Prayer Points: Laborers
Prayer Point:
“Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus that You send laborers into YOUR harvest in Spain. Your harvest is great and people are hungry for the truth, and You’ve promised that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Thank You for giving me a part in taking the gospel to the nations.”
Read: Matthew 9:35-38
In John 10:11 Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. Historically speaking, Shepherds like the ones we read about in scripture were much more than sheep farmers. Sheep were a major source of livelihood for many people in these areas (and still are for some modern-day nomadic people like the Bedouin people in middle eastern regions). The “good shepherds” referred to in John 10 are set apart from hirelings. They weren’t just in it for the money - they weren’t simply hired caretakers of the sheep.
These shepherds would live alongside their flock, sleeping with them, eating with them. They provided each other with a regular source of companionship and grew close - the shepherds to their flock and the flock to their shepherd. The sheep trust the shepherd to lead them to the best pastures for food, the safest pools and streams to drink from, and to keep them from all sorts of wild dangers. The shepherd often put his life in danger protecting the sheep from a wild animals like lions, bears and wolves (see 1 Samuel 17:34; John 10:12), and keeping them safe from robbers and thieves (John 10:8, 10).
The shepherd would have developed great compassion and love for the flock under his care. It is that same love and compassion Jesus refers to when He calls the multitudes sheep in Matthew 9. He said that the people were weary (or harassed) and scattered because they didn’t have anyone to lead and protect them. We can draw a lot of insight from the shepherd/sheep relationship when looking at God’s design for the pastor/congregation relationship. Just like shepherds are there to care for and protect the sheep, Pastors (which, by the way, is Spanish for shepherd) are given by God to His church to lead, care for and protect them. He is distressed that there aren’t many people willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the sheep, and commands his disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to do this work. The harvest is ready, but there aren’t enough people to bring it in!
Praise God, we’re answering the call of God to go and work in these fields, but one person alone is not sufficient for the work. Many are called to be “shepherds” in Spain that don’t know it yet. God is sending us to them to prepare them for the work to which God has called them.
When we pray for laborers to be sent, it’s important to understand what we’re asking for, in terms of our ministry.
Who are the laborers we’re praying for? Understand this:
I am a laborer - I’m going to Spain for the purpose of reaching this harvest for the Lord.
You are a laborer - You’re taking a part in the work by getting me there and enabling me with your prayers and with financial support.
Most importantly: the laborers we’re praying for are individuals in Spain that God has called to be a part of this ministry of planting churches. They are ones God has purposed before time began (Ephesians 1:4) to be pastors, to teach, to preach, to evangelize their nation and reach their family, friends and countrymen with the gospel. The goal of our assignment in Spain is to have Spanish people leading and growing these Spanish churches. We’re not going there to duplicate church in the American format but to organize a local body that reaches the Spanish people where they’re at, in a way that they can relate to and understand.
I want to be able to leave Spain and go to the next place God is calling me to leaving 3 healthy, growing churches under indigenous leadership. These 3 years are crucial for discipling the leaders God has chosen to be able to hear His voice, to follow the Holy Spirit, to know the Word of God; to be fully equipped to take on this task.
Praying for key connections:
These are those crucial first contacts. God knows exactly who they are, where we will meet, how our relationship will develop. As a partner in this ministry, I ask you to stand with me, believing God to bring about these divine connections, believing also that I will recognize those who are called alongside when I see them. I firmly believe that some of those called alongside to help in our ministry of planting churches are standing in faith for the very same thing - that God would bring across their path divine connections in order to bring about His good pleasure for their nation. Praise God for His grace to walk it out!
Thank you for partnering with us to reach the nations! When you partner with us, YOU GO with us, sharing the Gospel of hope with the lost, making disciples, and reaping a harvest for the Lord Jesus!
Amen!
