Based on Luke 18:1-8

MEMORY TEXT:  “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

The next time we ask God to bless something, whether it’s our family, our church, or some far-off mission field, we would do well to think how God might do that.

One day Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest" (Luke 10:2).  It would have little meaning for us to pray this prayer unless we ourselves are willing to be one of the laborers.  Though God works in mysterious ways, His ways usually include people, and that person might as well be you or me.

One day I was listening to a program in which Joni Earickson-Tada and her husband were being interviewed.  They explained how, before they visit friends, they offer a prayer that God will give them the words to speak so that they might be a spiritual encouragement to the people.

When I heard them, my heart was touched.  I am accustomed to praying before I make a personal visit or before going to a Bible study, but I hadn't thought about praying before going to visit friends.  I wonder what might happen if, before we jumped into the car to visit them, we prayed that God would help us to be a spiritual encouragement to the family by our attitude and by the words that we speak?

Francis d'Assisi once invited a young monk to join him on a trip to town to preach.  Honored to be given the invitation, the monk readily accepted.  All day long he and Francis walked through the streets, byways, and alleys, and even into the suburbs.  They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people.  At day's end, the two headed back home.  Not even once had Francis addressed a crowd, nor had he talked to anyone about the gospel. Greatly disappointed, his young companion said, "I thought we were going into town to preach."

Francis responded, "My son, we have preached.  We were preaching while we were walking.  We were seen by many and our behavior was closely watched.  It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk!