THE Lord frequently taught His disciples that they must pray, and how; but seldom what to pray. This He left to their sense of need, and the leading of the Spirit. But here we have one thing He expressly enjoins them to remember: in view of the plenteous harvest, and the need of reapers, they must cry to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. The Lord, who intrusted them with His work, and made it to so large an extent dependent on them, gives them authority to apply to Him for laborers to help, and makes the supply dependent on their prayer. Solemn thought! Oh, why is it that we do not obey the injunction of the Master more heartily, and cry more earnestly for laborers? There are two reasons for this. The one is: we miss the compassion of Jesus, which gave rise to this request for prayer. When believers learn that to love their neighbors as themselves, that to live entirely for God’s glory in their fellow men, is the Father’s commandment to His redeemed ones, . . . it will not be long before compassion toward the hopelessly perishing will touch their hearts, and the cry ascend with an earnestness till then unknown: Lord, send laborers! The other reason for the neglect of the command, the want of faith, will then make itself felt, but will be overcome as our pity pleads for help. We believe too little in the power of prayer to bring about definite results. We do not live close enough to God, and are not enough given up to His service, to be capable of the confidence that He will give it in answer to our prayer. Oh, let us pray for a life so one with Christ that His compassion may stream into us, and His Spirit be able to assure us that our prayer avails! Such prayer will ask and obtain a twofold blessing. There will first be the desire for the increase of men entirely given up to the service of God. It is a terrible blot upon the Church of Christ that there are times when actually men can not be found for the service of the Master as missionaries, or teachers of God’s word. As God’s children make this a matter of supplication, it will be given. Prayer will lead to the co-operation of the Head and members; the believing suppliants will be stirred to find the men and means for the work. The other blessing to be asked will not be less. Every believer is a laborer; not one of God’s children who has not been redeemed for service, and has not his work waiting. It must be our prayer that the Lord would so fill all His people with the spirit of devotion, that not one may be found standing idle in the vineyard. Wherever there is a complaint of the want of helpers, or of fit helpers, in God’s work, prayer has the promise of a supply. It may take time and importunity, but the command of Christ to ask the Lord of the harvest is the pledge that the prayer will be heard. Let us set apart time and give ourselves to this part of our intercessory work. It will lead us into the fellowship of that compassionate heart of His that led Him to call for our prayers. It will make us feel how really we are God’s fellow workers on earth, to whom a share in His work has in downright earnest been intrusted. It will make us partakers in the soul travail, but also in the soul satisfaction, of Jesus, as we know how, in answer to our prayer, blessing has been given that otherwise would not have come.—Condensed from “With Christ in the School of Prayer.”