21 Days of Impactful Prayer: Day 20

As we begin the new year, Converge churches and missionaries from around the globe will embark on 21 Days of Prayer. Join us on this prayer journey by reading the daily entries on Converge’s blog, or by downloading your free 21 Days of Impactful Prayer: Moving Forward guide. In addition, you can share daily posts from our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds. Thank you for joining us as we open 2021 in prayer together.

Day 20: The Starting Point of Sending

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Reflections

Jesus saw a ready harvest. According to his estimation, the size of our harvest will be directly proportionate to how many are sent into the harvest. But Jesus doesn’t tell us to try harder, strategize better, take more lessons on disciple-making or leadership. He tells us to pray earnestly. “Earnestly” means to engage in something with complete focus and attention, expending significant energy to see something happen.

Referencing this verse, one of our Converge leaders once stated, “We need to pray for God to wreck lives.” And it’s true! God wants to bring many through a process of ripping away their sub-divine dreams and plans and directing their lives to eternal things the world doesn’t value. Only God can do this. It all begins with our earnest prayer that God will wreck lives and send workers into the harvest.

Challenge

God-sized prayers are exciting, but often overlooked. Urgent needs and pressing situations most often get the bulk of our prayer times. Jesus challenges us to pray for what has captured the heart of God — to pray for more workers to be sent into the “fields” of lost people. God has made it quite simple. Just begin with prayer. Not casual or unfocused prayer. Earnest prayer. Do you earnestly pray God’s agenda regularly? Do you pray big things that align with God’s heart? Are you praying the Lord of the harvest will send workers into the harvest? Will you?

Prayer

Lord of the harvest, I sense you are awaiting my prayers. I don’t completely understand how this works, that the God of the universe longs for my prayers so that workers can be sent. By faith I pray now. I ask you to raise up people I know, people in my church and circles of influence, to be radically gripped by you to step into your chosen harvest fields. Lord, I pray you will send many and, if it be your will, that you will even send me. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.