Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:

Reflective Reading: Read Matthew 9:36-38 thoughtfully:

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Meditation: Reflect on this portion of Jesus’ ministry – He’s going from one village or city to another, teaching and preaching, and the crowds keep getting larger. He pauses and looks over the crowd, and is moved with compassion. What is God speaking to you through this passage? What is the challenge that Jesus outlines to His disciples?

Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:

Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:

• Who are the workers that Jesus is seeking?
• When were you last truly moved with compassion toward a group of people? …Toward an individual? What was your response?
• If your love of Jesus were measured by your degree of compassion, how do you measure?
• What actions might this passage be directing you to begin?