A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World

by Paul E. Miller

Paul Miller, Bestselling Author of A Praying Life, on the Transforming Power of Praying Together

In our current culture, the church and prayer are often dismissed as irrelevant. But when believers gather and pray together, powerful things the Spirit equips the saints for ministry, the helpless are met with help, and believers experience the joy of being led by the Spirit of Jesus. In this ebook, Paul E. Miller, bestselling author of A Praying Life, casts a vision for a return to the simple yet life-changing practice of praying together.

Through personal stories and biblical examples, Miller teaches the why, what, and how of praying together. Readers will learn how praying with other Christians can transform their communities into beacons of hope and be given practical strategies—such as finding a prayer partner and prioritizing a structured prayer time—to implement these changes in their own church. 

Ideal for Group  Small groups, Sunday school classes, and others will find helpful strategies to think through and discuss Engaging and  Features real life stories, word pictures, and charts to help readers understand the content  “A Word to Pastors”: Miller closes several chapters with thoughtful reflections specifically for church leaders Foreword by Dane C.  Author of the bestselling book, Gentle and Lowly, who praises A Praying Church, calling it “winsome and compelling”

Genres: Prayer, Christian Living, Church, Nonfiction, Christian, Theology, Leadership

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

Reviews

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask any Christian if they are satisfied with their prayer life. Ask any pastor if he is satisfied with the emphasis on prayer in the church he pastors. Most responses will be dis- couraging. Hence the need for Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Church.

Miller builds on his earlier work, A Praying Life by urging pastors and their congregants to commit to a rigorous practice of prayer. The author begins by making the case for praying together. He proceeds to explain the functions of a New Testament church and reveals how the Spirit of God reshapes a praying community. Finally, Miller gives practical suggestions for cultivating a church that is saturated by prayer.

At one point, the author commends the popular video series, The Chosen, a move that does not fit with the general tenor of the book. The lack of discernment is concerning but does not distract from the major arguments in the book.

In the end, Miller succeeds in motivating Christians to return to a passionate pursuit of prayer. He writes, “We don’t learn the Spirit abstractly, separate from the person of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus loves hidden places where he isn’t turned into a show. He loves to work in broken people, people who realize that they can’t do life on their own.”

May churches gather in prayer, in the power of the Spirit, so that our great God will be known and cherished around the world.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner of the 2023 TGC Book Award for Church Ministry

It’s no secret that Christians struggle to pray. But churches are increasingly prayerless as well. Discouragement, distraction, and ministry demands all push prayer out of its proper place in our worship, leadership, and fellowship. Miller’s magnificent book stands as a compelling wake-up call. Addressing church leaders in a post-Christian culture filled with discouragement, cynicism, and unbelief, Miller challenges self-sufficiency and rallies leaders to their knees. He pleads with pastors and congregations to “go low, to descend into the hidden room of prayer, to slow down [their] entire ministry and learn how to pray together.”

A Praying Church begins with a gospel grounding for prayer—a theology of the church and the Spirit that clearly shows its readers why corporate prayer is essential. It closes with an abundantly practical section that will help ministry leaders structure both their personal prayer lives and the corporate prayer lives of their churches. Miller’s book will help congregations make prayer the nuclear core of all they do. It will inspire them to more fully depend on the Savior’s presence, not because of crushing guilt but out of grace-fueled desire.

[Joel Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended this book to help me answer some questions on corporate prayer. This book provided much more than that, it helped me see the power of praying church, what a church that prays looks like when the individuals and their small circles all pray continually.

To be honest it made me think that we need to re look at how we do group prayer. The intimacy of prayer just doesn't end itself to huge prayer circles in my mind and I feel this book reinforced that.

A great book if you're struggling with prayer or looking to refresh how and when you pray.

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Super helpful and a great reminder of the importance of prayer, especially prayer in community.

Paul Miller has a way with charts and diagrams to help the reader better understand the concepts he is explaining. Through all of these he remains thoroughly Biblical and has a healthy view of the Spirit of God that is neither overemphasized nor understated.

[Emma Grace Blumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takeaways:

-The aim isn’t to be “better” at praying but to love Jesus more, and talk to Him about everything all the time.

-Pray for people’s spiritual needs, not just their physical ones

Didn’t always agree with some of his vocabulary choices (magic, enchantment- even with caveats a lil’ strange ) yet so appreciate the Spirit’s work in and thru Paul Miller!

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a tremendous encouragement and was convicting at a number of points. I’d highly encourage picking this up if you want to lead your church or ministry to pray.

[Kevin Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Paul E. Miller is back with a follow up to his excellent book A Praying Life.

Like A Praying Life, A Praying Church is profoundly encouraging and practically helpful. Perhaps what encourages me more than anything is Miller’s vulnerability and honesty about his own prayer life. Yes, he has some triumphant stories we can praise God for. But he also has failures that any honest person can relate to.

The depth of Miller’s faith (and his father, Jack Miller’s faith) challenged me to grow. Miller puts his faith to work by investing time and energy in prayer as an individual and with groups. He dedicates a good chunk of his life to seeking God and inspires readers to do the same.

A FAVORITE STORY
My favorite story is when his adult special-needs daughter would pace in the hallway of their home early in the mornings. For years (perhaps 20 years!), Miller would just yell from his bed for her to go back to bed. Then one day he decided he would pray with her and seek God's help to calm her down. That began a fruitful season of seeking God together with his daughter, and strengthening her prayer life in the process. The experience was also instrumental in writing a widely-used special needs curriculum.

I CO-SIGN THIS BLURB
I love what Dane Ortlund wrote in the foreword: "A Praying Church is not a book telling us to scurry faster on our hamster wheel of prayer. It is an invitation to step off of that hamster wheel by looking to the Spirit of Jesus and letting him lead us forward as we commune with him. Wonderfully simple, widely neglected, deeply liberating…For it is not, finally, a book about prayer. It is a book about God, and how we move through life as a church as if he is actually there."

I wouldn't call A Praying Church a "must read" (I don't give many books that honor), but I would say we all need continual encouragement in prayer, and this is another great book to add to your to-read pile for that purpose.

(NOTE: I rate this 4.5 stars and ding it for being a little too long at just under 260 pages.)

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Praying together is not a luxury, nor is it something just for "spiritual" Christians; it's the very breath of the church.' (p. 7)

Some thoughts:
- The latest selection for my church's book club (which, happily, is a thing now!). I may or may not have finished way ahead of schedule, but I'm looking forward to mulling over this a bit more and continuing to discuss with others. This is quite a practical book, and it's been a great encouragement hearing other people's reflections and collectively making practical efforts to try out some of the things we've been reading about.
- The content is good, but I found the writing style a bit hard to get used to. It's more colloquial and less academic than some of the Christian books I usually gravitate towards, and many of the analogies completely missed me. I sometimes found it hard to parse whether the author was making a theological statement, or just giving an illustration. Words like "power," "resurrection," "grace," and some descriptions of the person and work of the Holy Spirit are used a little more loosely than I'm usually comfortable with. But that's a minor quibble. I also admit that I wasn't in a super enthusiastic headspace the entire time I was reading.
- Overall, this was thought provoking and plenty practical. I appreciate how Paul Miller includes many examples, including from parachurch ministries and his personal life. It was great to be reminded of what should ultimately take priority in Christian communities (not managerialism or preaching or planning, but prayerful dependence on God).

[Jeff Noble · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me qualify this review.

I absolutely loved A Praying Life by Miller. I have and will continue to recommend it.

I bought this book with excitement, eager to read what Miller had to say about praying together. I found myself underlining already in Dane Ortlund's introduction of the book as he quoted from Miller's book:


• What I pray over lasts, and what I don't pray over doesn't last.
• I've seen what happens when the Spirit of Jesus inhabits a com-munity— everything starts to sparkle.
• Paul never mentions "the gift of prayer." Why? Because there is no gift of breathing.


As I dove into the book, interestingly, I found all three of those quotes... in the first three chapters. It made me wonder if Ortlund had read any further?

I got to chapter five before I put the book down, disturbed, not quite being able to pinpoint why. Who am I to criticize Paul Miller? He's a prayer guru (although at the end of chapter one, he says, "I'm not a spiritual guru; I'm a discipler.")

I was particularly curious/unsettled in chapter three "The Missing Spirit of Jesus" as Miller seems to conflate the Holy Spirit and Jesus. His wording here leans dangerously close to suggesting that Jesus became the Holy Spirit.

"The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became the life-giving Spiri" (1 Cor. 15:45). What does Paul mean that Jesus became life-giving Spirit? The Spirit unites with Jesus so intimately that, without losing their separate identities, Jesus and the Spirit become functionally one.

Most translations obscure how radical Paul's description of Jesus's resurrection is. Here's a typical translation: "The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." That doesn't say much. Jesus was already a life-giving spirit. But to say that Jesus became life-giving Spirit means that Jesus was so transformed by the Spirit that his body had become a Spiritual body... Jesus and the Spirit are so united that Paul easily interchanges "Spirit" and "Lord" or joins them in a single phrase, "the Spirit of the Lord."

I stopped reading and started skimming after chapter 6. There's a lot in the book to digest, and I'm sure there's some helpful thoughts. I was honestly convicted about the need to model and invite and inspire prayer in my church - but not from Miller's content. It was more from his overall point. Yes, the American church needs to become more spiritual, driven by our intimacy with Jesus rather than our vision statements and plans.

However, Miller's tone seemed critical of the church at many points. He leads a parachurch ministry. It's easy to snipe at the church and paint broad strokes at perceived prayerlessness. So my skimming lead me to simply search for reviews of the book.

I found these to be helpful and charitable, while simultaneously identifying some of the things I was sensing:

Book Review: A Praying Church, by Paul E. Miller by Gary Millar (9Marks: June 2, 2023)

This is an important, engaging, and timely book. I hope many pastors read it, and I hope they read it critically. Unfortunately, if you expect a clear and robust explanation of the nature of the church and why we must pray, then you may be disappointed. The lack of a clear ecclesiology is evident at several key points. In the same way, if you go looking for careful exegesis of key biblical passages, you will not find many. Often, biblical texts are alluded to, or appealed to for support; they are rarely explained or wrestled with.

A Review of “A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World”, by Harrison Perkins (RefCast: January 2023)

Primarily, Miller wrote a book about the church at prayer but is decidedly non-churchly in his outlook. His stories about his father’s pastoral work are clearly set in the context of the work of the local church. Even those stories, however, seem to be more nostalgic about dear old dad than driven by providing wisdom for prayer in the church. In this respect, they themselves have a syrupy feel that Miller himself says is not helpful.

Further, Miller’s primary focus is rarely the church as he writes in the context of a parachurch organization. Often he snubs his nose at churches that he finds to be too minded for the elite and not attentive enough to ordinary people.

In light of all the five-star reviews of this book, I encourage you to read those and be encouraged. Many, many people are finding strong encouragement from A Praying Church. I simply did not. However, I will most assuredly be thinking, praying, and seeking to inspire and invite others in my church more consistently into dependent prayer. I just won't be finishing this book to do it.

[Shannon McQueeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Some repetitive content, but really encouraged and convicted me to pray more.

[Joshua Schwisow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many extremely helpful insights on corporate prayer, and how to cultivate a praying community. At points I think Miller may over-correct for certain things (the frequent contrast of preaching and prayer). But overall it is an excellent book.

[Glenn Landstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many compelling and convicting points about the desperate need for churches to become "praying communities." Definitely challenged my thinking on prayer in the context of the local church. However, his elaborate word pictures, tendency to derive key points from anecdotes, and *especially* his loose hermeneutics when looking at texts from Scripture were hard to stomach (particularly his descriptions of the persons of the Trinity).

[Joe Koehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book on a great subject!

Important read!
The first few chapters were 5 stars - compelling and convicting! After that, the order of the book was hard for me to track, but the the stories, tools and ideas were still great and worth reading! Either way, a serious reading of this book will start to stir up the waters and bring you to your knees in prayer, watching for what God may do in your faith communities.

Here's lots of favorite quotes/points made in the book:
- Tithing of one's time to give to prayer was incredibly reasonable...and really convicting.
- "Who killed the prayer meeting? I killed the praying meeting by talking too much!"
- Church's power train: Prayer to the father --> Spirit --> Makes Jesus present --> Power.
- "Paul never mentions the gift of prayer. Why? Because there is no gift of breathing!"
- "Resign [pastor] from being the third person of the Trinity"
- "Saints who are in motion energize praying together"
- Prayer is the church's lifeblook because it's the conduit to teh Spirit continually renewing in us Jesus's ressurection life...Prayer merely access the Spirit, who makes Jesus present."
- Define ministry as: Saints in motion on the cutting edge of the Kingdom (so seek out their stories).
- The idea of prevailing winds as having SOME understanding of how the HS works, like how he tends to surprise us in the way he answers, etc.
- The J-Curve idea in praying was awesome. Death comes before resurrection. "Prayer is itself a type of dying...and inviting his 'disruptive' reign in our lives."
- "As a leader of a Jesus community ,I'm potentially his biggest competitor. But if I realize, like Jesus, that I can't even do prayer meetings on my own, that encourages me, by the Spirit, to put to death my tendency to overtalk."
- Pray big - God is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or even think!
- "Cold stops" to talking in a prayer meeting as an idea.
- Be on a "Resurrection hunt" in prayer meetings and help people see God's work! Teach that skill to the saints!
- "Being in constant prayer makes us God-aware"
- (to spouses) "praying together is so fragile, the only way you can pull it off is to reduce your will to zero, which includes not checking your phone while your spouse is praying!"
- "Repeated confession breaks the power of shame by shifting the focus of shame from self-loathing to sin loathing. Confession transforms shame into guilt, which is easily destroyed by the blood of Jesus!"

[fer_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I grow older, I find myself wanting a closer, deeper, and more intimate relationship with God and a connection with the community of church. I grew up going to church many Sundays, but not really praying much (really, I only remember praying during Christmas and Easter). I always felt awkward and inexperienced when I did/try to participate in prayer. So, as I got older and decided to attend church more regularly and be an active member of the church, everything felt new and foreign to me. Prayer (and corporate prayer) is definitely still something I can work on. And, “A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World” showed me that it’s really not that hard to do, although it is work that takes time and dedication. It was also encouraging to see that I’m not the only Christian who struggles with this. I’m glad I read this book. I take with me ways to better my praying, my fasting, my relationship with others, and, especially, to strengthen my relationship with God. 🙏🏼

4 ⭐️

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was particularly excited to read _A Praying Church_ after reading _A Praying Life_, also by Paul E. Miller, at my church's recommendation.

I should have known I'd be good and convicted! :)

Miller pulls no punches (nor should he) in convicting the reader (and hopefully, by extension, the church) of the power of and utter need for corporate prayer within the church. It's a sadly lacking practice in many American churches.

While the "power train" metaphor felt a little forced/cheesy at times, the message remains solid, powerful, and necessary. I plan to revisit the book post release, as it includes a number of tables/figures that unfortunately didn't translate well in the eARC iteration I read.

A solid follow-up to _A Praying Life_, though one does not need to read them "in order."

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preaching (or writing) about prayer is a difficult venture. On the one hand, every Christian knows they need to pray better and more, and any help they can get towards that end is helpful. On the other hand, it is far too easy to use guilt and trite phrases to try to twist the arm into prayerfulness. Miller threads that needle very effectively in this work.

The spiciest (and heartily affirmed) take in the book is that the megachurch approach to corporate worship "isn’t just weak in prayer; its current way of functioning makes it prayer resistant” (47). I think Miller is helpful to call us to overturn some tables in an effort to reclaim prayer. Miller also helpful reminds us that "dependence, not discipline, drives [our] prayer life” (124), as it drove Jesus's.

My only criticism of the book is that I think he writes from a bit of a reformed bubble where he tries to punch equally toward charismatics who elevate prayer above the word and the reformed who elevate the word above prayer. While that characterization might work in broad strokes, I don't think it is very helpful for charting a way forward.

[Melody Bringe · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Many Christians expect that good praying should have a spiritual "high" to it, a sense that you've connected with God. But the actual experience of prayer can be tedious. The combination of expecting great feelings and encountering boredom is dislocating. It's one of the reasons we distance ourselves from praying together…The act of praying itself is a kind of dying, where you give up your self-will to "make things happen" and go to God with a collective "Help us."”

“Prayerless planning is incredibly ineffective. It reverses the J-curve: it begins with life and ends in death.”

"’We prayerfully and actively wait on the Spirit to bring resurrection in the deaths God permits.’ Waiting in prayer for the Spirit is the most important thing we do.”

"The kingdom is low, slow, and hidden. Be patient."

“The only way you can sustain love, especially in close relationships, with all the complexities of your sin and the other person's, is to saturate your relationship in prayer. Constant love requires constant prayer.”

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read in awhile. I loved how Miller wrote about the power of the Spirit, identifying death and resurrection in our lives, and remembering that we are saints, living members of Christ’s body here to do his work on earth.

Honestly there is so much I have learned, been convicted about, and am still mulling over. I hope to grow in prayer, especially corporately, and plan on getting others in my circle to read it so that we can discuss it and grow in prayer together.

[Aaron Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Paul Miller writes on prayer, it's wise to pay attention! As in the previous book - A Praying Life - I thought that some of his helps were overly complicated and programmatic. In other words, it would be difficult to implement and communicate to others. I don't think prayer should feel like a recipe. But, that said, he is to be commended for offering specific, practical application rather than just talking about prayer, leaving us with generic principles and a general feeling of guilt for not praying well enough. That he does NOT do. He leaves this reader with an eagerness to pray!

[Jared Mcnabb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars.

Best parts of this book is connecting Richard Gaffin’s theology of Inaugurated eschatology and the work of the Spirit, and applying it to the church in prayer. A lot of good stuff.

That said there was a lot of goofy illustrations and analogies. They don’t detract from the meat of the book, but they do distract the reader.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very convicting, as all prayer books are. There is some very practical advice and some really good chapters. There are a few sections I did not agree with or found to be a bit too simple, but overall I was blessed by this as were the elders I read it with. It at the very least stirred up good conversations among us about prayer in our church. And that was incredibly valuable.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a challenging and helpful book. The drivetrain metaphor seemed odd and forced at times and there were times when the application sections felt burdensome and overly specific, but on the whole, this is a helpful and needed work,

ARC provided

[Adam Kareus · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encouraging and challenging work aimed at getting the church to pray.
This has been on my mind for a few years and so this books have me encouragement as well as steps to take to help get my church praying.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook.
Very much in the same vein as his other writing, but applied to the church. This would be excellent for pastors, elders, those involved in discipling. Especially loved the chapter “A Band of Brothers.”

Miller always has an emphasis on straightforward, honest, vulnerable communication with God. I think his personality and spirit is what I most love about his writing, I just want to absorb that childlike approach to prayer.

[Cody Zedaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never thought I'd read a book on corporate prayer but I am really glad I did

[Andrew Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on the power of prayer and how to incorporate it into the life of a church. Miller uses engaging stories throughout this book to illustrate what his points look like in practice.

[Josh Mccracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read! This is a book the church needs to read

[Levi Dykstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled me with conviction, inspiration, desperation.
God help me.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4.0

[Michael Philliber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read. Good encouragement and reminders. A few small parts not as helpful. Overall, worth my time, and yours.