Matthew 9:36-38 (NIRV)

When he saw the crowds, he felt deep concern for them. They were treated badly and were helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is huge. But there are only a few workers.  So, ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest field.”

When confronted by the vast need around us one might ask, “What can I do that would make a difference?” It’s true – our resources are not up to the task. What we can accomplish would make as much difference in the world as one raindrop does to the ocean. The spiritual reality is, though, that we are not in this alone; we can make a difference because it doesn’t depend on us. Our role is to obey, God’s is to bring about the change.

So where do we start? What should we do first?

Pray.

Near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he traveled from town to town calling everyone to recognize the kingdom of God which was happening right before their eyes. He was deeply impacted by the spiritual condition of the people around him. They were lost. They were needy. They lacked hope. He was the answer but, limited by his human form, he could not possibly minister to everyone. What was his solution? Where did he turn?

Jesus turned to prayer. He looked at his followers and encouraged them to pray, asking the “Lord of the Harvest” to send more workers into his field. Now for more than 2000 years Jesus’ followers have been praying the same prayer. As we involve ourselves in kingdom work, whether it be formal ministry as a profession or informal ministry in our communities, we are answers to that prayer.

We should continue the effort. We should pray every day for God to send even more harvesters, because the harvest is still abundant, and the workers still few. As we do this, we may find that we ourselves may be part of the answer to our own prayer. Perhaps we need to expand our reach and cast our nets more widely. Are we making the best of each opportunity, each relationship God brings across our path? Are we loving others are Jesus loved us, pouring ourselves out for them?
Would you join us by setting your phone alarm to go off at 9:38 (in reference to Matthew 9:38) or 10:02 (in reference to Luke 10:2) every day, as a reminder to pray for more harvesters? Thanks to time zones and Christ-followers all around the world, this pray could be raised every hour of every day!

The harvest is huge! The workers are few. Pray for more!