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It’s Time to Pray

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NAMB TenTwo

 

 

Penetrating lostness in North America is a huge task. It will require thousands of church planters and tens of thousands of believers demonstrating and declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ with compassion and grace.

Where will those church planters come from? Jesus told His disciples to . . . pray to the Lord of the harvest . . . .

The North American Mission Board is inviting Southern Baptists to join together at 10:02 each day—morning or night—to pray that God will send workers into His harvest field:

He told them: 'The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest' (Luke 10:2, HCSB).

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Why Pray at TenTwo?

Why should you consider joining Southern Baptists in praying TenTwo? Jesus’ request continues to call to us today.

Jesus was asking His disciples, and He asks us, to pray with:

Urgency—The ripeness of the harvest implies temporary opportunity.
Fervency—Christ was moved with compassion and effective laborers must possess His heart for the lost.
Dependency—The harvest belongs to God. He owns it. Our plans and processes are worthless without His empowerment.
Expectancy—We must be prepared to become the answer to our prayer.

When Jesus commanded His disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to "send," He used the Greek word ekballos, meaning "to propel or thrust" or even "to cast out." The word has a sense of force. As strange as it may sound, this Luke 10:2 challenge is in essence an appeal for God to "make" workers willing to go to the places of greatest need, places like Send North America cities and beyond. It is a petition for God to fill the hearts of laborers with compassion.

In light of the dire need for laborers, Jesus did not advise His disciples to recruit, enlist, or persuade. His command to them—and to us—is to pray.

How to Pray at TenTwo

Jesus doesn't instruct us to pursue potential laborers. Jesus commands us to pursue the God who alone can create a longing in the hearts of those who will respond to the immense need.

Gary Frost

North American Mission Board Midwest Region Vice President Gary Frost, who leads NAMB's prayer strategies, introduced the TenTwo prayer initiative (based on Luke 10:2) to messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston during NAMB's presentation. Frost shared a video churches can use to promote TenTwo. Photo by Susan Whitley/NAMB.

Our cities are filled with lost and disillusioned people who need to see something more than cultural Christianity. They need to see Jesus living, breathing, and loving through "called out" people. Such laborers must be Christ-centered and Spirit-filled.

When Jesus challenged His disciples to pray for the sending of laborers, He was not simply encouraging prayer for workers to leave their Jerusalem to harvest in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus was also asking believers to pray for laborers to recognize the ripe harvest in their Jerusalem, among their neighbors. He compels us to give ourselves to compassionate service in our own communities.

We must pray that God will send teenage and young adult laborers who will engage this generation with Jesus' love.

We must pray that God will send laborers of every ethnicity to reach people of every language and culture.

We must pray that we are willing to become the answer to our own prayer.

What time is it? It's TenTwo!

 


Make October 2 a focused day of prayer

The North American Mission Board is encouraging Southern Baptists to set aside Wednesday, October 2, as a focused day to pray Luke 10:2—that God would send workers into the harvest field. NAMB has created several resources to assist you and your church in praying for laborers.

Churches will receive a free kit which includes a DVD with a prayer video for worship services, a video message to pastors, suggested order of service for a prayer gathering, sermon outlines, a prayer map poster, prayer-related Scripture references, a guide to pray for the lost, a bulletin insert, TenTwo logo art, and a video describing how your church can participate. To request a kit, visit www.namb.net/TenTwo [3].