Daily Scripture
“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. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:35-38
Daily Devotion
Looking out on the throngs of people, lost and needy, in search of hope and healing, Jesus is “moved with compassion” for them and directs his disciples to pray – pray that the Lord, who is in charge of the harvest, would send laborers, for “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Yes, the sovereign God of the universe covets your prayers for those Christians who will be used as laborers in this harvest of souls. Jesus is affirming here that our prayers, the prayers of truly blood-bought and redeemed members of God’s Holy Church matter – that somehow, we participate in God’s plans. Individually, we may be shy or reserved, we may question our own readiness to share the gospel with someone. But, as a believer, one thing we are fully qualified to do is pray.
When is this harvest we are to pray for? Certainly, the fields were ripe for harvest as Jesus surveyed the crowds and spoke the words to his disciples, but are they any less ripe as we survey the masses in this country or in this city today? And, knowing the end of the story, will the fields be any less ripe for the harvest going forward? Therefore, the harvest is now!
First Peter 1:12 says, the “good news” is spoken through men by the Holy Spirit. It’s not so much what is said, exactly, as it is the Holy Spirit’s job to work and convict the heart of man. So, let’s pray for men and women who will be willing to open their hearts and mouths for the sake of the gospel, having the same compassion Jesus has for those who are lost and in need of a shepherd. In fact, let’s pray for believers everywhere, including those right here in this church, that we would all have the faith to trust in this truth and have the courage to care enough, as have all the “laborers” in ages past, to open the lips and give the Holy Spirit some ammunition to work with.
Peter goes on to tell the Church, in the same passage, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action…” As God’s faithful, that’s what we are all called to do: Pray and prepare for action!
Stephen Kimball