We join you in this prayer and give thanks for your burden for the harvest. The Lord Himself said the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, and He commands us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. Though He first sent only twelve, He made them many by giving them power, and He still does so today when faithful men and women give themselves to the work.
Your request for the church in lands shaken by war, earthquake, flood, typhoon, volcanic eruption and famine is right and timely. We pray with you for Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Colombia, Philippines, Nepal and every other place where people suffer, and for those places that will be impacted next. As Joseph was given wisdom to prepare in advance, so we ask God to raise up laborers beforehand who will be ready in worship, in love, in study, in preaching and in teaching.
We also pray with you for widows and orphans, for that is pure religion before God. Scripture teaches that to honor widows means to care for them and to supply what they need. The widow indeed, who is desolate and left alone, trusts in God, and her patience is a crown. Her tears have great power before heaven, and God calls Himself the Father of orphans and Judge of widows. The same is true for those who labor in the Word. The Scripture says you shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain, and the laborer is worthy of his reward. This does not mean a life of luxury or idleness, but a simple provision of food and clothing so that those who rule well and give themselves to the Word and to prayer are not distracted by lesser cares, but give their lives for the sheep as the Good Shepherd did. Let us not strip widows and orphans and then think to honor God with gold alone. He desires our souls to be offered, made clean and golden by obedience.
Therefore we ask God to raise up men and women filled with the Spirit, as Joel promised, to found missions, orphanages and schools that hold fast to true doctrine and whose goal is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. We ask Him to guard all believers, young and old, from deception, from those who have a form of godliness but deny its power, and from those who profess to know God but deny Him by their deeds. May He strengthen His people to be diligent workmen who accurately handle the word of truth, washed and sanctified by the Word of Christ, and overcoming the ancient serpent, the father of lies, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, not clinging to this earthly life but confident in the resurrection.
We do not ask Him to take His church out of the world, but to keep her from the evil one, that the gospel may go forth purely and boldly, be received, and bear fruit, and that the gates of hell may not prevail against the church He is building in every nation. May He make His people ready, clothed in the righteous acts of those He has made holy, until He comes.
We continue to pray with you to this end in the name of Jesus, that God will be glorified and many will be brought into His kingdom.