“³⁷Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV)

How often have I indicated that there was work to be done only to walk away without taking any action, to often for sure. It is easy for me to see and know that there is action that needs to be taken. I have looked at those instances and justified my inaction for them not being my responsibility, but are they really not mine?

I have a responsibility to the work that God has laid out for me in this world. I have to take action where action is needed. If it is not my role to do the work I see, then it is my role to ensure that the work is done by those that have the capacity to do it. In the event that there is no one that is assigned or that has the ability to do the work, then it is mine to do and then the discussion as to who will be responsible should come after. I should not just be avoiding the work because, “it is not my job”.

In this passage, Jesus was being followed by the disciples and the people alike. There was work to be done in bringing the people to Him for their salvation. The disciples knew that there was work to be done, however with Jesus right there, they were waiting for Him to do the work. Jesus took the opportunity to teach rather than rebuke. In the verses above He is telling the disciples that they are tasked with work, at minimum to find those to go and preach the gospel to the people, but as they were already there, they should be willing to do the work themselves.

Too often I wait to go. My prayer to and conversation with God should not be solely to discuss what should be done, but how and where I can take action. I should be asking to be sent to do the work of God in the world today. I should be going and not just sending others.

What actions do you take when there is work to be done? Are you quicker to tell others or to take action yourself? What if we prayed to be sent to do the work of God as opposed to asking for the work to be done?

My personality is one where I analyze things prior to doing them. It might take me a minute to act on something because I have the need to see as many angle as possible and be sure that I am thorough in my approach. With this personality, the idea of praying with structure appeals to me greatly.

“⁹Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread, ¹²and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” – Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

As a good number know, this is known as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Jesus gives us this model of how to pray. Yes, He gives us a structure to follow as we pray so as to not miss anything of importance in our conversations with God. I have an outline to follow and that outline allows me to see things from many angles so that my prayer is thorough.

You see, I, as I am sure a good number of us, will wander in my prayer and/or only ask for things. Prayer is much more than that for sure. “The Lord’s Prayer” gives me the items that should highlight my time with God. My conversations with God should always include the structure given to us by Jesus.

Elements of prayer include, God’s glorification, acknowledgment of His will in our lives, thanks for the provision for our needs, repentance, and deliverance. These are the basics that we should be engaged with in our conversations with God. It is not all that we can talk to Him about, they are just the basics. Everything else falls into the requests, wants, and desires.

God will allow me to have beyond the basics. It is not that He does not want for me to have them, it is just He knows how those things will impact my relationship with Him. It is okay for me to add those items into my prayer, but they are just that, add-ins. I should be starting with the structure and the basics and then with time left over, my other requests are added.

Prayer is the conversation between me and God. That conversation is to grow closer in our relationship and allow God to work in my life to fulfill my purpose for Him. Having structure to the conversation makes sure that I am staying on task and cover the things that are important in the eyes of God and that, frankly, should be important in my eyes as well.

What does your prayer and prayer time look like? Are you just winging it each and every time you talk with God? What if you were to add the structure of “The Lord’s Prayer” to make sure that you cover all of the important items?

“⁵And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁷And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” – Matthew 6:5 & 7 (ESV)

I want to be careful in that it is the motives of those praying that Jesus is calling out here, not the prayer itself. I am sure that most of us have seen those that are praying loud and proud for all to see on the street and in other venues. They are loud and boisterous and pray for the longest time just to give the impression that they are somehow more holy than others and that their words alone will garner them some recognition.

I have been asked to pray in public before and have fallen to the idea that I have to somehow be eloquent and wordy. I have found myself going on and repeating things to God just to speak longer that somehow that might make the prayer even better.

⁶But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁸…for you Father knows what you need before you ask him.” – Matthew 6:6 & 8b (ESV)

This is the type of relationship that should be had with Christ. That personal intimate relationship. Saying, in private, only that which needs to be said. Speaking with God, knowing that I have His full attention and that He is hanging on every word. It is a conversation between He and I, and that is where is the focus.

This is not to say that we should not be praying in public. On the contrary. I should take every opportunity to pray and speak with God. But, I also must remember the relationship and that the prayer is intimate and between He and I. I should be saying what should be said and no more or less. I should be lifting others up to Him and leaving it at that. No need to go on and on so that I will be considered something more than I am. It has been recognized that I have a relationship with God and that has prompted others to ask me to continue that work in public. The message should be the same, only others are able to hear.

When you pray, are you doing so to impress others or to speak with God? Are you looking to lift yourself up to a higher standing? What if we were to simply have a conversation with God in private or in public when asked to do so?

This morning I was led to the passage in Matthew 5 titled “Love Your Enemies”. I know this is a difficult one to undertake, especially when our enemies do not give us a reason to love them. I have studied this passage a number of times and the most impactful time was back in 2018 when I was reminded to show God’s love even when I may not feel the need to do so.

“⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” – Matthew 5:44 (ESV)

You see that I may not like those that are against me, and frankly I do not necessarily have to. I am to love them and by love that means to show them love regardless of what they do or how they treat others. My showing of love is in the form of, at minimum, prayer for them. I have written on the subject “Remember to Pray for Others Intentionally”, and this morning I am taking that to the next level by remembering to pray for others intentionally, even those that are against me.

I have mentioned my mission a number of times in my writing and again here: “Improve lives through growth and learning as an example of Christ’s love”. Praying for others, even those that are against me is doing just that. As I pray for others I am looking to improve their lives. Jesus himself said the passage above and therefor praying for others is the example of Christ’s love being shown to all.

This is a simple concept to be taken. I encourage to read and study the full passage of Matthew 5:43-48 to understand the whole of loving your enemies, but I will say this, it is easy to love those that are kind and gentle and that reciprocate. Where it is difficult is finding it in yourself to love those that are against you. Jesus is not referring to the emotion of love for all, but the action of love. I have to remember to demonstrate love to any and all I interact.

What love are you showing to those around you? Are you focused only on those that reciprocate? What if you were to pray for those against you as a demonstration of love for all?

This morning as I sat down to pray, I was sure to include all for me. I thanked God for His glory. I prayed His will done. I asked for His provision. I asked for forgiveness. It was an all about me prayer.

“⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they be secure who love you!’” – Psalm 122:6 (ESV)

Notice the prayer indicated in this Psalm. The prayer is for others and not for me. I have to remember that when praying, others are in need just as I am. As a Christian, it is my responsibility to intercede for others with God. I am to be the conduit that gives others a line to the Lord. I am to be there for my brothers and sisters so that they are not out there going it alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I have to pray for myself and all that I mentioned at the beginning of this writing. I have to be conscious of who God is, what He does, and how I can honor Him. But there is a time for that and then there is the time for my intercession for those in need, that may or may not know they are in need. When was the last time I stopped what I was doing to pray for/with someone in the moment? When was the last time I was intentional in my lifting up of others?

“⁸For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, ‘Peace be within you!’” – Psalm 122:8 (ESV)

I have to be better at praying for those in need. I may not know exactly what their need is, but as is written in Psalm, I can pray for peace within them. I can lift them up to God to at least let them know that there are those that care for them in all aspects of there lives.

When was the last time you prayed for someone else? Are you so focused on your needs that others are getting missed in the process? What if you were to make it a point to pray for others intentionally?

“¹Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. ²Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. ³O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” – Psalm 5:1-3 (ESV)

As I read this passage, I was taken to my prayer prior to my beginning to study in the morning. I open my pray as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. I start off by giving praise to Him and then thanking Him for the blessings He provides for me. As I refer to the passage above as it relates to the example of prayer Jesus gave, the two are in line, with one significant difference.

David, in the above, opens his prayer asking God to hear him. He seeks an audience with God. David is very intentional with his actions and that should serve as an example for me. I have to be intentional with my prayer. I have to get God’s attention. I have to be overt in my prayer to Him.

I want to be clear here that God is always paying attention to me. He knows my every move, action, thought, and word, even before I do. He does not need me to shout out to Him and draw his attention directly to me. This action to asking for God’s attention is for me. I have to let Him know so that I will be focused in my prayer to Him. I ask God to hear me so that I know to come to Him fully and not just with my words.

When I am in the corporate world, I have the opportunity to work with others that are busy with other items and when I ask for an audience or get called into meetings, I have to remain focused and intentional to be sure that I am getting out there what I intended to get out there. There is a time and a place for everything and a meeting about staffing is not the time to talk about IT issues that have popped up over the course of the last week. I have to be intentional and make sure that I am using my time to focus on the work at hand.

In my relationship with God I should be asking for an audience with Him and focusing my attention to Him. I must be intentional and not wander from topic to topic. I have a plan of what to discuss and what questions to ask. There may be a lot to discuss and hash out with God, and He wants to hear it all, but I should also use my time to fully engaged with Him.

I want to be careful here so as to not say that we should only be speaking to God when we have an appointment. That could not be further from what I am speaking. I want to indicate here that as we pray, similar to David, we should be getting our attention by asking God to hear us. Any and all times I speak with God, I should be getting His attention, for my benefit, not His, and in doing so, that will keep me on task at the time and guide me to remain in Him throughout.

Once I have my attention, I should be following the model of prayer that Jesus laid out for us:

“⁹Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread, ¹²and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” – Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

When you pray, are you asking for God to hear you? Are you praying without intention? What if you asked God to hear you, not for His benefit, but for yours to be intentional and keep focused?

“¹²Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. ¹³When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ¹⁵Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.’” – 2 Chronicles 7:12-15 (ESV)

I have studied these verses a number of times over the past 5 years. God again leads me here when I need it. I have studied, “seek”, “heal”, and “sin”, and now the word “pray” and that is certainly not missed out here.

The LORD speaks to Solomon and clearly lets him know that He is there. But for Him to remain, there are some things that must be met and kept. The people have to have a change of heart and “humble themselves” in his presence. They need to earnestly look for or “seek” Him out at every turn and avoid sin as they “turn from their wicked ways”. I see this as all part prayer. I have to be humble, and seek Him as I turn from wickedness so that I am able to commune with God. When I am able to do so, then He will be there with me. He will hear me and heal me and will remain with me as promised.

It is not a passive process. God wants to hear from me earnestly. That is done through my prayer and communion with Him. I am to break down and allow myself to be guided by God. That means that I have to take the actions stated by Him in these verses and when I do, God will remain with me, hearing, healing, and forgiving me.

What does your communication with God look like? Are you taking action? What if you were to be earnest in your prayer and seek Him out as you turn away from wickedness to be heard, healed and forgiven?

We all, I am sure, have experience those that have sinned against us and/or more importantly sinned against God (since sin is a certainty, I write with confidence). I know that I have and do each day. Yet, mine is not to judge them for their actions, only to pray for them and their repentance.

“²³Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.” – 1 Samuel 12:23 (ESV)

Samuel demonstrates here the actions we should be taking each day. Prayer for all in the interest of helping and not consciously sinning ourselves. Even though there are those that will and do sin against God, we are still responsible to guide them to what is right. When they choose to go against the LORD or even us, we should lift them up that they might be able to see for themselves the error in their actions and repent. We are not to disparage them, or talk down to them about their actions, but to lift them up in love and pray that God will work on their hearts to soften them to Him.

Out there it is too easy to give up on those that are lost. They may be lost today, but with our guidance and continued prayer for healing and repentance, they may be found. I can only pray for them and give them every chance to be found. I am to pray for all regardless of who they are or what they may have done.

What action have you witnessed that could use your prayer? Are you willing to pray for them, or are you writing them off? What if we simply prayed for all regardless and allowed God to work?

“⁵Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” – Isaiah 12:5-6 (ESV)

God is so good. He is there for us at all times. He does for us and He does so gloriously.

In this passage of Isaiah, the LORD is exalted as “My Strength and My Song”. I am to give thanks for His deeds done in my life. I am to exalt Him and His name. I am to “shout, and sing for joy” as noted in verse six. Below is the reason for our shouting and singing.

“⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’” – Isaiah 6:6-7 (ESV)

What a great thing to shout and sing aloud. God not only forgives, but He does so emphatically. There is something about the act described in verses six and seven just above. God wiped away the uncleanliness with one action. In grand fashion, all of the sins and guilt were taken away. And so it is and can be for us.

We are sinners and that is a fact. The only action we can take to find reprieve from that sin is to repent to our Father in heaven and He will forgive. But not only will He forgive us for our transgressions, He will do so emphatically and gloriously for us to “shout, and sing for joy”.

Where are you looking for forgiveness? Are you seeking it in world? What if you were to put your faith in God, repent and allow Him to forgive emphatically and gloriously?

Glorifying comes from God and not of ourselves.

“⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? ⁵⁴Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, “He is our God.”’” – John 8:53-54 (ESV)

Jesus is being grilled by the Jews here. He is being questioned as to just who he is and who he “makes” himself out to be. And Jesus lets them know quickly that it is not He that raises Himself up, but God the Father. God is the one that has the authority to make us more than we are in this world.

Yes, positions in society are given and provided by those in society, but that is not what I am talking about when talking about being raised up and glorified. I am not talking about position in a company, but the position had in the Kingdom of God. God glorifies me and has given me position as heir with Jesus in heaven. I am a child of God and with that comes the glory as given from God the Father.

The glorification from God to me is not something that will raise us up in society. In fact, it is likely that our position is society will be more difficult as we are glorified by God. We are be persecuted for our faith. We are treated as contrary to the world. We are viewed as out of touch and living a “Pollyanna” existence. We are seen as resistant to the ways of the world and non conforming to changes in what is acceptable in society. I will say that I am okay with all of the treatment for that just confirms that everyone knows of where my allegiance lies. Now I am not saying that I enjoy the treatment, just that I accept it as a consequence of my faith.

I know that my glory here in this world is of no consequence to my eternal glory that is found in Christ. I am here in this world to do the work of God, for God, and with His help. I know that my purpose is to glorify the King and as I do, He, God, will glorify me.

Where is it that you are seeking glorification? Are you looking to be seen as great in this world? What if you were to seek to glorify God to be glorified by God?