Prayer and missions

In the Gospels, we find a few times where Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray and what to pray. In Matthew chapter 9 we get a personal glimpse as to how Jesus responds to the harvest (people) by teaching his disciples what to pray.

“As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” …. 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. (Mat 9:32-38 ESV)

This prayer is one of the instances where we ourselves could become the very answer to our own prayer. Meaning, that if we are praying for the Lord to send laborers to the field, we might be one of the laborers the Lord sends. Many of the great missionaries of the faith were sent because of this very thing. The lord moves on our hearts to pray for the harvest because He allows us to experience the compassion of His heart towards the lost, and that very ache in prayer beckons us to be the response in obedience to Christ.

We want to encourage you today to pray this very prayer that Jesus has set us for us to pray. Pray for your lost loved ones, your neighbors, and pray for the nations of the earth.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & PRAYER SUGGESTIONS

• How often do I commit today to pray for my loved ones, neighbors, and nations?

• How often do I commit today to pray Matthew 24;14? (that the Gospel would reach the unreached)

• Pray: Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 24:14, Matthew 6:9-11.

• Make a list of people in your life you. are committing to pray that. the Lord would encounter them.

• Make a list of missionaries you are committing to pray for (if you do not know any personally, commit to pray for a specific nation and that the Lord would send more laborers there).