Heart for the Lost
Heart for the Lost
Matthew 9:36-38
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Pray earnestly. That’s the command Jesus gives to the believer regarding the work of evangelism. Prayer needs to go before execution, planning, and communication. Too often, we appeal to the lost for their souls without appealing to the Lord of the Harvest. This is putting the cart before the horse.
Praying for workers to be sent first focuses our attention on our need for the Lord. Evangelism is supernatural. God must be in the midst. Evangelism isn’t a sales pitch, nor is it randomly yelling at people facts and truth; evangelism is God grabbing the soul of the lost through His messenger. Prayer ignites our passion for the Lord’s presence in the work, believing that without Christ, souls are damned for eternity.
Secondly, prayer sets the worker off into the harvest. Not all fields are ripe at the same time; therefore, we need the Lord to direct us to his harvest. The Holy Spirit moved Philip to ripe grounds, and the Holy Spirit also stopped Paul from ministering in fields not ripe, to fields that were. The believer needs to be exceptionally sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.
Prayer also understands that evangelism is a partnership with God. As we pray, as we share the gospel, as we love those who are against the message of the cross, we are partnering in the work that Jesus did and the Holy Spirit is doing now. Praying says God, I’m with you and for you, and follow you in this work.
Make a list of the lost to pray for. Ask God to send church planters into areas that are desperately needing the gospel. Ask the Lord to give the church boldness with the message of the cross and resurrection.
Matthew 9:36-38
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Pray earnestly. That’s the command Jesus gives to the believer regarding the work of evangelism. Prayer needs to go before execution, planning, and communication. Too often, we appeal to the lost for their souls without appealing to the Lord of the Harvest. This is putting the cart before the horse.
Praying for workers to be sent first focuses our attention on our need for the Lord. Evangelism is supernatural. God must be in the midst. Evangelism isn’t a sales pitch, nor is it randomly yelling at people facts and truth; evangelism is God grabbing the soul of the lost through His messenger. Prayer ignites our passion for the Lord’s presence in the work, believing that without Christ, souls are damned for eternity.
Secondly, prayer sets the worker off into the harvest. Not all fields are ripe at the same time; therefore, we need the Lord to direct us to his harvest. The Holy Spirit moved Philip to ripe grounds, and the Holy Spirit also stopped Paul from ministering in fields not ripe, to fields that were. The believer needs to be exceptionally sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.
Prayer also understands that evangelism is a partnership with God. As we pray, as we share the gospel, as we love those who are against the message of the cross, we are partnering in the work that Jesus did and the Holy Spirit is doing now. Praying says God, I’m with you and for you, and follow you in this work.
Make a list of the lost to pray for. Ask God to send church planters into areas that are desperately needing the gospel. Ask the Lord to give the church boldness with the message of the cross and resurrection.
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