“…Therefore PRAY..” On seeing the lost condition of the multitudes and feeling compassion, Jesus tells them and us what to do.. and What to Pray for? “..the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”-{Matt 9:36,38} The word “send,” means “compel,” to “force them out.” It is a strong word and speaks of urgency…it is the same word that was used of casting out a demon… it is compelling… forceful.. to thrust forth. A have to, no option, Compelled!
What can we do during this time? One thing is we can all Pray and we can pray specifically to the LORD of the HARVEST that He would compel, thrust forward, compel, send forth laborers into His harvest, for indeed He says the harvest is plentiful but the Laborers are… Few… “THEREFORE PRAY…”
Jesus did not look with contempt but compassion upon the people who were like sheep without a shepherd, they were weary, scattered… and like people today, are so troubled and having had many “shepherds” which they have looked to, trusted in, financially, educationally, academically, athletically, job-security, prestige and all these false “shepherd’s” cannot meet them in these moments of fear anxiety, despair, the real threat of death,…but there is ONE- The Great Shepherd of the Sheep who has been raised from the Dead… who still looks with compassion upon the multitudes and as He did with those early followers tell them what to do, so we too can co labor with the Risen Christ and “Therefore PRAY…” And we PRAY to Him, WHY? “Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him….”-{Heb 7:25}. He not only sees people in their need but is able to Save them form their sin and bring under His care for their soul to be safe eternally with Him!
We may Pray He helps us to see why we are here, on Mission for the MASTER AND AND, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN DIVERTED AND INDULGED IN this worlds pursuits, goals, that we would repent and return to Him and begin afresh. Living for Eternal Purpose and not temporal pursuits as the goal of our lives.
We may pray He opens our eyes to see people are lost, dead in sin, without hope, without God in this world, and they like we once were, not living to love and worship Him because they are spiritually dead and without capacity.
We may need to pray and ask Him to help us look upon people with Compassion and not indifference or callous, as the two men who walked by the man in the ditch in the story of the Good Samaritan…
We must pray to be spiritually minded people realizing we have been saved, commissioned by God to co-labor with Him as long as we are here.
The Great Privilege – No matter what our condition, healthy, sick, young, old, male, female, irrespective of nationality but those of us who are “In Christ” we can all PRAY… so “THEREFORE PRAY.... The LORD of The Harvest to send forth Laborers into his harvest”-The Great Privilege is we can Pray, we have His ear, we have His assignment from this passage, “Therefore Pray.”
This moment you can Pause and PRAY…Specifically for the LORD of the Harvest to compel people where they cannot help but want to and do go forth with a heart of compassion for people who are without Christ… who are dyeing in their sin!
“Therefore Pray…” for family members to have HIS HEART OF COMPASSION and be thrust forth. “Therefore Pray,..” for people in your church, “Therefore pray,…” for the retired to be compelled forth… “Therefore pray for the youth.. to be compelled to go forth…” “Therefore Pray…” for believers throughout the world you know or may not know to be compelled forth…”Therefore Pray,” for yourself the words of Isaiah “Here am I LORD… SEND ME!” -{Isaiah 6:8}
Make good use of this time. I know most people are focused on Covid 19, but lets focus on Christ and His business as our first and foremost business and one way we can do so? Is to PRAY specifically about His Harvest! Remember the majority of people who are focusing on the Virus if they die they will die without Christ.
We can pray for those who have heard His Word perhaps at a young age, that in Mercy he may make Himself and His Word real and grant them Godly sorrow that leads to repentance-{2 Cor 7:10}.
As horrific and devastating as this virus is… led it not divert us from seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… and one way we can is to be about His business, “Therefore Pray…”
Make good use of this time…and use some of that time to specifically Pray regarding the souls of people…
You may even need to turn the TV off, shut down the social media and look at the big picture, the Eternal picture and…
“Therefore Pray…” 🙂