Father in Heaven,

Thank you for revealing yourself to us even though we are not the great, mighty or wise of this world. If the last will be first, and so on, then we are happy to take the lower place now if it means that we get to know you.

As Jesus tells us, the harvest is large and the laborers are few. We pray earnestly that you would send laborers into your harvest.

Like the seventy-two, we can see that all of us can play a part in the task of mission. Help us to receive you sincerely knowing that we also need to be ready to be sent.

And then help us to be ready to serve our neighbor in need, no matter who that neighbor is.

Finally, make us the kind of people who will listen to and learn from Jesus. Even as we serve, we never want our work to somehow stand in the way of our relationship with him.

In Christ,

Amen.