我們思想復興這題目已經有近一個月的時間，今天我們會繼續討論是甚麼使教會須要復興。一般來說，今天的教會存在另一個導致它們迫切需要復興的問題，就是注重活動過於禱告。今天的教會，很明顯非常擅長如何舉行活動、如何從廣告得到最佳效果、如何為特定的目的做研究和制定目標、如何找出趨勢並根據這些趨勢做預測等事情。教會不大擅長的是教導信徒如何禱告──以充滿力量的禱告、祈求神讓世界知道祂偉大的同在。在此我需要重申，我所說的只是一般的情況，因為我知道有很多人的教會是例外的，包括一些讀到今天的信息的朋友。

我並非以責備的口吻來談及教會的這些問題。我們得明白，研究事情背後的原因是有益的，如：研究如何有效佈道，或是如何令教會增長等都是好的。這些研究無疑是對這一代教會的生命和發展都有極大的貢獻。

不過問題是，我們很容易滿足於研究和調查方面所取得的成功，這樣的滿足令我們裹足不前，對神不再有更深切的渴慕，也不再渴望看見神透過復興來顯現那崇高和超然的工作。我們正在處於屬靈悲劇的時代，我們的所作所為反而妨礙了神的工作；而只有禱告，才能使我們的眼目專注於神。

Another issue in today's Church which makes the need for revival urgent is the way in which the Church, generally speaking, has become more activity oriented than prayer oriented. There can be little doubt that today's Church has learned a good deal about how to organise events, how to get the best results from advertising, how to research and target specific objectives, how to identify trends and make predictions based on those trends...and so on. What it is not so good at is teaching people how to pray - to pray powerfully for God to make His mighty presence known in the world. I would point out again that I am speaking generally, for I know there will be many reading these lines who come from churches which are exceptions to what I am saying.

Now do not hear me speaking in condemning tones of the prowess of today's Church in the areas I have mentioned. It is good to research and study underlying principles, such as, for example, what makes for effective evangelism or how churches grow. There can be little doubt that the study of these things has greatly contributed to the life and development of the Church in this generation.

Here, however, is the problem: it is so easy for us to become satisfied by our successes in the field of study and research that our satisfaction deadens our desire and robs us of a sense of need to see God work in a sovereign and extraordinary way through revival. We are in a time of spiritual tragedy when our activity becomes a blockage to His activity. Only prayer can keep our eyes fully upon Him.