READING: Deuteronomy 19-22, Psalm 6, Luke 10
Every church I know needs more laborers. But, very few churches I know actually pray consistently for more of them.
It’s striking to me, actually—we need more workers, but we don’t even start with the method Jesus gave us. Even in His day, He noted that there weren’t enough laborers to reap the waiting harvest. Thus, the faithful workers were to pray for more faithful workers even as they carried out their own faithful work. Their own obedience was not complete until they were praying for God to call out (more literally, “thrust out under divine compulsion”) new workers into the field. The work of any of the followers of Christ would not be easy; in fact, it would be dangerous. They were to go, though, because God compelled them to do so.
It seems to me that when we don’t pray for more laborers in our churches, we typically face two issues: (1) we never have enough workers, and (2) we put into leadership positions some folks who simply aren’t spiritually ready. Issue #1 can lead to discouragement in our heart, and #2 can lead to disorder in our churches. Neither is good.
And, both can be remedied if we pray for laborers before we choose them.
PRAYER: “God, I beseech You to send more laborers to our church to serve with us—and others who will go out from our church to the nations.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Deuteronomy 23-26, Luke 11