A FRAMEWORK FOR 24/7 DAVIDIC INTERCESSORY WORSHIP

Today

A Quick Survey

• Church in the West (North America, Western Europe) is weak

• In a 2004 English study, John Preston found that clergy spent 7 minutes a day in prayer – on average

• When expanding the study to include parishioners, it dropped to 4 minutes per day

• Personal habits become corporate habits!

Survey - continued

• Pew Forum (2009) reports that 78% of evangelical protestants in America pray daily as compared to 58% for the general population”

• The Pew Forum looked at prayer frequency across ethnic groups

• 76% African American• 80% Hispanic

Prayer in Theory

E.M. Bounds wrote, “No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack”

Barna noted in a 2004 survey, “Less than half of the public is strongly convinced of the position they hold on most of the core spiritual perspectives we evaluate” - we have weak convictions

Resource SpendAssumption: We spend our resources – “time,

treasure and talent” on what we consider to be our highest priorities

In 2005, George Barna looked at church priorities as reflected in their stated policies

• Only 1 in 25 churches declared “prayer” as a top priority

Roman Catholics

“Our communities must become genuine ‘schools' of prayer where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly 'falls in love’”

John Paul II

US Roman Catholics

In 2009, a survey was conducted across the archdioceses in the US. The Diocesan Appeal Campaigns from 32 Archdioceses reflecting 1,972 ministries, offices, services and organization was reviewed.

There was not one single prayer-related ministry that was financially supported through this agency!

Not Growing

In 2004, Barna noted “The survey discovered that evangelical Christians constitute just 7% of the adult population, which is statistically equivalent to the 6% measured in 1995”

• Those who believe the Bible and have a high view of the scriptures are not growing in the West

Failing

Drew Dyck wrote, “According to Rainer Research, approximately 70 percent of American youth drop out of church between the age of 18 and 22.

The Barna Group estimates that 80 percent of those reared in the church will be "disengaged" by the time they are 29

Solution

Drew Dyck in his article, “The Leavers: Young Doubters Exit the Church” declared, “The answer, of course, lies in more than offering another program. Nor should we overestimate the efficacy of slicker services or edgy outreach. Only with prayer and thoughtful engagement will at least some of the current exodus be stemmed”

Summary – broad strokes

• The Western church believes in prayer• But we do not spend our “time, treasure, and

talents” to pursue it• Our youth are dropping out or will do so soon• Prayer could help stem the tide, but it is

largely absent– The average church goer spends 4 minutes out of

an available 1440 minutes in prayer each day!

Reality Check

Whatever action we take will have little relevance

• If we don’t know where we are going• If we don’t look at where we are today• If we don’t look at God’s original design

It is time to take a fresh look at scriptures