The Church: The Dry Rot of Nonexpectation

"...but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the
ministry of the word."...Then the word of God spread, and the number
of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of
the priests were obedient to the faith. --Acts 6:4,7

The church is afflicted by dry rot. This is best explained when the
psychology of nonexpectation takes over and spiritual rigidity sets
in, which is an inability to visualize anything better, a lack of
desire for improvement.

There are many who respond by arguing, "I know lots of evangelical
churches that would like to grow, and they do their best to get the
crowds in. They want to grow and have contests to make their Sunday
school larger." That is true, but they are trying to get people to
come and share their rut. They want people to help them celebrate the
rote and finally join in the rot. Because the Holy Spirit is not
given a chance to work in our services, nobody is repenting, nobody
is seeking God, nobody is spending a day in quiet waiting on God with
open Bible seeking to mend his or her ways. Nobody is doing it-- we
just want more people. But more people for what? More people to come
and repeat our dead services without feeling, without meaning,
without wonder, without surprise? More people to join us in the
bondage to the rote? For the most part, spiritual rigidity that
cannot bend is too weak to know just how weak it is.  Rut, Rot or
Revival: The Condition of the Church, 8,9.

"Lord, not more people, but more of You. Let me wait upon You, keep
me faithful, send Your Holy Spirit. If You then send growth as well,
I'll thank You and see it as an added blessing. Amen."

~Tozer~