Good day
Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”
How often do we see those around us being weary and scattered ... Jesus said that when we see this - we should pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.
I had to reflect and ask myself, how often do I specifically pray for God to send out labourers? ... For all the things that I mention while opening or closing in prayer, or when asked to pray for something specific (whether praying for the communities, city, country, friends, family, work colleagues, etc.), how often do I specifically mention, "Lord, I thank You for sending labourers out into Your harvest!" ... and the answer was, not often enough.
Jesus said that when He saw that the multitudes were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd - He said to pray that prayer. He didn't look at that situation and say we need to build more churches, attend more Bible studies or that we need to give more money, etc. - He said to pray.
Should we do the above, yes - Would it assist with the matter discussed, yes ... But are we also praying?
The encouragement we can take from this is knowing that He would never suggest we pray for something unless He knew God was prepared to honour that prayer and watch over His word to perform it!
Consider the possibility that the person who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with you, who may have invited you to church - maybe even you reading this message today - may have been a result of someone having prayed that prayer!
In the same way, let us be encouraged to pray for those around us and see God go to work in their lives!