35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
The gospel challenges us to pray for laborers. If you don’t care about the nations coming to Christ, pray that you would begin to care. If you don’t care about the eternal destinies of people who have never heard the name of Jesus, pray that you would begin to care. If you don’t care about the lukewarmness present in the church, pray that you would begin to care.
You generally will not pray for what you do not long for. So pray that God changes your desires, lest we be an insincere people.
Rex Edwards paints this picture well of many a modern-day Christian: “We sing the words of the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldier,’ and wait to be drafted into His service. We never enter. We sing ‘Oh, For A Thousand Tongues,’ but don’t use the very tongues that we have… ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness,’ yet we complain when someone asks us to do something.”
God has something more for each one of us. He's called us to be laborers, and he has called us to pray for other laborers. Pray that the Lord would give you the desire to see His will fulfilled to the nations and beyond.
The gospel challenges us to pray for laborers. If you don’t care about the nations coming to Christ, pray that you would begin to care. If you don’t care about the eternal destinies of people who have never heard the name of Jesus, pray that you would begin to care. If you don’t care about the lukewarmness present in the church, pray that you would begin to care.
You generally will not pray for what you do not long for. So pray that God changes your desires, lest we be an insincere people.
Rex Edwards paints this picture well of many a modern-day Christian: “We sing the words of the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldier,’ and wait to be drafted into His service. We never enter. We sing ‘Oh, For A Thousand Tongues,’ but don’t use the very tongues that we have… ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness,’ yet we complain when someone asks us to do something.”
God has something more for each one of us. He's called us to be laborers, and he has called us to pray for other laborers. Pray that the Lord would give you the desire to see His will fulfilled to the nations and beyond.