I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Luke 10-11.

    “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” I was going to say that is even more true today than it was when Jesus said it, but that is not true. However, much to our shame it is as true today as it was when Jesus said. And why is it so true? Because we do not pray enough(more on that in the next paragraph), nor hard enough for the Lord to send more workers. Look around at our society, if your heart does not break for those who do not know and serve the Lord, my heart breaks for you. I want to make it clear that when I say “we do not pray enough” I am most definitely including myself in that “we”. I think it is time for me to stop just praying where I am when the conviction comes upon me to pray and for me to get down on my knees to pray. I need the Spirit to fully overcome me so that I speak God’s word to those in need of it around me.

    There is much in today’s passage which connects to how we should approach the “harvest”: the story of the Good Samaritan talks about how we go about the harvest, as does the story of Mary and Martha. Then Jesus teaches us about prayer. Notice how sparse and clean is the example prayer which Jesus gives us. Our prayers are not better for being wordy. The contrary is true. Let us keep our prayers simple and direct. We do not need to tell God why it is His will to answer them. He knows that already. However, Jesus does remind us of the importance of persistence. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. If we believe that what we are asking for is God’s will, why are we not asking for it again, and again, and again, and again. If we believe that what we are looking for is necessary to perform God’s will, why do we give up when we do not find it after a day or two. We should keep on looking until we find it, even if it takes decades. If we believe that God wants us to go through that door, why do we stop knocking when nobody answers it the first time? Instead let us make sure our ring is turned in and knock harder, look for a doorbell, find a stick so that our knocking can be louder, and keep knocking until someone opens the door. And if we do not believe it is God’s will, why were we knocking in the first place?