Paperganda, Propaganda & Prayerganda in Church Revival: A Pentecost Reflection
AS THE DAY OF PENTECOST DAWNS!
by Very Rev. Barr. P. Chukwudi Onyekwere
Introduction: Pentecost & the Call to Revival
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:1–4)
Pentecost signals more than a historical moment—it’s a spiritual mandate. As we celebrate, we pause to ask: Is our church spiritually alive, hungry for God’s fire on pulpit and pew? Amid structural and spiritual shifts, we need the Holy Spirit’s revival more than ever.
What Is True Revival?
“Revival” literally means “to live again.” It’s God’s life breathed into the dead, dormant, or dying. True revival isn’t slick seminars or polished papers—it’s Prayerganda:
- Paperganda – finely printed materials, but spiritually empty
- Propaganda – hype, noise, visibility—but lacking depth
- Prayerganda – devout, fervent prayer that invites God's fire
Revival means:
- Spiritual reawakening through evangelism
- New conversions and moral transformation
- Recovery of gifts and spiritual zeal
The Methodist Mandate for Revival
Methodism has revival in its DNA. John & Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, and others didn’t rely on programs—they ministered in power. Revival gave birth to Methodism and must sustain it. Key elements:
- Spirit-led evangelism
- Worship in power and conviction
- Itinerant, Spirit-filled preaching
When revival is resisted, decline follows. It’s time to revive our roots.
Understanding the Church Cycle
Church growth follows five phases:
- Disillusionment (with establishment)
- Movement (spiritual zeal ignites)
- Mission (evangelistic surge)
- Institution (structure, pride, stagnation)
- Renewal & Revival (Spirit breathes again)
We must ask: Where are we today? If we’re past zeal and heading into institution, we desperately need Stage 5—renewal and revival.
Prayerganda: The X‑Factor of Revival
Books, papers, and publicity without prayer lead nowhere. Prayer is the essential X‑Factor:
- It releases the Holy Spirit
- It empowers evangelism
- It sustains true revival
The early church didn’t plan revival—they prayed it down. Whether we pray in solitude or gather in unity, our Prayerganda is our power. It’s time to shun Paperganda and Propaganda and reignite our souls through Prayerganda.
A Church in Need of Revival: A Call to Wake Up!
“And repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief… You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” — Revelation 3:3–4
These haunting words to the Church in Sardis are no less relevant today. They speak to a reality in many congregations: lukewarm faith, selective obedience, and spiritual apathy disguised as activity.
The Reality Check: Church or Clubhouse?
Let us pause and reflect deeply on the present state of the Household of Faith:
- Do we not see Christians who neglect Bible Study yet are the first to quote the Church Constitution during council meetings?
- Have we not seen ministers who avoid vigils and prayer meetings, yet mount the pulpit passionately to preach about “Sowing and Reaping”?
- Are we not guilty of spiritual selectivity, where we major in church politics and minor in God’s presence?
🔔 Every single one of us needs REVIVAL—in our prayer life, study life, spiritual discipline, zeal for evangelism, and genuine love for one another.
We must go beyond the trend of how far we’ve travelled physically, to how deep we’ve travailed spiritually for the church!
WHY REVIVAL? WHY PRAYER?
Why indeed?
Because what is dead, dying, or comatose must be revived. Methodism was conceived in revival, born in song, and must now be sustained in prayer-powered fire.
Are we not witnesses?
- Witnesses to disillusionment among members?
- Witnesses to the migration of souls to other churches due to spiritual drought?
- Witnesses to misplaced priorities, where image has replaced intimacy with God?
- Witnesses to the borrowed fire—other churches using our historic Methodist tenets of prayer and revival to grow while we decline?
Do signs and wonders still follow our preaching?
Do we have Prevailing Prayer Groups sustaining the pulpit?
Do we embody the vision and mission of the Methodist Church Nigeria?
💠 Our Stated Vision:
“To be one of the largest and spiritually vibrant churches in Nigeria.”
💠 Our Stated Mission:
“To consistently win more souls for Christ, develop spiritually fulfilled members, and remain very active in serving humanity.”
A prayer-less church cannot fulfill that vision.
A comatose church cannot develop vibrant members.
A 'Paperganda’ church cannot serve humanity in the power of God.
📢 We need REVIVAL!
🕊️ Revive us, O God!
🌱 Create in us a clean heart… renew a right spirit within us!
(Psalm 51:10–12)
WHEN IS REVIVAL?
Revival is NOW—when:
- Signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word
- Members are spiritually fulfilled, not just numerically many
- The church returns to its Pentecostal heritage
- God says again, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17)
“Turn at my warning… I will pour out my Spirit… But if you refuse, you will call and not be answered.”
(Proverbs 1:23–28)
Revival is not a date on the calendar—it is a fire on the altar.
🔥 Revival is PENTECOST AGAIN! 🔥
WHERE IS REVIVAL?
Revival doesn’t begin in programs or posters—it begins in people.
- In our minds and spirit — a renewed hunger for God
- On our knees — in prevailing, travailing prayer
- In our character and zeal — a lifestyle of holiness and passion
- In our mouths — truth in love, grace in our speech
- In our handshake and interface with the world — evangelism with authenticity
If Methodism was born in song, then let us boldly declare:
✝️ Methodism was conceived in revival… and must be nurtured through 'prayered' revival.
🕊️ The future of evangelism lies in revival, not in propaganda!
Conclusion: Pentecost—A Fresh Call
As Pentecost dawns, let us covenant:
- To seek deep communion with God
- To lead lives rooted in fervent prayer & fasting
- To pursue Spirit-filled evangelism
- To pray for fire—not just excitement—on pulpit & pew
Revival begins in hearts primed by prayer. When we let the Holy Spirit consume us afresh, our church will rise again in power.
Closing Prayer For Revival
Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to power our Paperganda and Propaganda with Prayerganda, and let the Holy Spirit take full control in our churches. In the Name of God the Father, God the Son,a nd God the Holy Spirit—Amen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY & STUDY SOURCES
The Free Dictionary – Definition of Revive
Wikipedia – Methodism
John Wesley’s Prayers and Spiritual Legacy
Modern King James Version (MKJV) of the Bible
About the Author:
He is passionate about revival, church growth, and Spirit-led reform in the body of Christ.
📧 Reach him via email: preachkrist@gmail.com
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