PRAY EVERY DAY - Day 3: Pastor Kjell Axel Johansson
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“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.”
Matthew 9:36-38 (ESV)
Compassion is grace in action. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them…. Do you? Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes, crowds just create more chaos in my life. They cause more traffic, congestion, and confusion. But when Jesus saw the crowds, He saw something else. He saw people who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He saw individuals with needs. He saw them exploited by a corrupt government and religion. Just as sheep need a shepherd, we need spiritual leadership. Jesus came to be our Shepherd, to lead us in paths of righteousness, to still waters and green pastures, to comfort and counsel. He said in John 10:11 (NLT), “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.” This tells me that He took the initiative when, like lost sheep, we were estranged from the fold; our Good Shepherd came to find us, rescue us, and restore us! That’s the Good News of the Gospel!
Then he says 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.” Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV). This is our commission as Christ followers today! The crowds continue to multiply all around us. We literally have a global mission field waiting to be harvested! Our world is broken, and people are just as harassed and helpless today as when Jesus walked this earth then. How do we reach them for Christ? What did Jesus tell us to do? The first command was to PRAY! You aren’t really prepared to talk to people about God until you talk to God about people. But as you pray, God will give you a compassion for people like Jesus had. When He does, you’ll be overwhelmed by the need. That’s when we fall on our knees and pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Prayer connects us with the heart of God for people and connects us with others who share the same burden. He is the Lord of the Harvest, and He will answer our prayers and send out more laborers into His harvest. I want to challenge you now to take a few moments in prayer and pray for the harvest around you, your neighborhood, your city, your county, your state, your nation, and your world! Pray for the launch of our new campus in Houston – Woodlands Church East River Campus! Pray for our campuses in Atascocita and The Woodlands. Pray for our global online campus. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to send more laborers to reach our broken world for Jesus. He is the answer! Be prepared for God to answer your prayer and use you to show another person the way to Him.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.