Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Matthew 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Luke 24:45-47- “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ”
1 John 2:2 “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:8 – “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- This week we will focus on praying for our overseas partners as well as an unreached people group.
- Pray for Dalton & Hannah as they serve among a majority Buddhist people group in Asia. They are helping to host multiple Christmas parties this week. Pray God uses these parties to open people’s hearts to the Hope of the gospel.Their team is facilitating a training for local believers. Pray God uses this training to equip local believers to stand firm in the Word and effectively share the gospel with others.
Hannah has been sharing Bible stories with her language teacher, who has been listening with excitement. Pray for her to turn to Jesus for salvation!
- Pray for the Spanish Speaking Jews in Uruguay. 0% of this group adheres to Christianity. Find out more
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Does praying feel like a waste of time? It is ok if it does. Notice that I said, does it “feel” like a waste of time. It is not a waste of time, even if it feels like it. God is the one who keeps his promises. God is the one in charge of the harvest. God is the one who sends people out into the harvest. Look at the scripture above. It says he is “the Lord of the harvest.” The Lord of the harvest is the one who oversees it. He is in charge. It also says that these fields are “his harvest fields.” He is not indifferent to “his fields.” He is ready and able to act. Pray to God now. Ask him to send people. Ask him to give you the strength to obey if he sends you. Praying is not a waste and it is not a math problem to be solved. According to James, prayer is effective. Prayer also trains us to trust the Lord of the harvest.