PRAYING FOR A HARVEST
By Dr. Barry L. Davis
These were [Jesus’] instructions to them: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields – Luke 10:2 (NLT)
THE CHALLENGE: The harvest is plentiful.
Jesus said nearly two thousand years ago that the harvest was plentiful. The challenge is still before us today. Over 3.5 billion people on our planet do not know Jesus Christ and God's gift of grace and forgiveness. These people are part of 12,000 unreached people groups from around the world. These peoples, according to the Adopt a People Clearinghouse, are deemed "unreached" for three reasons:
ü They have not had the gospel preached to them;
ü They do not have a church in their language or culture;
ü They do not have the Word of God translated into their language.
These groups make up more than 65 percent of our earth's population!!
THE PROBLEM: The workers are few.
The laborers are few, as these statistics show:
ü More than 50 percent of the new missionary workers who go to the field will stay an average of only one four year term;
ü More than 80 percent of the present missionary force will work with "reached" groups; that is, they have a significant population claiming to be Christian with leaders who are nationals;
ü Less than 18 percent of the present missionary force work in the fifty-five least evangelized countries of the world (more than 3 billion population);
ü More than 50 percent of the present missionary force working around the world will reach retirement age or die over the next 10 years;
ü The average U.S. congregation gives only 2.5 percent of its budget to missions.
THE ANSWER: Ask the Lord of the harvest.
"We do not need more committees, more satellites, more colleges, or more books on missions and evangelism. We do not need more seminars, workshops, conventions, or conferences. Instead, Jesus calls people to take seriously the ministry of prayer. Jesus yearns for more prayer warriors and prayer meetings. He aches for more meetings opened in prayer, focused on prayer, and concluded with prayer!" -- Gary Barnes
Prayer Encouragers:
1. QUOTE: "World evangelization, above all, is an issue to be decided by spiritual power, the power of the Holy Spirit released in response to the prayers of His people." – John D. Robb
2. TRUE STORY: Missionary Stan Yoder tells a story about when he worked in Sierra Leone. He wanted to reach the Yalunka people there, so he and his agency targeted a Yalunka town, and the agency was recruiting a couple to come work there. About the same time, a church in the U.S. began praying for the Yalunka town, praying specifically that twelve families would come to Christ. Before the couple came, the following happened. A new chief was elected, and he sent word to Stan to come and start a church there. Stan went, and 250 people attended the first service, and 21 people came to Christ the first day. – From interview with Stan Yoder
3. TRUE STORY: Since the 1800s missionaries have tried to reach the 20,000 semi-nomadic Orma people of Kenya. This people was highlighted in July 1986 in the daily missions prayer devotional, Global Prayer Digest. After the article was printed, it worked out that nine missionaries were able to come among the Ormas. – From Frontier Missions, "We Pray, God Answers" March 1989
4. FACT: Prayer is mentioned more than thirty times in the book of Acts, generally before major breakthroughs in the outward expansion of the early Christian movement.
5. TRUE STORY: Dick Eastman, president of World Literature Crusade, tells how in 1988 God led him to take a team of pray-ers throughout Eastern Europe. In obedience to God's leading, they carried out a "prayer walk" around the Polibureau building in Bucharest, where less than two years later Ceaucescu made his last stand after pridefully announcing his regime would last a thousand years.
Pray, pray, and pray some more for the unreached people groups and for workers to send into the Harvest field. If you need a prayer guide, consider “Operation World” available from the Christian Bookstore, or www.christianbooks.com