How should we pray?

So many of you ask us how to pray. So many of you want to be involved on the front-line of praying for us. So many of you tell us you are praying for us. We have said and continue to say that if it weren't for you all backing us with your prayer, we would pack up and go home. We would be useless without the hand of God directing us.

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. Then he said to his disciples, "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Adam Clarke's commentary says 'Jesus wishes for laborers, not gentlemen, who are either idle drones, or slaves to pleasure and sin, and nati consumere fruges. "Born to consume the produce of the soil." '

I have recently learned that there are 26,000 un-churched barangay (suburbs/neighborhoods/communities) in Manila. I'm not talking just Nazarene churches, there are NO evangelical christian churches in these areas. The research is saying that Christian evangelical population in Manila is only 2% or less. The percentage is higher in the surrounding provinces, and islands. It is said that CMA has one church in each barangay in Mindinau. In the past, people have come to Manila and learned the language and then went out into the province to do their church planting.

This huge, most densely populated city in the entire world has a very ripe harvest! We don't need to be comsuming all the produce of the soil! Ouch...good thing I'm not eating a carrot right now :)

Just this morning in our devotions at the office, one of the ladies requested prayer for their church because they are planning on doing a church plant quite near our home. They are in the beginning stages of presenting this to their congregation. The church needs to catch the vision! Please pray for Ate Judy and her church as they take on the wonderful task of church planting!

I am really challenged! I don't only want you to pray that way for us, but I want you to pray that way for you! For your family! For your church! For your city! For your state! For your country! That really needs to be all of our hearts desire!

Please forgive my previous prayer requests that were so "me" centered. Truly, my first and most important prayer request is that God will rise up workers for this field!!! Please pray with us in that vein. I want God to infuse me with an unquenchable thirst for people to be hearing the word of God!

I think of Jesus seeing the crowds and what comes into my mind are the throngs of people I see here, specifically, the throngs of people living in poverty. I see them and am overwhelmed by their helplessness...they are like a sheep without a shepherd. The little kids come tapping on my window of the car, while I'm stopped at the light, asking for money. The blind man comes along ushered by a family member. There is also the crippled man who I can't even see out the window of my car because he is walking with his hands and dragging his paralyzed legs behind him. I am overwhelmed by the needs! Not so much the need for food and money, but the need to be taught how to get out of the mess they are in. The need for basic education. The need to learn how to hold down a job. The need to learn how to love themselves because Christ loves them and died for them.

Pray for the workers, the laborers! Pray for the incredible students at the Seminary. Many of them intend to stay right here, harvesting. Many of them are already involved heavily in their churches. Their passion is to share the love of Christ. Pray for these un-churched areas to be connected with a "worker" so that they can receive the wonderful love of Jesus. Pray! Pray! Pray!