A Prayer for Our Labors Outside the Church Walls
By Peyton Garland
Bible Reading
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 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.’” Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)
Listen or Read Below:
I rarely make it to church, and when I do, my newborn has a blowout diaper that leaves us both covered in poop… Such was my church experience last weekend.
This might cast doubt on the genuineness of my faith—how can I be an active, faith-filled believer and neglect church? It’s not neglect, though. It’s a hard reality that my husband travels for work, so I’m often at home caring for our toddler and newborn by myself.
It’s the undeniable fact that getting to church (forget getting there on time) is an Olympic sport. It’s packing diaper bags, brushing a three-year-old boy’s teeth, dressing the baby in little overalls, making breakfast (the toddler won’t eat), nursing the baby, fighting the toddler to put on a nice outfit, and changing the newborn’s overalls because he peed through his diaper and outfit.
It’s forgetting that I haven’t put on deodorant, realizing I don’t have time to fix my hair, and buckling kiddos into car seats. It’s a toddler’s demands for smoothie bites in the car and the newborn wailing because he hates being strapped into his car seat. It’s pulling into the parking lot fifteen minutes late, realizing I don’t have my Bible and my toddler doesn’t have shoes on.
It’s a lot.
Don’t get me wrong—it’s a beautiful blessing to have a hardworking husband whose job provides for our family, granting me the opportunity to stay with my boys 24/7. I get to be at home with them in these early, precious, vulnerable years. But it’s hard, and some blessings require my personal sacrifice in order for me to recognize their value.
One such sacrifice in this season of motherhood is accepting that when I do manage to get to church with both boys all by myself, I’ll likely spend most of my time sitting in the nursery. The newborn will have a diaper to change. The toddler will squirm in the pew. The newborn will need to be nursed. The toddler won’t stay in his little class.
Needless to say, my labor in the faith is always outside the church walls. I can’t play the piano for the worship band these days. I can’t greet guests or pass out sermon guides.
But I can raise up the next generation of believers. I can cultivate seeds of faith in two delicate little souls. I can guide little hearts to do kind things and teach little hands caked in dirt or covered in finger paint to change the world for God’s goodness and glory.
My kitchen is my prayer room, the sink, washing dishes, where I spill my soul.
The living room is my sanctuary, where our toddler demands to watch “What a Mighty God We Serve” on YouTube. It’s where we watch church online most Sundays as I explain to our toddler for the millionth time that Pastor Bob is not Jesus, just one of His special messengers.
The park, library, and splash pad are bits of local holy ground where I take my boys, James and John, to explore the world and meet others made in God’s image.
James and John—my husband and I named them after the disciples who were biological brothers, the Sons of Thunder, with deep intention. And it’s our great desire that they, too, pursue Jesus radically and change the world for the gospel. (Though I’ve told God that I prefer my babies not be martyred or banished to a deserted island.)
My labor in the faith is me humbly begging God to raise James and John through an empty version of me that’s filled with nothing but His mercy and grace.
My labor in the faith is realizing that my labor isn’t what's changing the world. It’s His.
Let’s Pray
Lord, I can’t thank you enough for the honor of laboring for your kingdom. Thank you that I get to witness your goodness and teach it to hearts outside the church walls. Your love, hope, and joy are ours to access no matter where we are, and it’s our calling to share such gifts wherever we go.
Let us remember this in the routine places we inhabit and the extraordinary places that big adventures take us. Let us follow you with boldness and enthusiasm. Let us labor with humility and intentionality. We love and praise you, Lord. In your holy name we pray, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty/Igor_Alexander
Related Resource: Praying Through Life’s Battles
What battle are you carrying today?
Maybe it is an unanswered prayer, a painful loss, a strained relationship, a health concern, or a circumstance that feels far beyond your control. When life feels overwhelming, we can become so consumed by our emotions—or so busy trying to fix everything ourselves—that prayer is often one of the first things we neglect.
This week on The Love Offering Podcast, my friend Rachel Wojo joins me to talk about her new 90-day devotional, Praying Through Life’s Battles. Drawing from her experience of loving and losing her daughter, Taylor, Rachel shares how prayer has sustained her through unimaginable grief and reminded her that she never faces life’s battles alone.
If you like what you hear, be sure to follow The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
