done digitally , and people are already doing these things both digitally and in person . So then the question arises : how can I leverage digital means to live into the Bible ’ s “ one another ” statements ?
Why digital prayer ? Because it helps church leaders connect with the needs of their congregations .
Growing churches do two things declining churches don ’ t : Know their people and then match them to the next steps for growth . I work with Gloo , helping churches reach people in their city .
One church we partnered with digitally mapped over 3,000 prayer requests from their congregation and found that the two biggest prayer requests were “ marriage ” and “ relationships .” There were seasonal ones , too . In February , when the bills from Christmas came due , the biggest prayer request was “ finances .”
Understanding overall prayer need trends was a great first step , however the pastors were unaware of the real-time needs of the people . They were preaching on unrelated sermon topics that weren ’ t as relevant to the needs of their people . But analyzing digital prayer requests submitted via texting to know their congregation ’ s needs allowed the pastors to adjust their message content in a more agile way .
Of course , digital prayer doesn ’ t replace face-to face-connection . What we ’ re trying in this liminal time is learning how to leverage digital prayer to help reinforce and strengthen connections . It may not be what you ’ re used to or it may mean letting go of the old ways . But remember that methods and practices of prayer are just that : methods and practices , not sacred relics .
Jesus says , “ we have not because we ask not .” God has so much more in store for us during this season of liminality , but we need to pray and be open to new ways of doing ministry , and any tool to help people increase their connection with God and each other is a nobrainer .
Eric Swanson is a ministry innovation specialist at Gloo and has personally worked with more than 250 North American churches the past 20 years . Gloo is the leading creator of innovative technology whose platform releases the collective might of the faith ecosystem . 52