Do you have a deep desire to see more missionaries surrendering to go to the mission field – not only to the near and far places, but also to the hard places? Our world today is just as Jesus described it when He walked on this earth. He said to His disciples in Matthew 9:37:

          The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

What He observed then is very true today as well. Missionaries are always telling me that they need more help in their county to reach the multitudes of people.

We have been given the Great Commission to take the Gospel to the entire world.

So, what will it take to make this happen? Better recruiting methods? Bigger budgets? Dynamic sermons about reaching the lost? I think we could all agree that all these things would be beneficial. However, Jesus has already given us a simple strategy in Matthew 9:38 where He says,

          Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

We need more laborers to share the gospel, make disciples and start new churches.

So, let’s pray and ask God, the Lord of the harvest, for them! Would you consider joining me in what I call the “The 9:38 Challenge?” People in many countries around the world have taken up this challenge as I have presented it.

Here is the challenge. It is simple but so important because Jesus Himself commands us to do it. Plus, prayer changes things. Would you accept the challenge to pray every day for more missionaries? To help remind you to do it you can set your alarm on your phone or watch for either 9:38 in the morning or 9:38 at night or even both times. Then, when that time comes, stop what you are doing and pray to God for more laborers. It doesn’t have to be long. Will you take up this challenge to pray every day at 9:38? There have been times I have been in airports in Asia when my phone vibrated to remind me. Right there, among the crowds of travelers, two pastors and I stopped walking and stood in the middle of the terminal and prayed for more laborers.

What should motivate us to do this? The answer is in Matthew 9:36 where the Bible says Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes. As we watch the news and listen to reports from missionaries, we see the “multitudes” all around the world who are searching. They need Jesus, the Savior, who can forgive them of their sins. As I travel around the world, I have witnessed their desperation, hopelessness, loneliness, fear, and little hope of peace with God. It always stirs up within me a strong compassion to pray for more people to reach them with the Gospel before it’s too late. Many of them have an immediate need for food, shelter, and money. But the ultimate solution is for people who will GO and share the Gospel of Jesus with them.

So, what must we do?

•   We must plead with God to thrust out more missionaries.

•   We must be motivated by compassion for the lost.

This prayer request in Matthew 9:38 was from Jesus Himself. I believe if we pray more for laborers, we will have more laborers! Let’s pray to the Lord of the harvest together at 9:38 for more laborers.