“These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” Lk 10:2

No reasonable employee or slave jokes with the instructions of his masters, bosses or superiors. Down right instructions is the order of stratification that makes production of services possible. Instructions take a serious dimension when you get to the Armed Forces. Their stock in trade and mantra is “obey before complaints,“ “ obey the last order” etc.

Even though this  lifestyle looks difficult, going to battle where you may easily get killed but because the soldiers need their pay to put food on the table, they must obey. Interestingly the bible calls Christians soldiers. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.” 2 Tim 2:3-4

Jesus seized every opportunity to fulfill his purpose on earth namely to redeem mankind by his painful death on the cross, seek for those who are lost, build a church, and train those that will manage the church after he ascends to heaven.Any competent manager knows what to do to make the company run but also depends on  the attitude of the workers. Jesus is not just a competent CEO He is the Maker of the World! He has one agenda to make every human being to live with him forever in heaven when they exit this wicked and wretched world. 

To do that He knows the people have to be born again- That is the critical and crucial condition to enter paradise with Jesus. 

So Jesus instructed his disciples to go and make sure there are labourers for this huge job of souls harvesting! He also made it easy for us to do it . “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” How simple and less complicated could that be! When you are looking for employees in the natural you advertise, people apply, you interview them and you are good to go. But spiritual things are different!  Most times it is an unpaid volunteer job and that is why the labourers are few.  

There are 2.6 billion  Christians of all shades in a world of over 7 billion people. 2. 6 billion is big enough figure to start with. That is about one third  of the world population and the number has remained for a long time.  Brethren the Holy Spirit that convicted you of your sins and enables you to become a Christian is saying OBEY  the instructions to pray for labourers to do the harvesting job! 

It is not that  Christians don’t pray but the issue is what are we praying for . James says we pray amiss! “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” Jas 4:3.

One of the benefits of COVID-19 is the introduction of ZOOM and other apps that has led to unprecedented number of PRAYER-LINES especially in the year 2020. Christians go from one prayer line to another asking God for the same request! The Holy Spirit is saying in 2021 change your prayer points- “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” Lk 10:2. That is the prayer that matters! That is the prayer that will bring labourers/ workers to God’s vineyard!

If Jesus is our maker and bishop of our souls and we genuinely desire his quick return.  Then fulfill the two main scriptures towards this goal as expressly stated in Matt 24:14 and 2 Pet 3:9 that says preach the gospel to all nations, then we need to obey these instructions. The church is not growing because we are not praying and groaning for labourers as instructed. The church is under attack and we are hiding like Gideon from the Midianites from our persecutors because we have no labourers in the body of Christ. 

Conclusion: For us to have the the result God wants; labourers in his vineyard, we  need to change our prayer strategy. Guided by the Holy Spirt let me give you a 3-3-3 prayer allocation formula from today. 

Let 1/3 of your prayer content and time this year be - Thanksgiving. Let the next  1/3 be to ask God for labourers  to come to the kingdom( prayer for repentance, confession, revival, souls winning, prayer that matters for the kingdom). Let the last 1/3 prayer contents be for your needs! Elijah said to the widow of  Zarephath do my own first and your needs shall be met. I can hear Jesus saying- “do my own first - pray for labourers for the kingdom first and I guarantee you, I will take care of your needs after all I am more than Elijah”. You should be tired of saying the same prayer points on different prayer lines. Our God is not deaf! Change your prayer points! Brethren the harvest is great over 5 billion souls are not saved, Coronavirus is killing and sending people to hell fire. Let us pray prayers that is kingdom oriented, that matter to God and are relevant to humanity and God will take care of your welfare. 

God spared your life in 2020 not  just to eat burger,  jollof rice or any cuisine but to fulfill His purpose for your creation. Church building lockdown is not a padlock to our mouths. 

Work/ pray from home is Jesus idea in the first place ! “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” Matt 6:6 Remember it is your year to discover and recover. Shalom .

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