Philippians 1

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.

This verse really hit me this week.  The Love that Paul had for that church was deep and he always prayed for them with joy because of there partnership.  He said he had them in there heart.  I have to say that I was truly touched by this an encouraged because I really feel this way about the people God has put in my life.  The partnership that I get to have with the people in this house to carry out gospel is one that I am blessed to have.  I thank God for you!  I love the partners that God has given to me and I want you to know that you are in my heart.

I also want to encourage you with verse six as I was encouraged he who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.  We have to know if God is author he will finish it.  If He is the one who began it then He will finish it.  We need to put our faith in Jesus and the unity that He has brought into this house by the spirit and watch Him carry out in us the vision that He started.  

I love you and thank you for partnering with me in the gospel and I carry you in my heart.  What a great fast!

Then he said to his disciples, 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.

The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.  I think that we need to let the words of Jesus sink into our spirit.  There are so many people who do not know Jesus and there are so many people who are in need of the gospel.  We cannot ever think that the opportunity is not there but we must look at our willingness to labor.  We need laborers!  When it comes to spiritual labor we have to believe that part of that laboring is prayer.  We have to be a people who are willing to pray and work towards seeing others brought to Jesus.  When we know that Jesus is the only one to save man then we know that our evangelism must be cloaked in earnest prayer.  

Jesus tells His disciples to pray earnestly for more laborers.  Not only do we want the harvest but we need more people who are willing to labor in prayer and in work to see the harvest come in.  I think we need to listen to the words of Jesus and not only be laborers but pray for more.  It is very important for us to pray earnestly in this fast for the people who do not know Christ, and for more people to develop a love that motivates them to labor for the harvest.

Questions to think about:

1.  Are you laboring in prayer and action?

2.  What holds you back from laboring in prayer and action?

Mark 9:29  - So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

I was thinking about this verse as we are fasting and praying.  It’s interesting how there are certain demons that only come out when we starve our flesh and feed our spirits.  What is it about fasting and prayer that takes us to another level of authority?

Julio C. Ruibal said, “Our greatest victories are won on our knees and with empty stomachs.”