“As pastors, we are not apathetic about revival; we are just agitated with lesser things. I often say that the devil does not have to destroy a Christian leader; he only has to distract him.”

“When prayer goes viral, people are not excited about ‘it’ (prayer) but are infectious about ‘Him’ (Jesus).”

“I have concluded that the more we seek the Lord, with a passion for His worthiness, the more we are gripped with our neediness. Adoration cultivates desperation.”

“There is a difference between a church that prays and a praying church. One has prayer programs. The other develops a prayer culture.”

“The prayer level of a church never rises any higher than the personal example and passion of the leaders. The quantity and quality of prayer in leadership meetings is the essential indicator of the amount of prayer that will eventually arise among the congregation.”

“A prayer culture is fueled by experience, not explanation. A passion to seek the Lord in prayer is more caught than taught.”

“We must remember that there is a difference between seeking revival from God vs. seeking God for revival.”

“Building a prayer culture takes time. . . and relentless pressure over time. I often say that it is much more a crock pot than a microwave.”

“We do well to be reminded that the devil hates a praying leader and a praying church. When we begin to pray, we pick a fight with the devil at a whole new level. Yet, our calling is to be praying menaces to the enemy.”

“One subtle arena of attack is in the area of pride. Praying people can become prideful about their praying. Non-participants can become prideful in their resistance. The enemy seeks to divide and conquer every initiative of prayer.”

“In church life, prayer is not the only thing we do but must be the first thing we do. It can become the very environment of the ministry. It must be our first resolve, not our last resort, if our work is to be marked by the unmistakable power of the Holy Spirit. And this will take years, even decades. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.”

“Real prayer is not an excuse for laziness but, in fact, is one of the most arduous engagements I know of in ministry. Prayer is not a replacement for hard work but, in most cases, empowerment for even more fruitful work.”

“Leading in prayer is a life-long calling, not a short term fix or the theme of the month. We must embrace a mindset of leading for the long-haul.”

“Whatever captures the attention of pastors tends to drive the agenda of the church.”

“If prayer is really so clear in the Bible and was so vital to the power of the early church, should we not be more intentional in emphasizing it and provide more equipping toward that end? Should this not be a primary emphasis in our efforts to encourage one another in ministry? Should it not be a major emphasis and experience in all of our regional and national leadership conferences, over and above new strategies, programs, and formulas for ministry advancement? Yet, prayer is typically marginalized when the leaders gather to be inspired and trained. No wonder we return to our congregations with minimal passion for seeking God’s face.”

“A church will never become a house of prayer until the core leaders become a people of prayer. Returning to a biblical model, rather than a traditional or corporate framework, is a vital foundation.”

“God has appointed faith-driven prayer as the normal way for us to receive what we cannot achieve.”

“Our confidence in pursuing a deep understanding of the preached word is rooted in our certainty about the sufficiency of the scriptures.”

“If prayer is our opportunity to blow into God’s presence and inform Him on all He needs to do to structure the universe according to our specifications for a happy and comfortable life – then we should start the conversation. Instead, if prayer is about embracing His will, trusting His grace, and joining Him in His purposes, then we should let Him start the conversation. This requires open Bibles.”

“Many preachers pursue relevance by spending massive amounts of time reading the latest cultural tabloids and searching the internet for the cutting-edge trends. Of course, there is value in keeping up with the news and understanding the times. However, ultimate relevance comes from the Holy Spirit, who Alone knows the real cross-section between contemporary issues of the day with the deepest needs of the human heart. The Holy Spirit is the most relevant force in relating the Gospel to the needs and struggles of the human heart.”

“Vulnerability before God brings a security that makes vulnerability before people comfortable. A leader who seeks God’s face personally, and with his people, cannot help but desire authenticity. This honest, open, sincere relationship becomes a vital and comfortable part of the fabric of pulpit ministry. We cannot fake the Christian life behind the cloak of preaching.”

“Effective preaching must be understood as a supernatural work, not just an intellectual exercise. A resolute, visible dependence on the prayers of God’s people elevates the work of the Spirit for the glory of God.”

“The final accounting of our ministry will not be the ‘size’ of ministry we forged but the ‘sort’ of ministry we shaped. This final assessment will not be based merely on what we did, but why we did it, how we did it, and for whom.”

“In one of our one-day pastors’ events I was riveted by a statement by Cymbala: ‘Our great fear should not be that people leave our church but that they would stay in our church and remain unchanged.’”

“I believe when pastors return to the priority and sufficiency of ‘prayer and the ministry of the word’ as the supernatural essence of their ministry function, spiritual passion will naturally overflow in the dynamics of what happens in every facet of the church – especially the weekend worship experience. A new sense of the sufficiency of the Holy Spirit will shape the planning, the praying, the preaching, and the product of the gathering of God’s people.”

“When leaders pray openly and honestly with their people, in pursuit of the face of God, hearts are united with Spirit-imparted affection and understanding. Health overflows.”

“Hearts inform minds. Minds cast votes. Votes shape politics. Politics do not change the social landscape but rather reflect cultural realities. Only Jesus can transform hearts to reset the entire process.”

“Let’s pray for all people, including the government and the enemies of the cross that are becoming more aggressive in our society and the world. But, first, let us pray for us. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Transformation travels from the church into the world, not the other way around.”

“Worship-based prayer cultivates a deep repentance in His presence, a growing desperation for His power, and an unquenchable passion for His renown.”

“All human boasting is an enemy of revival, in whatever subtle form it appears.”

“We are beyond carved idols, but we have varieties of mechanisms in our promotional repertoire that compete with the glory of God. In our local churches, many components of our worship experiences come close to a modern carved idol. They are not chiseled with wood but technologically mind-blowing products sold in Silicon Valley, designed by Sony, manufactured by Microsoft, or promoted by way of high-tech projection. While none of these modern worship supplements are wrong, I doubt the Lord is going to bring revival in such a way that our gadgets get the glory.”

Old Paths, New Power also features special articles unique to the book from leaders like Erwin Lutzer, John MacArthur, John S. Dickerson, Francis Chan, John Piper, Alistair Begg, Jim Cymbala, and Kyle Martin. In addition, dozens of quotes from classic Christian authors highlight the content of the book.

Copyright © 2016 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.