Matthew 9:37-38

1. Intro.
1. Jesus often taught His disciples that they must pray, and how to pray; but seldom did He tell them what to pray for
1. He left that to their sense of need, and the leading of the Holy Spirit
2. here we one thing that He expressly tells them to remember
1. in view of the harvest
2. seeing the need of the reapers
3. they were to pray for laborers to be sent forth
2. we see that prayer is not to be selfish
3. prayer is the power by which others can be blessed
2. is it not strange that He should ask His disciple to pray for this
1. could not He pray Himself (one of His prayers are better than many of ours)
2. did not God see the need, and would He not send forth laborers without our prayers
3. such questions bring us to the deep mysteries of prayer, and its power
4. the answer to such questions will convince us that prayer is indeed powerful
5. the gathering of the harvest is dependent on our prayers
3. prayer is not a form or a show
1. Jesus was moved by compassion, then He ask His disciples to pray for laborers - Matthew 9:36
2. He ask them to pray because He believed their prayers were needed, and would help
3. the success of their work was dependent on their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to pray for laborers
1. the work was to great for them alone
2. if the faith was to continue, new laborers were needed
3. Jesus is giving them the right to appeal to God for help
4. the supply of laborers is dependent on our prayers
4. many Christians have little feeling for the need of laborers
1. they do not believe that the labor supply depends on prayer
2. they have little faith that prayer will provide as many laborers as needed
3. many fields ready for reaping will be left to perish because we pray not
4. Jesus has made Himself dependent on us for the completion of His work
1. God has given us the right to come before Him in prayer, and the power of prayer is real
2. the number of laborers, and the measure of the harvest is actually dependent on our prayers
5. why is this command not more heartily obeyed
1. we don’t have the compassion of Jesus
2. the lack of faith
1. we believe to little in the power of prayer to bring about definite results
2. we do not live close enough to God
3. we are not entirely given to His service to have confidence in Him
6. the blessings of such a prayer
1. there will be a desire for more men to be given fully to the service for God
2. every believer will be a laborer
7. power has been given to us by prayer
1. it will provide for the need of the world
2. it will gain the servants needed for God’s work
3. the command of Christ is the pledge that our prayers will be heard