Jesus told us the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Our Lord encourages us to pray for God to send out laborers into the harvest. We find this in Matthew 9:37-38. Every leader in the church who is burdened for seeing the lost come to redemption should be asking the Father to call out workers into the world to do the work of evangelism. Those leaders should challenge individually and corporately the Christians he leads to share the message of salvation. He should offer training in the work of winning souls, making a witness and having gospel conversations.
Here is the dangerous prayer that I dare you to pray and lead your people to pray:
When God was looking for a voice in the 8th century B.C. He asked the questions, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” Isaiah responded, “Here am I Lord, send me.”
Take five weeks in your church life, and make this a focus. Lead your people to pray these six words for five consecutive Sundays. Let them speak it aloud. Lead them to pray it on their knees and standing up. Have them pray these dangerous words in the silence of their hearts. Let God make you creative in this emphasis. I promise you, God will answer!
This prayer is dangerous because it gets our eyes off ourselves. It is not about being blessed but being a blessing. It is not about me but about others. Go ahead, ask the Father how you can lead your church to pray this prayer and then do it!
Before you stand before the church, bow before the Throne of Grace, and pray these six dangerous words.
LORD HERE I AM, SEND ME.