Within just a few short weeks, life as we knew it changed drastically world-wide! Many jobs and school classes came to a screeching halt... financial markets tumbled... country borders clamped shut… quarantines, social distancing, and stay-at-home orders became the new norm. Tentacles of fear wrapped around people’s hearts as the COVID-19 virus claimed more victims. It’s a shaking unlike any experienced in our lifetime.

With the spread of the pandemic around the world, God’s Spirit began to whisper in my spirit, “Prepare for harvest.” As the weeks have ticked by, that whisper continues to crescendo: “PREPARE FOR HARVEST!” Many others are hearing a similar word from the Lord.

As people’s lives are shaken to the core and much of what they trusted in is stripped away, it is causing many to search for answers. Some who were hardened towards any mention of God are now asking questions about Him. A window of opportunity is opening for spiritual harvest.

Similar windows of opportunity have opened in past shakings. One notable example is with the 9-11 terror attacks. There was a surge of spiritual hunger and openness in the weeks immediately following those attacks, but as life returned to a sense of normalcy, that window gradually slid shut again.

This time, the shaking is broader and deeper—on a global scale. A window of opportunity is opening in our own neighborhoods, in our nation, and around the world. A question for us as believers: Are we ready for the spiritual harvest? Are we prepared to gather it before it spoils, uncollected, and the window shuts again? Or will we miss the harvest in our rush to get back to “life as normal?”

God is seeking a vast mobilization of his people as workers for this harvest. It will require an “all-hands-on-deck” approach—every believer praying… serving… sending…

So how can we prepare for harvest?

1. DRAW CLOSE TO GOD'S PRESENCE

• Allow God to purify your heart and strip away anything that has become more important than Him in your life. Ask God to align your heart and priorities with His heart and priorities.
  
  
• Ask God to increase your sensitivity to his Spirit that you might recognize and respond to each divine appointment and opportunity for witness that He gives you.
  
  
• Ask God to give you His genuine love and compassion for others along with boldness to step beyond your comfort zone to share His love with others.

2. PRAY

• Pray for God’s Spirit to work in the hearts of non-believers—to open their eyes to their need for a Savior and to prepare their hearts to respond to God’s love and truth.
  
  
• Pray regularly for mission workers serving around the world, and ask God to raise up more workers for the harvest—locally and globally.
  
  
• Pray for those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus—that they would be given that opportunity.
  
  
• Pray for God to give you opportunities to share His love and the Good News of Jesus with those you meet. 

3. SERVE

• Step out in faith and obedience as God shows you opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus—with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and others that God shows you.
  
  
• Many ministries have opportunities for people to serve and to give of their time to help advance God’s Kingdom, both locally and globally. Find a ministry that connects with the vision and calling God has placed in your heart, and make yourself available to serve.
  
  
• Some types of service, such as overseas missions, require some steps of preparation before you go. It’s often helpful to get the counsel of others early-on in the process so you can maximize your time of preparation. If you are sensing a call to missions, I would be happy to explore that with you. You can reach me here ( ).

4. SEND

• Senders are needed to help support those who are serving. If at all possible, find one or more mission workers to support financially on a regular basis.
  
  
• Find practical ways to support those who are serving. One way you can do this is by serving as part of a Missionary Support Team (MST). MSTs play a vital role as part of a missionary’s sending base, helping to provide support in a wide variety of ways: advocacy and awareness for the missionary, emotional and relational support, helping to address practical needs, etc.

Will you prepare for the harvest that is coming? How is God calling you to pray, serve, and send?

Tags: give, missions, serve, harvest, salvations