“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37b). These were the words of our Lord over two thousand years ago. Tragically these words are still true today. The harvest is more plentiful than ever, but the laborers are still far too few. Jesus said, “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38).
God has burdened my heart to pray for disciple makers. Our great need is for hard working laborers to take extreme ownership of the Great Commission by going out into the harvest to make and to multiply disciples. Earnest prayer for this is needed, but what should we pray?
PRAY FOR COURAGE
I recently sat at a table with a woman who was accepting the call to discipleship. She was committing to lead a D-Group and begin living the D-Life. This precious godly woman asked us to pray for the Lord to give her courage. She is introverted by nature and prefers to serve behind the scenes. However, she was intentionally stepping out of her comfort zone to become the disciple maker God has called her to be. It was an honor to pray for God to fill her with holy boldness for this work. Regardless of our personalities and temperaments, we are all called to live the D-Life. We must earnestly pray for God’s people to leave their comfort zones and be filled with boldness for the work of making and multiplying disciples. In Acts 4:29-31, the Lord’s disciples prayed for “boldness” and “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and . . . with boldness.”
PRAY FOR COMMITMENT
It is tragic how few Christians are willing to commit to the things of God. They may agree that something is important to God, but are not willing to commit to it. Think about this. Jesus was totally committed to bear our cross and give His life for us, but we are often unwilling to commit to that which is important to Him. Oh, the shame of this! Compare this to the commitment of the ungodly. Many people of the world are wildly committed to an unjust cause. Yet, many Christians are unwilling to commit to the great cause of making disciples. Without question, Jesus has called His followers to live the D-Life (Matthew 4:19; 28:18-20). We must earnestly pray for more “laborers” to make an unwavering commitment to a lifestyle of discipleship.
PRAY FOR CONVICTION
Only the Holy Spirit of God can convict the human heart. Conviction is an inside job. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin” (John 14:8). I believe the greatest sin in the church today is that of disregarding the Great Commission. Jesus commanded us to “make disciples.” We must earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts of all believers to obey this call. The church can be a powerful force for God in the world when believers are truly committed to making and multiplying disciples out of a heart of conviction.
PRAY FOR CONCERN
Are you troubled about the spiritual condition of our world? Are you burdened over the lostness and darkness that covers our land? Are you concerned about your neighbor’s relationship with God? Apathy and indifference have no place in the church. We must care, and our concern for the lost must compel us to act. But what action should we take? Is there anything we can do that will make a difference? Unquestionably YES! We can live the D-Life. When you commit to a lifestyle of making and multiplying disciples, the impact your life can make is exponential. We must earnestly pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out disciple makers into the harvest who have a genuine concern for the lost.
MY PRAYER FOR YOU
D-Life is a simple plan. It is a reproducible and highly effective tool for training all believers for a life of discipleship. It’s not a program; it’s a lifestyle. Regardless of your age or personality, you can do this. I am earnestly praying that God will give you the courage, the concern, and the conviction to make an unwavering commitment to begin living the D-Life.
