therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just ask us to pray for more workers; it highlights that the urgency of the "harvest" is so great that the laborers are meant to be "thrust out"—implying a powerful divine compulsion, rather than people simply volunteering. This means the need is so vast that God Himself must actively push qualified people into the work.
therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, demonstrating his authority and compassion for the crowds. Seeing their spiritual destitution, like sheep without a shepherd, he tells his disciples the "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." This verse is Jesus' direct instruction to them, and by extension to us, on how to address the urgent need for more people to share the gospel.
Jesus saw the crowds and was deeply moved. They were like sheep without a shepherd, lost and vulnerable. This wasn't just a passing thought; it ignited a specific prayer.
Jesus’ heart broke seeing the vast crowds.
A Picture of Lostness
He saw them as "destitute and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd." This wasn't just a physical condition; it was spiritual. They lacked guidance, protection, and the truth that leads to life.
The Harvest's Readiness
He then calls this situation a "harvest" ripe for gathering. This imagery shows that people were ready to receive the message of God's kingdom, but there weren't enough people to help them.
The Divine Appointment
This isn't a problem we can solve alone. Jesus tells His disciples to pray to the "Lord of the harvest." This acknowledges that God is the one who calls, equips, and sends out those who will share His message.
The Greek word Jesus uses for 'send out' is strong. It's not a gentle invitation but a powerful, urgent commission.
The original language carries significant weight here.
More Than Just Sending
The word translated as "send forth" (ekballō) literally means to "thrust out" or "force out." It implies a powerful, almost irresistible impulse or compulsion to go.
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God's Initiative and Power
This isn't about people volunteering based on their own ambition. It's about God powerfully calling and compelling individuals into service, often separating them from their previous lives or comforts.
Recognizing God's Sovereignty
While the word can sometimes be used more gently (like putting sheep out to pasture), in this context, it emphasizes that God's sending is a sovereign act. He equips and directs those He calls, ensuring they are fit for the immense task of gathering His spiritual harvest.
Jesus didn't just point out the problem; He gave His disciples the solution. And that solution starts with us.
This verse is a direct command and a profound privilege.
The Necessity of Prayer
Jesus says, "Pray earnestly." This isn't a casual request. The Greek word suggests deep supplication, a heartfelt plea. God’s harvest requires God-called workers, and our part is to ask Him to provide them.
It's Not Our Job to Send
We cannot create or commission true laborers for God's kingdom. That authority and power belong to the Lord of the harvest. Our role is to intercede, bringing this need before Him.
A Global Responsibility
When we pray this prayer, we align ourselves with God’s heart for the world. We acknowledge that the spiritual needs are immense and that God’s intervention through His workers is the only true solution.
Understand the original words
deomai · Greek Verb
A command or intense petition directed to God. It involves persistent, earnest seeking of His will, acknowledging that all spiritual results are ultimately dependent on Him.
Jesus' command to pray for laborers comes directly from his observation of the vast need and his commissioning of the disciples, setting the stage for their future ministry and the ongoing mission of the Church.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus travels throughout Galilee, teaching, preaching, and healing. He calls disciples to follow him and witness his ministry firsthand.
c. AD 28
Jesus Appoints the Twelve Apostles
Jesus formally commissions his closest disciples, equipping them with authority to preach, heal, and cast out demons, preparing them to be 'laborers' for the Kingdom.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified and then resurrected, commissioning his followers to spread the Gospel to all nations.
c. AD 30-33
Early Ministry of the Apostles
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles begin their mission, empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to evangelize and establish the early Church.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' instruction in Matthew 9:38, reiterating the prayer for more workers and highlighting the vastness of the harvest that still needs laborers.
John 4:35Jesus uses the same harvest imagery here, stating 'the fields are white for harvest,' emphasizing the readiness of people to receive the Gospel and underscoring the urgency of Jesus' command to pray for laborers.
2 Thessalonians 3:1Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions, that the 'word of the Lord may speed on and triumph,' showing that praying for the spread of the Gospel and the effectiveness of its messengers is a vital New Testament practice.
Acts 13:2-3This passage illustrates the direct response to Jesus' command, showing the church at Antioch praying and fasting before they 'sent out Barnabas and Saul,' who were then commissioned by the Holy Spirit as laborers.
clarkeMatthew 9:38: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
That he will send forth laborers - Οπως εκβαλλη εργατας, that he would thrust forth laborers. Those who are fittest for the work are generally most backward to the employment. The man who is forward to become a preacher knows little of God, of human nature, or of his own heart. It is, God's province to thrust out such preachers as shall labor; and it is our duty to entreat him to do so…
pulpitMatthew 9:38: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
Verse 38. - Pray ye. Express it as your personal need (δεήθητε, here only in the New Testament outside the writings of St. Luke and St. Paul). Therefore. Since more workers are so greatly needed. The Lord of the harvest; cf. Clem. Romans, § 34, who illustrates the thought by a most interesting composite quotation of Isaiah 40:10 (Isaiah 62:11; Proverbs 24:12)and Revelation 22:12. That…
The verse doesn't just ask us to pray for more workers; it highlights that the urgency of the "harvest" is so great that the laborers are meant to be "thrust out"—implying a powerful divine compulsion, rather than people simply volunteering. This means the need is so vast that God Himself must actively push qualified people into the work.
Jesus has just healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, demonstrating his authority and compassion for the crowds. Seeing their spiritual destitution, like sheep without a shepherd, he tells his disciples the "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." This verse is Jesus' direct instruction to them, and by extension to us, on how to address the urgent need for more people to share the gospel.
Jesus has just healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, demonstrating his authority and compassion for the crowds. Seeing their spiritual destitution, like sheep without a shepherd, he tells his disciples the "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." This verse is Jesus' direct instruction to them, and by extension to us, on how to address the urgent need for more people to share the gospel.
"therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”" — The verse doesn't just ask us to pray for more workers; it highlights that the urgency of the "harvest" is so great that the laborers are meant to be "thrust out"—implying a powerful divine compulsio…
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Last reviewed October 2026