THE FORGESample

DAY #4 Praying for a Harvest

Jesus always looked into people's eyes through an eternal lens. He saw their desperation as lost sheep and their priceless value in God's eyes.

He valued them like a landowner who valued his fruitful fields almost ready for harvest, covered in beautiful, abundant crops, rapidly ripening on the vine. It’s the heart’s desire of every farmer—the rich reward from his and his workers’ hard, hot hours of plowing, sowing, fertilizing, irrigating, waiting, and preparing.

Harvest. A harvest worthy of the price paid to obtain it. When Jesus looked out on the abundant crowds, that’s what He saw. Not rows of ripening grapes or grain, but precious souls, eternal souls, ready to be redeemed. Redeemed into eternal life, to be enjoyed forever, for the glory of the God who made them. Absolutely worth the hard sacrifice of the cross. And well worth the investment and careful attention of the workers.

The Bible says there is coming an ultimate “harvest time” when God, the righteous judge, will be seeking “fruit from the vineyard” (Luke 20:10). All heaven is preparing to collect this harvest. The souls of those whom Christ died to save. To redeem and rescue their lives so that none of them are wasted.

Yes, this harvest is abundant and ripening. “Open your eyes,” Jesus said to His disciples, “and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together” (John 4:35–36).

But He also pointed out a problem: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few” (Matt. 9:37). There weren’t enough people waking up and showing up to work the fields. There were only these twelve men with Jesus at the moment. How could so few carry out so much?

“Pray to the Lord of the harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Before He told them to go, He told them to pray. See the needs, then fall on your knees. Because before you can reap a harvest, there must be a harvest—lots of intentional preparation. The first step of spiritual soil preparation is the excellence of prayer!

Pray for the harvest. After praying for workers, start praying for each step of their work.

Pray for workers to train up workers. The task of reaching the world with the gospel is not up to us. That’s God’s job. “The Lord of the harvest” will bring in His harvest. But we must be obedient, not only to be His workers but also to train up and prepare new workers—new disciples. God’s plan is to reach the world not through addition but through multiplication, not through converts alone, but through the explosive growth of faithful disciples who make disciples.

Pray for your own family, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and maybe even a spouse who’s hungry to grow spiritually but doesn’t know how. Pray!

Then, pray for Jesus to send out the workers. Imagine the Lord using you and your humble investment in one or two—in just a few—to change the world over the next generations.