For Brent Long, prayer is just the beginning. The true power of a praying church, he says, is unlocked when believers don’t just ask - but celebrate.
“Prayer creates connection, but testimony creates momentum,” Brent shares. “When a church starts consistently sharing answered prayers, it shifts the atmosphere.”
As CEO and System Architect of SteepleMate, Brent has worked with hundreds of churches navigating both challenges and miracles. And over time, he’s seen a consistent trend: churches that create space for celebration tend to grow stronger, spiritually and relationally.
In a world constantly focused on problems, testifying to what God has already done offers spiritual recalibration.
“Testimonies remind people that God is not distant. He’s active,” Brent says. “And when someone hears that God answered a prayer, their own faith gets stirred.”
He points to Psalm 66:16 — “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”
This is the heartbeat of SteepleMate’s design philosophy. Testimony isn’t optional - 
Early in the development of SteepleMate, Brent and his team added a feature that has become beloved by pastors and prayer teams alike: the Victory Report feed.
“Churches needed a simple, dignified way to let people share praise reports,” Brent explains. “So we built it right into the same system where prayer requests live.”
Whether through the app, an in-service announcement, or a scrolling Marquee screen in a prayer room, SteepleMate helps make praise visible and communal.
The results have been powerful. Churches using SteepleMate’s victory tools report higher attendance at prayer meetings, more participation in small groups, and an increase in spontaneous testimony-sharing.
There’s something contagious about celebration. Brent has seen it firsthand.
“When a church hears that someone got healed, or a job came through, or a prodigal came home, it makes people believe again,” he says. “They start to expect God to move.”
This kind of expectation is the soil where miracles grow. It also deepens spiritual intimacy, as people become more willing to share their own needs and give God credit for the outcomes.
Brent is intentional about keeping SteepleMate focused on spiritual health, not just digital convenience. That means building features that elevate joy, not just manage data.
“You can’t build faith if all you ever show is the struggle,” he says. “Our goal was to let churches spotlight the wins just as much as the needs.”
The result is a balanced ecosystem: a space where burdens are lifted, but also where breakthroughs are highlighted.
At the end of the day, Brent believes every answered prayer is an opportunity—not just for the person who received it, but for the entire church.
“Celebration pulls people in,” he says. “It makes newcomers feel hope, and it reminds long-time members that God still moves.”
And that’s the culture Brent hopes every church will embrace: not just one of asking, but one of acknowledging. A culture where testimonies are treasured and praise is a weekly rhythm.