How To Pray For Church Growth

Church growth is something that every Christian should desire, not just the pastors, ministers, or missionaries. We want more people to be added to the church, not just for numbers or an increase of the church population, but because more people added to the church means more people getting to know Jesus. In the book of Acts, we see several instances where someone preaches the Gospel to a large group, and then many people get saved and are added into the church. While this does not mean that the church’s growth should always happen in big chunks, it tells us that we all have the mandate to preach the Gospel to the lost. Those who repent and commit to following Christ get added to the church. If a church still has the same group of people for many years, the believers are not preaching the Gospel or reaching out to the lost. Also, a church that is growing will encounter growth pains. However, this is a good thing because it means that people are being reached out to and that Christians are being faithful to the mandate given to them by Christ.

What does the Bible say about church growth?

Church growth results from Christians obeying the mandate of preaching the Gospel and God working in the hearts of those people to whom the Gospel is being preached. It is important to note that when Christians preach the Gospel to people, and those people repent, believe the Gospel, and get added to the church, it is not the work of Christians, but the work of God. In Acts 2:47, we see that the early church was filled with faithful Christians. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings, fellowship, breaking of the bread, and prayer. The early believers obeyed everything that God commanded, and God added to their numbers. It is God who adds people to a church, not the Christians themselves. A Christian may be good at sharing the Gospel as a very eloquent speaker, but the credit is not to the Christian, but to God, because it is all His work. 

Acts 2:41

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:47

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

That greatly complements what the Bible says, that salvation is by grace alone. It is God’s work, and it comes from God alone. A person will never repent and believe in the person and work of Christ unless the Holy Spirit turns a person’s heart of stone to a heart of flesh and opens their spiritually blinded eyes. That is why, if a person repents and believes the Gospel, it is because God’s grace is working on the person’s heart. Therefore, whenever people get saved and are added to the church, it results from God’s work in their lives.

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ephesians 2:1-9

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

What is the key to church growth?

Just because God is the One at work in people’s hearts and the One who adds people to church does not mean that Christians should not preach the Gospel. God doesn’t just automatically add people to a church. While in some cases He can, we Christians have the mandate to make disciples of every nation. Christ left us with the Great Commission, namely that we are to be the salt and light to the world and preach the Gospel to the lost. That is the key to church growth. If we want more people to be added to the church, we must preach the Gospel. Then, God will work in the hearts of those to whom we preach the Gospel and add them to the church. In Romans 10:14-15, the apostle Paul tells us that how can the lost believe if they haven’t even heard the Gospel in the first place? And how can they hear about it unless someone preaches the Gospel to them? The preaching of the Gospel is what God has ordained for people to be saved, because only in the name of Jesus can someone find salvation. Therefore, the key to church growth is doing the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:16-20

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Romans 10:14-15

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

How do you pray for church growth?

Knowing that the key to church growth is obeying the Great Commission, you can pray for the believers in your church to be faithful to the mandate of preaching the Gospel to the lost. Pray that they shall be bold, brave, and unashamed when it comes to preaching the Gospel, knowing that salvation is open to anyone who believes. You can also pray for the believers to have opportunities or open doors to reach out to more people. It may mean having the opportunity to come to a school from time to time or hold events where Christians can preach the Gospel to the students. Working professionals may have the opportunity to conduct a Bible study where their boss encourages the employees to join. God brings such open doors to us. You can also pray for the people’s hearts to whom the believers in your church will preach the Gospel. Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts and open their spiritual eyes so that when they hear the Gospel, they will repent and believe in the person and work of Christ. If you want to pray for growth in your church, the critical thing to pray for is for the believers to preach the Gospel.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Colossians 4:3

Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

There are other things that you can also pray regarding church growth. When a church grows and more people are added to its numbers, it will experience some growing pains. These are good things. However, the church should handle them wisely. One example of a growth pain is that with so many new believers in the church, the majority of them cannot be ministered to by the pastor or church ministers. It is a good thing to have many new believers, but the growth pain is that there are so many that the church’s full-time staff cannot accommodate their needs. It is similar to Acts 6. The disciples increased in number, and the church neglected certain believers (the widows). Not that they intentionally neglected them because they didn’t matter, but because there were so many believers and the apostles could not attend to everyone. Seven men were appointed to that duty, so that the apostles could continue devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. If the apostles did everything alone, they would never be able to handle it all. That is something similar you can pray for your growing church. You can pray for more volunteer leaders to rise, to whom the church’s pastor and ministers can delegate the task, so that the church may accommodate everyone’s needs. The critical thing to pray for here is the church’s ability to address its own growing pains. Growth pains are not just limited to a lack of leaders. A church may also need to find a bigger place or add more services to accommodate the growing congregation.

Acts 6:1-7

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Church growth is not just about growth in terms of numbers. Growth can also be in terms of church leadership. You can pray for your church’s leadership team to grow as a source of leadership for the believers. You can also pray for the church to grow in its theology. No church has perfect theology, and sometimes pastors make mistakes. You can pray for growth in this area to grow deeper in a sound understanding of the Bible and have a strong theological foundation. You can also pray for the believers in terms of their growth as Christians, that they shall continue to pursue holiness and grow in Christlikeness every day. Growth is not just about the number of new believers being added, but the church’s abstract growth as a whole.

Here is an example of a prayer for church growth:

Heavenly Father, You are the One who gives grace and works in the people’s hearts. Give the believers in my church the grace to be bold, brave, and unashamed when it comes to preaching the Gospel. I pray that no matter what persecution they may face in preaching the Gospel, they shall persevere, continue to endure, and faithfully run the race that You have set before them. I pray for the people to whom they will preach the Gospel, that You will turn their hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and that their spiritual eyes will be opened so that they may see Your kingdom and repent from their life of sin. I pray for our pastor and ministers who are leading our church, that You would give them the wisdom they need to handle the growing pains that may come along the way as You add more believers to our church. May my church always be faithful towards You and obey the commandments You have given us. I also pray for the leaders and the believers in the church that they shall also grow in holiness, character and leadership, and continue to develop a sound understanding of theology. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Growth in the church involves faithfulness towards God. The pattern of how God adds people in the church is that God adds people when the church obeys God. You don’t have to worry whether your ministry efforts will cause lost people to be added or not. Just be faithful, and God will make your church grow. Any growth in your church as you perform ministry is not because of your hard work, but God’s endless wisdom and grace.