Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
12 2 2024
The Lord of the Harvest: The Lost are being Lost.
“Jesus in Matthew 9:37–8 said to his disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he will send Forth laborers into his harvest.”
Sadly, we believe too little in the power of prayer to bring about definite results in praying forth the laborers into His harvest. Part of that reason is that we do not live close enough to God and that we have not given ourselves up wholly to his service and Kingdom so that we would be capable of that level of confidence that he will give us an answer to our prayer. When we do, we will discover that prayer will obtain a two fold blessing. First, there will be a desire for the increase of men and women entirely giving up on the service of God. (What a terrible blot upon the church of Christ that there are times when workers cannot be found for the service of the master, such as ministers, missionaries, or teachers of God’s word).
But God’s word is abundantly clear that God’s children/disciples make this a matter of prayer and supplication for their own circle and their church, that it will be given to them. The Lord Jesus is now Lord of the harvest, and he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, beyond Jesus himself, his chief gifts are men and women filled with the spirit. Meaning that we, too, have a part to fill. The supply and the distribution of these gifts depend on the cooperation of his disciples. You and me.
Secondly, “Every believer is a laborer.”
There is not one exception of God’s children who have not been redeemed for service and who don’t have his work waiting for them. Our prayer should be that the Lord would so fill all of his people with the spirit of devotion that not one may be found standing idle in the vineyard!
We understand that the gift of salvation is free.
And we also know that these missionaries cannot charge for their work.
That’s why, in God’s model, believers give to provide for missionaries (Romans 10:15; Luke 10:7).
Your giving is their living. And in many ways it is our living also.
We live to give ourselves away to Christ and his purpose for having us here on earth. Isn’t that true?
This isn’t about passing a collection plate for these two missions trips that are up and coming but listening to the Holy Spirit that we would be obedient
to what our part is, prayerfully or financially or both.
Pray that these missionaries would be confident in God’s Word. …
- Pray that they would be filled with God’s Spirit (Acts 13:6–9). …
- Pray for their victory in spiritual warfare (Acts 13:10–12). When our brothers and sisters take the gospel into the nations, they are going into a war. You know that right? The devil is dead set on destroying souls and diverting missions.
- Pray for their success in gospel witnessing (Acts 13:12).
- Pray for peace with other believers (Acts 13:13).
Nonbelievers are blind to the gospel, and many are violently opposed to its message.
- Pray that missionaries would find favorable opportunities to share the gospel with them.
My daughter Danae is only one of many missionaries going on these trips. But as I contemplated the work of missions, it got me thinking of the years she has led others in both the zone for middle schools and United for the high schoolers and the years she has gone to class camp, this last year as a counselor leading these kids to Christ. It showed me how God has been preparing her heart for missionary work. They continue to reach out to her for advice and counsel. There is no price on one lamb that finds their way to the Good Shephard, Jesus.
It may take time, but the command is to ask the Lord of the harvest with full assurance the prayers for the laborers will be heard. He said. “he will give as many as is needed”.
We must believe that the power has been given to us in prayer to provide this need in the world today to secure the servant for God’s work. The Lord of the harvest will hear! He has called us to pray and support this cause with prayers and offerings in his name. We must set aside time and give ourselves to this part of his intercessory work. It is also an issue of changing our hearts to see. It will elevate us to the insight of our regal position as Holy Priest. It will make us partakers by the release of his power that will bring forth the blessings of prayer that otherwise would not have come.
Lord, teach us to pray. Send the laborers and use us in some small way, so we can be a part of this outreach for lost souls.
Blessed Lord, you have given us this day another of your wondrous lessons to learn. Help us to see the spiritual realities that you are speaking about here. There is the harvest which is so large and perishing, as it waits for sleepy disciples to give the signal for laborers to come. Lord, teach us to look out upon it with a heart moved with compassion and pity. There are laborers, so few… Lord, show us how terrible the sin of the want of prayer and faith is, of which this is the token. There is the Lord of the harvest, so able and ready to send them forth. Lord, show us how he does indeed wait for the prayers to which he has bound his answer. And that there are disciples to whom the commission to pray has been given. Lord, show us how you can pour out the spirit and breath upon them so that your compassion and the faith in your promise shall rouse them to unceasing and prevailing prayer. We thank you for all those that you are teaching to cry day and night for laborers to be sent forth. Lord, breathe your spirit on all your children, that they may learn to live for this one thing alone, the kingdom and glory of their Lord, and become fully awake to the faith of what their prayers can accomplish. And Lord, let all of our hearts, in every petition, be filled with the assurance that prayer, offered in loving faith in the living God, will bring certain and abundant answers. Amen.
I have spoken of two separate missionary trips in the last week that we can each pray for and for those who are able to give something to support them financially. I am including them again to remind you of the prayers that are needed and the financial support however, small it may be so that we two could be part of this call of God. As missionaries, our goal is to make Jesus Christ known to the world and to spread the news that there is hope in Him alone.
I read yesterday, “There are three kinds of Christians: the Goers, the Senders, and the Disobedient.
Each of us must ask ourselves…Which one are you?”
I write a Christian devotion 3 times each week. If you would like to pass this lesson and future devotions to someone, send them this Signup link: http://eepurl.com/gKlklD
My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com
Excerpts are taken from Andrew Murrays book With Christ in the School of Prayer
I am not ashamed of the Gospel The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Leave a Comment