Early in 2025 we received the results from a survey conducted to get a real-life picture of the “state of prayer” among active pastors, and how the ministries of Strategic Renewal and The 6:4 Fellowship are affecting that “state.” The survey revealed a large decline in the use of, and confidence in, prayer among American pastors – both in their personal life and in the life of their congregations. However, it also found that an overwhelming majority of those who have taken The Praying Leader coaching feel equipped and confident in leading prayer gatherings, have an active personal prayer life, and gather their congregations in corporate prayer meetings at least once a quarter.
We are pleased to share these findings with you, and invite you to pray for the Church and for those who lead the Church across America, though this reality is likely to be true in other countries as well.
Would you help us spread the word? At the bottom of this page you’ll find a downloadable PDF of this report. Please, feel free to share it with anyone who has a heart for the Church. You can also see, here, a snippet of a press release that has been distributed to hundreds of media outlets. This is a good word, even if it makes us feel uneasy about the way things are now. This information gives us a clear path on what to do about it.
View PRESS RELEASE
View the report here. Navigate the pages using the arrows at the bottom of the graphic.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Strategic Renewal, a non-profit ministry dedicated to prayer-powered church renewal, today announced that 93% of pastors completing its Praying Leader Coaching program report feeling empowered and equipped in their own prayer life and in leading their congregations to pray, addressing a critical gap revealed by new survey data.
The survey findings highlight a troubling disconnect: while 64% of pastors express heart-level conviction about gathering their people to pray, two out of three pastors (67%) describe prayer as “not important” to the core of their ministry. This gap represents a significant departure from the biblical model of church leadership.
“When you change the way a person prays, you change the way they live and do ministry,” said Daniel Henderson, Global Director of The 6:4 Fellowship and Founder of Strategic Renewal.
For twenty-five years, Strategic Renewal has operated from the conviction that pastoral burnout and moral failure come from misplaced priorities in living out the mission to which God has called them. Acts 6:4 cites a church leader’s primary responsibilities as devoting themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the Word,” yet many churches seem to have relegated prayer to moments of transition or simply to-do lists for God.
The Praying Leader Coaching program teaches pastors to implement Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayer that is beginning to change the landscape of the Western church. Through the coaching cohorts, pastors learn to use the pattern of The Lord’s Prayer as a filter to powerfully pray any passage of scripture back to God through worship-based prayer.
Key outcomes from program participants include:
The ministries of Strategic Renewal have taught thousands of people to seek God’s face through this distinctive approach to prayer, providing a sustainable path forward for churches seeking spiritual renewal.
The program addresses the disconnect between pastors’ convictions about prayer and their actual ministry practice. Those who have engaged in this discipleship on prayer report significant shifts in both personal spiritual vitality and congregational engagement.
The Praying Leader Coaching provides pastors with:
Pastors interested in transforming their prayer life and equipping their congregations to pray are invited to explore The Praying Leader Coaching program. To learn more about upcoming cohorts, program details, and how this coaching can help develop a culture of prayer in your church, visit: prayingleader.com or contact Heather Rea at heather@strategicrenewal.com.
Strategic Renewal is a non-profit ministry that has equipped thousands of churches over twenty-five years to experience spiritual renewal through prayer. The organization provides coaching, resources, and training to help churches develop sustainable cultures of Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayer. Through its programs, Strategic Renewal is helping shift the trend of prayer’s declining priority in Western churches.
Heather Rea
Strategic Renewal
434-209-2259
heather@strategicrenewal.com
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