Jesus said, “Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)
Have you ever looked at a crowd of people, maybe at the airport, in Waikiki, or at the Ala Moana Mall, and felt compassion for them? In this passage, Jesus looked with compassion on the crowds, because he saw that they were distressed and dejected. He knew that these people were wandering aimlessly through life because they had no guide. Jesus said they were “like sheep without a shepherd.” When we look at crowds of people, we may feel the same, thinking that they are also wandering aimlessly through life, pursuing things with no eternal value.
What was Jesus’ response? He said to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Notice, Jesus is not recruiting volunteers, but rather expecting that God would send the workers, in response to our prayer. We see the prayer for workers answered in the next chapter, when Jesus identifies and sends twelve workers by name; his 12 apostles. Then, Jesus gives them specific instructions on how they were to minister to the lost.
When we see crowds of people, what is our response? Do we pray for them, and, if so, how do we pray? From to this passage, Jesus teaches to pray, “Dear Heavenly Father, these people are desperate for the Gospel, send someone to tell them.” Then, we should expect that God will answer our prayer by selecting specific people and giving them specific instructions for ministry. Notice in all this, that this is God’s work, done God’s way, by the people that he chooses. We are privileged to join God’s work through prayer.