"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborer are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:37-38
Let's start here. So much more to be said about this verse, but let's pray. Earnestly.
A good friend of mine, who generally has a sarcastic bent, told me something about prayer that has always stuck with me. We were at our regional Campus Crusade winter conference, looking at the books in the bookstore. There's a section on prayer, and a friend said "I've been looking for something to help me learn how to pray better." He responded, "You want to pray better? Mean it."
To this day, he doesn't actually remember saying it, but it's such truth. Matt 6:5 (my paraphrasing), Don't pray like the hypocrites who talk just to hear themselves talk and be heard by men. They have already received their reward in full.
Amen. Prayer can be so often empty and is quite the opposite of the earnest endeavor that Jesus calls us to. One of my favorite "prayers", to be snarky, is when people pray before a meal and pray that the food would "nourish our bodies." Isn't that what food exists to do?
Yea, my girlfriend and I talked at lengths about praying for food. If food is designed to nourish us, then are we wasting our words by saying 'nourish our bodies, etc'. Instead, we give thanks for being able to have and enjoy the food, and ask for Christ-centered fellowship and that He would be at the forefront of our lives.
Besides, when I'm eating something like a burger or something terrible for me, I feel weird asking for 'nourishment'. Maybe I should be asking for more in those situations...haha.
A good friend of mine, who generally has a sarcastic bent, told me something about prayer that has always stuck with me. We were at our regional Campus Crusade winter conference, looking at the books in the bookstore. There's a section on prayer, and a friend said "I've been looking for something to help me learn how to pray better." He responded, "You want to pray better? Mean it."
ReplyDeleteTo this day, he doesn't actually remember saying it, but it's such truth. Matt 6:5 (my paraphrasing), Don't pray like the hypocrites who talk just to hear themselves talk and be heard by men. They have already received their reward in full.
@Cory
ReplyDeleteAmen. Prayer can be so often empty and is quite the opposite of the earnest endeavor that Jesus calls us to. One of my favorite "prayers", to be snarky, is when people pray before a meal and pray that the food would "nourish our bodies." Isn't that what food exists to do?
;-)
@Trevor
ReplyDeleteYea, my girlfriend and I talked at lengths about praying for food. If food is designed to nourish us, then are we wasting our words by saying 'nourish our bodies, etc'. Instead, we give thanks for being able to have and enjoy the food, and ask for Christ-centered fellowship and that He would be at the forefront of our lives.
Besides, when I'm eating something like a burger or something terrible for me, I feel weird asking for 'nourishment'. Maybe I should be asking for more in those situations...haha.