Do We Really Ever Pray for More Laborers?

By: Jimmy Walker, BMA Missionary to the Philippines

As featured in mission:world magazine

Several months ago, I was reading in Matthew 9 where Jesus said, “And 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 on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labour-ers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his har-vest.’” (Matthew 9:35-38).

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard or seen this passage. In fact, I would say that I have had verse 37 memorized and have quoted it for years. But as I was reading, God drew me to verse 38. I do not know why, but for some reason this verse is just not as familiar to me: “Pray ye there-fore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”  When I think on these verses, I think about Jesus telling us that there are so many out there ready to say “yes” to Christ! But there are not enough workers telling them. Verse 39 is a command, and not just a command to pray, but a command to pray a certain prayer! Jesus is saying that people are waiting and ready to hear the gospel.

Now I don’t know about you, but until a few months ago, I’ll just admit that I have never prayed for more laborers to be sent out. I’ve prayed specifically for missionaries by name; I’ve prayed for evangelism and outreach events of which I’ve been a part; I’ve prayed for the lost; and I’ve prayed that God would give me more opportunities to share the gospel— but I’ve never prayed for more laborers. So, on that day reading Matthew 9, I committed to pray daily for more laborers. I believe that if Jesus has given us something to specifically pray, then He will answer that prayer and provide more laborers. Let us commit together to pray for more laborers, and let us believe together that if God has called us to pray for this, then he will answer that prayer!

Laborers are needed not just here in the Philippines, but all over the world. Here at the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) Bible College of the Philippines, our mission is to equip and to send out more laborers. This year we launched Mission 2:10, which is a plan to plant 200 churches in ten Southeast Asian countries in the next ten years! Many of these countries are closed to the gospel. More than 650 million people live in these areas, and only three percent know Christ. Would you pray with us for more laborers?

CHURCH PLANTING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Many of our BMA churches in the Philippines are multiplying themselves. Most have multiple mission churches and outreaches that will soon grow into self-supporting churches. Each of these new mission churches have faithful men who have said “yes” to God’s call to fulfill the Great Commission! I’d like to introduce to you two of those men who have dedicated their lives to making disciples.

Pastor Kevin Berayo
Kevin serves the Dos Hermanas Baptist Church as a church planter in the mountains on the Island of Negros. Kevin is 24 years old; he graduated from the BMA Bible College of the Philippines in 2016 and immediately went to work church-planting. Kevin currently has two church plants: the Aghu Baptist Mission and the Lanutan Baptist Mission. Both of these missions are in the mountains of Negros and serve rural farming communities. Because of the distance to these communities and the lack of transportation in these areas, it is nearly impossible for these people to get to a church each week. So, there is a great need for more churches in communities just like this.

Pastor Kevin is faithful to preach the gospel each week and to meet with the church people and meet their needs as he is able. The Aghu Mission is an example of a church plant that was planted “pregnant.” As soon as they began meeting, a community just a few kilometers away also expressed the desire for a church there. Kevin prayed and felt led to plant a church in the Lanutan community as well. Since the start of these missions, Pastor Kevin has also begun small group Bible studies in the Lasigan village, Dos Hermanas, and one in the eastern part of Talisay. The hope is that these will grow into churches too! Each day, Pastor Kevin travels by motorcycle to these areas to evangelize and make disciples.

Alfred Jay-r Suico
Pastor Alfred is 20 years old and a 2018 graduate of the BMA Bible College of the Philippines. He currently serves as interim pastor of Tigbagwan Baptist Mission on the Island of Leyte. The church is located at the top of a mountain, and the nearest town of Maasin is an hour away. This is the only evangelical church in this area. Each day, Alfred goes house to house sharing the gospel and inviting people to church. He has started multiple Bible studies and is faithful to disciple others weekly. Many have come to faith in Christ because of his faithfulness. Pastor Alfred hopes to plant another church in the future.

Both of these young men are taking the gospel to places where there is no gospel presence. These places are hard to reach, but they will both tell you it is worth it. As my pastor Dr. Clif Johnson would say, “They have put their yes on the table and let God put it on the map!”