Acting in agreement with God’s heart for the lost results in people going to them. Jesus taught us that a key step in sending people is to pray for God’s involvement in that process.

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 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.” Matt 9:35-38

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “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.” Luke 10:1-2

Early in His ministry, Jesus saw the spiritual need of those around Him and directed His disciples to pray that people would be sent to them. Shortly thereafter, He repeated that command when sending out the Twelve. Clearly, Jesus recognized the huge number of people needing to hear about the kingdom and the relatively few number of those sharing it.

Continue reading “The First Step in Sending People” →