Praying is Preparing
Read: Luke 10:1-24
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[b] 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
In Chapter 9 of his account of Jesus’s life, Luke documents that Jesus had just encountered several people who had been invited to follow Him but had some reason to delay following Jesus. They saw something special about Jesus but didn’t choose to go where Jesus was going. Something else seemed more urgent, more pressing, than following Jesus. Jesus warned them – and us – that when we value other commitments above His kingdom and His work, we show what we are really worshiping and whom our gods really are.
“After this [many found reasons not to follow Jesus] the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1). Jesus is a man of prayer and a man of action. After two years of public ministry, He’s got a crowd of people who have been willing to make the unreasonable choices to prioritize Jesus over income and comfort. They’re with Jesus, but each one has nagging concerns. One is not sure how his dad’s health is doing. Another disciple hasn’t met her new niece. Yet another follower was a little concerned the family business might be struggling.
They’ve all just seen the Samaritan village angrily push Jesus away. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, still appoints them a task: He sends them on dangerous travels, going to some awkward places and introducing the idea that He’ll be coming to those towns. “Who am I?” one disciple must’ve been thinking. “I’ve never done anything great but hang around and listen. I even saw the main disciples unable to cast the demon out of that boy. If they couldn’t do it, what are my chances?” We can all feel like second-class servants.
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). Prayer is asking God to act — to intervene in the world. Every time we pray for God to move, we’re asking Him for a miracle. But it’s not just asking God to do something outside of you; it’s asking God to work inside of you. When you pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, remember that you are made of earth. Prayer is both the request for help and the means of empowerment to act.
My wife, Hayden, is an excellent planner of trips. Her research has created many valuable times together for us as a family. But even as a kid, she would write off for vacation brochures to be sent in the mail. She would beg her parents to take them on trips and plan a detailed itinerary for how they would spend their time. She would show her plans to her parents to convince them about her route through Disney World. She asked, but she thought a lot too. She requested, and she made some plans. She pleaded and laid out her ideas to those who could provide.
When you really want something, you make the case for it. Job mentions how he would like to pray to God in Job 23:4: “I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.” When Jesus told His 72 anxious followers to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers, they were well aware of everything those laborers would need. They were ready to travel. They were asking for more traveling companions ready to hear the crunch of gravel and the “no’s” of rejection. They were asking for God to cast out shrieking demons and to prepare voices to praise Jesus. They were praying for God’s laborers, and they were asking for readiness. They were asking for God’s will to happen on earth — on the roads beneath their feet — as it is in heaven.
Do you pray, expecting God to move in the world to bring about His will and to change you? Brothers and sisters, this is why I pray. Some things — God’s kingdom on earth — are too important to depend on memory and momentary enthusiasm.
Pray for the people your friends are inviting to “Family Table,” to hear the good news of Christ. Ask God, “Can you send me a friend too? Can you help me welcome them at my table?”
Pray for the lady struggling with a long-term health condition. Ask God “Is there any way I can help her today?”
Pray for the family preparing to work overseas to help build the faith of others. Pray for the city they’re moving to. Look into their neighborhood. Ask God, “Would I be able to do any good there?”
When we sit and think about the problems and needs of the world, everything can seem so overwhelming. But when we pray and ask God about all the specifics, He moves in the world. He moves in you and me to empower us, to provide us ideas and energy, and to make us capable of obedience as we depend on Him.
[Jesus continued:] “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages.”
“Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.”
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:3-16). These 72 praying travelers are encouraged to take risks and to stay focused on the work Jesus had appointed them to do. Jesus makes them His representatives. Don’t take it personally when you are rejected; take it as a rejection of God. So when you go to the next conversation or the next town, you will be all the more serious and confident about your task.
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20). Jesus allowed them to cast out demons in His name, and God was sowing seeds that would ripen for years. Imagine these 72 followers, spread later throughout the early Christian world just a couple of years later, reflecting on what happened. Think of the young Christian family, forced out of Jerusalem because of the persecution (Acts 8:1), heading back to a village. Would they remember this week and seek out the young lady or the old man who had been freed from a demon in Jesus’s name?
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21-22). The men and women surrounding Jesus were simple people, and God was allowing them to see that their childlike simplicity was all they needed to work for Him. We should never say academic ability or philosophical wisdom is the key in working to build God’s kingdom.
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23-24). The scene shifts to the apostles. “Take it in!” He urges them. “This is just the start! Remember this — it wasn’t just the twelve of you.”
Today, when you witness God at work, whether through answered prayers, assistance in a challenging task, or the rescue of a soul from sin, remember it and thank Him. Recall His promise that His Word would reach the ends of the earth.
Do you see God’s hand at work beyond your life? When you hear of His works through a Far Flung family member, do you grasp the magnitude of such news? Are you acknowledging God’s mercies and sharing them to inspire others? Are you reflecting on how His guidance has enabled someone to strengthen the faith of others? Are you praying and asking to get in on the action?
Just like the twelve apostles, we must step back and glorify God for what He’s doing around us. Look around and recognize the miracles in your life—the answered prayers, the unexpected blessings, the strength given in times of need. Reflect on these good things and let them stir a deep sense of gratitude and awe. Share these testimonies, build each other’s faith, and always remember: we are witnesses to the incredible, ongoing work of God. May this recognition propel us to live boldly, sharing His love and light in every corner of our lives.
