A teaching by Rev. Barbara Williams, President of the Ministry of the Watchman International
Week of October 10-14, 2022
MONDAY
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus has compassion on people who seem to be without leadership and guidance. He looks out upon the multitudes that had come to hear His words, and He has compassion on them because they are scattered like sheep having no shepherd. He then decides to do something about it.
What He does is to ordain and send out laborers into the harvest. Jesus states that the fields are already right to harvest. In other words, there are always people around who need help from God. He tells the disciples to look and see this. It must be possible to look and not see this.
I think Jesus is saying that laborers see differently than non-laborers. Laborers see the same thing that the Lord of the Harvest sees. Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest. He sends forth the laborers. Even when we go out in groups, if we minister and help the harvest we are sent by God. The first characteristic of a laborer is that he is sent by God.
If you are in need of healing, there is good news! Proverbs 4:20-22 SAYS:
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So there is life and health in God’s word. Since God’s word is medicine, we must take it like we would a prescription. I suggest three times a day, like you would your food. Remember, healing is the children’s bread. Consider this your “dose” for today. Remember, read, and meditate three times a day the following:
Rx: Psalm 30:2 ~ O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
If you’ve never studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we invite you to join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Read and meditate on these chapters this week:
October 10: 1 Kings 11, Philippians 4, Ezekiel 43, Psalms 95-96
October 11: 1 Kings 12, Colossians 1, Ezekiel 44, Psalms 97-98
October 12: 1 Kings 13, Colossians 2, Ezekiel 45, Psalms 99-101
October 13: 1 Kings 14, Colossians 3, Ezekiel 46, Psalms 102
October 14: 1 Kings 15, Colossians 4, Ezekiel 47, Psalms 103
October 15: 1 Kings 16-18, 1 Thessalonians 1, Ezekiel 48, Psalms 104
October 16: 1 Kings 19, 1 Thessalonians 2, Daniel 1, Psalms 105
TUESDAY
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
Before one can be sent by God, he must be equipped. Jesus has given power to minister to his twelve disciples, but now He has appointed another seventy. It looks as though there are many laborers needed to work for God. Part of one’s spiritual equipment is the anointing. How does one become anointed?
Well, it starts with being called. When Jesus called the twelve, one at a time, they left what they were doing and immediately followed Him. This is key. The word disciple is from the Latin word “discipulus,” which means student. Whenever we begin to learn about the Kingdom of God, we are students forever.
God teaches us by the unction of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. He teaches us through leading us into all truth. He leads us in His ways. The only way to stop learning is to turn away from His ways, or stop studying the Word of God. As long as God lives in us, He wants to teach us the right way. Take advantage of this. It is so easy to learn from God. We learn by following Jesus. We are called to be as He is in the world.
So a laborer must be a student of God, with a humble heart and a teachable spirit. He must incline his ear to the Word and desire to learn. He must also have capable teachers. We learn from the apostle, prophet evangelist, pastor and teacher. These are persons ordained by God to govern and teach His disciples.
Your teacher must be a student, also. Jesus learned from the Father. He only did what He saw the Father God do. People who are under authority have authority. You will imitate those who teach you.
Do you ever wonder why healing services are so large? Everybody knows they need to understand divine healing. Whenever God is moving, He draws a crowd. People want to understand and move in that power, so they expose themselves to places where the power flows. They will understand more about God’s power by doing this.
A disciple chooses powerful teachers who show the fruit of God’s anointing.
WEDNESDAY
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
Laborers must be obedient to the Master. God needs people that He can depend upon. He will never call someone to do something if they did not do the last thing He told them to do. Laborers must be faithful.
Have you ever wanted someone to be dependable, but time and time again they disappoint you with their lack of diligence. Sometimes there are people that we know and love and work with. When we think of them, we basically feel good, but then our mind travels to a picture of them letting us down. Perhaps they lack punctuality. Sometimes they are not faithful with finances. Sometimes they are forgetful, or they don’t keep their word. Sometimes people lack focus and are easily distracted by things that seem more pleasant to them.
Jesus will never give much responsibility to people like this. They would not be included in the seventy. So a laborer must be trustworthy and faithful. Lack of faithfulness disqualifies us from God’s laborer service.
THURSDAY
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
A laborer is a person of prayer. Jesus instructs us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into the harvest. He was speaking these instructions to those whom He was sending.
So, if you are working for God, you need to pray for Him to send out other workers just like yourself. Many times we get involved in working for the Lord, and instead of asking Him to send more laborers, we begin to try to recruit laborers from among our friends. We wind up offending friends and making a pest of ourselves, because we do not know how to identify true laborers.
Only God know whom He has trained, and who qualifies with the anointing to minister. Only God knows each person’s gift and calling. So why make enemies of your friends? Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers.
The Lord knows how to burden people to work for Him. I have taught a prayer ministry for several years. Many times ministers and pastors will call or send me letters to join them in marching somewhere to pray, or gathering in a stadium, or some other place, on one day for some type of group prayer effort when the bible tells us to pray without ceasing. I can tell from the tone of the letter or the tone of their voice where the idea originated. Human burdens are always tinged with fear, hype, or anxiety.
In order to effect change, we must receive our burdens and instructions for prayer from the Lord. True burdens come with answers and a vision for a successful outcome. This requires living a life of prayer. Few people do.
Not much can be accomplished in one day of prayer, because few answers come in one day, or after one prayer session. Many of these efforts are human attempts to affect spiritual climates. Laborers, then, are people of prayer who have legitimate burdens from God, and are committed to pray until the answer comes.
FRIDAY
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
Laborers are members of the body of Christ who have co-laborers in the work. Jesus sent them out by twos, ahead of Himself. Jesus always works with His church confirming His word with signs following. This is just as true now as it was then.
Jesus knows how to train His workers, and once He has anointed them for the work, He commissions (gives them instructions) them and sends them out with companions. We always need help in working for God. Never go alone to do ministry, unless you absolutely know God is sending you to a specific place.
Sometimes you may be sent alone, but others will meet you there. Jesus knows that there is power in unity. When we function as a body, we draw strength from one another, and can fend off any attack from the enemy.
When I first began to minister, I would always take my sister, Shirley with me. We both began to learn how to work together in ministry and to rely on one another’s strengths to help in the work. We accomplished a great deal more together than we ever could have alone. We still minister together to this day. We also have our separate meetings. God blends and He separates. When we work separate from each other, we are joined by other believers, always functioning as a part of His body. So a laborer knows His limitations and functions as part of a larger body.
Are you a laborer?