Pray for Laborers

“Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV

In a story titled "‘Strange’ sea creature was considered locally extinct — until a runner spotted one" published by the Miami Herald yesterday, the following was reported: While out for a run in Australia, a woman noticed a “strange” sea creature washed up on the beach — and rediscovered a species considered locally extinct. Kerri Yare was running along Primrose Sands beach in Tasmania when she stumbled on the “strange and wonderful fish,” the Australian research organization CSIRO said in a Sept. 8 news release. The dead fish was about 3 to 4 inches and had distinctive-looking limbs, the release said. CSIRO wildlife experts identified it as a critically-endangered spotted handfish. Spotted handfish were “once plentiful along Tasmania’s east coast,” the release said. Over the last 30 years, dredge fisheries and an invasive sea star have caused the species’ population to rapidly decline. Additionally, spotted handfish are “rare and elusive,” CSIRO said. Their small size and solitary lifestyles make them “very difficult” to find.

And you know, the spotted handfish isn’t the only creature with a solitary lifestyle that makes them “very difficult” to find.  Many confessing Christians live the same way. Which is the very reason Jesus “said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” And then beseeched them to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Why such an earnest and fervent prayer for the people of God to move? Spurgeon explained “to send out” in this way, “Now the Greek is much more forcible, it is that he would push them forward, and thrust them out; it is the same word which is used for the expulsion of a devil from a man possessed. It takes great power to drive a devil out, it will need equal power from God to drive a minister out to his work.” You see, most people (even believers) prefer the comforts of the world to the rigors of the missions field. But the missions field is exactly where we need to be! And we need to be working hard!

So pray for workers with all of your might my friend because it’s time to bring in the harvest. But be ready to hear Jesus say, “I want you to go.” And then go wherever it is He calls you to go. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we must be about Your work each and every day. Lord please fill us with the same compassion Jesus had that compelled Him to seek out the lost so that we would go out and share the Good News with a world in desperate need of hearing it. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running