Editor's Note: The Rainer Scale identifies five "faith stages," or levels of responsiveness, among the unchurched: U1-highly receptive to hearing and believing the Good News. U2-receptive to the gospel and church; U3-neutral, with no clear signs of being interested yet perhaps open to discussion; U4-resistant to the gospel, but with no antagonistic attitude; and U5-highly antagonistic and even hostile to the gospel.
By now the fact that U5s typically do not pray should not surprise you. With their anti-supernatural bent, U5s are unlikely to see any value in prayer. This trait sets them apart from many other unchurched persons. Look at how prayer diminishes in importance with each successive unchurched group.
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Nine out of 10 of the most receptive unchurched persons prayed to God on a regular basis; just over one out of 10 of the least receptive U5s did so.
Jamie R. of Utah is a typical U5 in this respect. Her response to the prayer question was adamant: "I never pray to God. He is nothing to me. Why should I pray to something that does not exist? Prayer is something for weak people."
-- from Thom S. Rainer's book "The Unchurched Next Door"
