There are a host of strategic reasons why ICOM exists. In this month’s blog and next, we will be focusing our emphasis on two of those reasons.
The first is to release hundreds of Jesus-filled LABORERS for the harvest. Next month will be about how we, as the church, must take dedicated ownership of the CARE for the laborers already serving and those being released.
Greg Pruett* says in Extreme Prayer, “When praying specific prayers geared to expand God’s Kingdom, I have observed that it helps to frame the specific requests in terms of God empowering believers to achieve to achieve his mission, rather than praying for God to change the hearts of unbelievers. I’ve seen far more answers when asking God to send believers to go out into the harvest field than when I’ve asked God to cause unbelievers to come to faith.”
For example, it is estimated that more than 50% of Muslims who are coming to faith in Christ have had a special dream about a “man in white/Jesus”. Even with that being the case, it is still essential for a Christian to come alongside them to show them the way towards becoming a disciple of Jesus who multiplies and matures.
As this ICOM approaches, may we PRAY for LABORERS to be raised up among:
- youth who will be attending SICOM
- university students (from both state and Christian schools)
- adult singles, families, or 2nd, 3rd, or 4th career people
May these laborers not only go to the unreached peoples outside of the United States, but also to the ones who are already living in our own communities.
Jesus, told his disciples to confidently and specifically pray to the Lord of the Harvest to raise up laborers for the harvest. May we joyfully and perseveringly pray LABORER RELEASING prayers by the power of the Holy Spirit!
* Greg Pruett, President of Pioneer Bible Translators, since January 2007
