord, with “great power" (Acts 4:33).
The Importance of a Connection With Christ
Our power and spiritual vitality come only from our connection with Jesus and our dependence on Him. Jesus said, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me — and I in him — bears much fruit, because apart from Me you can accomplish nothing" (John 15:4–5).
Ellen White, in commenting on this verse, wrote, “The first lesson to be taught the workers in our institutions is the lesson of dependence upon God. Before they can attain success in any line, they must, each for himself, accept the truth contained in the words of Christ: ‘Without Me ye can do nothing.'"7
White also made it clear that we have no power on our own. She continued, “As a flower of the field has its root in the soil; as it must receive air, dew, showers and sunshine, so must we receive from God that which ministers to the life of the soul. It is only through becoming partakers of His nature that we receive power to obey His commandments. No man, high or low, experienced or inexperienced, can steadily maintain before his fellowmen a pure, forceful life unless his life is hid with Christ in God. The greater the activity among men, the closer should be the communion of the heart with God."
Each one of us must be fully connected to Christ, through prayer, scripture reading and worship. If the church is to ever have the power to turn the world upside down, it must receive it from the Holy Spirit.
Changing the church from apathy to a house of prayer is nothing short of a revolution. It requires a complete and marked change in the way we do things. We must give prayer its primary place in our individual lives, our families and our church communities.
House of Prayer
Jesus envisioned the church to be a “house of prayer" (Isa. 56:7; Matt. 21:13). Houses of prayer are communities where prayer is central to everything that is done. Becoming a community of prayer involves more than just praying together now and then. It involves more than just a few people praying. A house of prayer is a place where there is real sustained corporate devotion to prayer.
What would happen if we recaptured Jesus’ original vision of a praying church? Undoubtedly, the church would once again “turn the world upside down” through the Holy Spirit’s power.
I, Joseph Kidder, can attest to the power of God released through prayer to bring growth to the church. I was speaking to a group of pastors when a lady requested to tell her testimony of how prayer changed her and one of the churches that she and her husband pastored. She heard me talk about how one of the churches I pastored grew from 40 to 600 members through prayer four years earlier. She left the meeting wanting the same thing to happen to her church. So, she decided that she would begin seeking God in prayer.
She had a ministry of going to the church weekly to clean on Thursdays. She left early in the morning and would come back a few hours later. On the first day after the pastors' meeting, everything was different. After cleaning, she stayed at the church and went from pew to pew praying for the members of the church. She pled for them individually and for their families. Hour after hour went by. She lost track of time. When she arrived home, it was around 5 p.m.
Her neighbor, who was a Baptist woman, noticed that she had stayed at the church much longer than normal. She was surprised by this and asked her what she had been doing. The Adventist lady explained that she had stayed at the church to pray for the members. The neighbor was impressed and asked if she could join her in praying, on condition that they would include praying for her son during their prayer time. On the following Thursday, they went to the church together to pray.
They continued doing this for several months. Then one day, the Baptist lady’s son confided in his mom that he and his wife were getting divorced. This was a great discouragement. They had been praying for him and the result was her son getting a divorce. She decided to go and visit her son and daughter-in-law to talk them out of their decision. She had a heart-to-heart conversation with her son. She pled with him to give their marriage another chance. She encouraged them to get counseling.
The Adventist woman and her neighbor continued praying for the members and their children. One day, the son called his mom. He told her they had changed their minds; they were not getting a divorce. The counselor helped put their marriage back together and restored their first love for each other and for Jesus. They started going to church and even having family worship. They had never been so happy together. God had changed their hearts.
The Adventist lady was so amazed at what God had done that she shared this story with her church the following Sabbath. The church members were deeply touched by the testimony, and they too wanted to be part of the prayer time to lift up their children to the Lord. So, the women of the church joined together in prayer. Soon there was a group of women gathering to pray regularly. As they continued praying, God began to work miracles and the church started to grow. Several years later, the church was filled with standing room only.
Revolution in the Church
What would happen if our churches became houses of prayer? A revolution would take place. The world would be turned upside down. Nothing would be impossible. People would be converted. Churches would grow. Transforming our personal lives and our churches into houses of prayer should be our highest priority.
Here are some ideas on how to make this revolution happen:
Make prayer the central activity of your home: Pray by yourself. Pray with your spouse. Pray for and with your children. Pray for your neighbors, coworkers and friends. Pray for those who know Jesus and those who do not. Find like-minded people in the church who understand the importance of prayer and pray with them.
Work to make prayer the central activity of the church: Pray before Sabbath School, during Sabbath School and church, and after church. Create as many opportunities for prayer as possible — during committee meetings, small group meetings and social events. Encourage prayer partners and prayer walking.
That is how the church becomes a “house of prayer.” Let’s make this happen! It starts with you and me. It takes only one person to start this spiritual revolution.
Share your prayer stories from 2025: As you nurture your church and/or home as a house of prayer, keep track of the stories associated with answers to prayer. How has prayer impacted your life, your family or your church community? Your experiences can inspire others and strengthen our collective commitment to prayer.
Email talk@nwadventists.com with your stories about what God is doing in your life, your home, your school, your church or your community. Let’s encourage one another as we seek to ignite this spiritual revolution together!
Sources
- “Renewal and Post-Christendom,” Center for Church Renewal, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, churchrenew.org/renewal-and-post-christendom/.
- “5 Facts About Religion in Canada,” Pew Research Center, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/07/01/5-facts-about-religion-in-canada/.
- “In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace,” Pew Research Center, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.
- “North American Division (1913–Present),” Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldAbr=NAD.
- “General Conference (1091–Present),” Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldInstID=5749
- “Report: 26 Million Americans Stopped Reading the Bible Regularly During COVID-19,” Christianity Today, accessed Oct. 31, 2024, christianitytoday.com/2022/04/state-of-bible-reading-decline-report-26-million/.
- Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7 (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1902), 194.
