A prayer for more workers to share the good news with Deaf people

 

Hi, my name is Missy. I am Deaf, and I’ve been Deaf since birth. I wanted to share with you all this amazing turning point in my life. And it happened after I heard the story in Exodus chapter four. Here God had confronted Moses and asked Moses to do a job, and Moses’ response to God was, “Lord, I’m not eloquent. I am slow of speech and of tongue.” And God’s response to Moses was, “Who made man’s mouth? Who makes him Deaf? Who makes him mute, who can’t speak? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord, who has made them.” And that verse touched me. God doesn’t make mistakes. He makes us perfect in his image for his glory and honor. And, man, once I accepted that truth, it changed my life. 

Did you know that there are Deaf people all around the world? 70 million. And less than 2% know who Jesus is, know the good news. Only 2%. That means 98% of 70 million Deaf people still don't know. Wow. That should bother us. 

When we look at Matthew chapter nine, and here, Jesus had been traveling village to village. He had been teaching and sharing and explaining the good news, telling them about God’s plan, had been living out by healing people who had been sick and the Deaf and the blind. And then Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful.” And when I see that, I picture the Deaf people all around the world. But remember, he said the workers are few. And he modeled for us how to pray to our Father in heaven and ask for more laborers. We need to pray together in agreement. Not just give to the cause, but pray that God would send out more laborers who would be willing to learn the different sign languages and share the good news in their heart language about Jesus. He is our good news. He gives life, eternal life. He gave me, those who have believed in him, eternal life. 

Join me in prayer this morning. Heavenly Father, you are sovereign, Almighty God, our Creator, you the one who made the Deaf, the one who made the hearing, who made us all diverse for your glory and honor. I praise you. I trust your will, your plan. All of the good works that you planned ahead for us to do. To tell and to give and to share the good news. God, we need more laborers. And together, we ask you in prayer to send us more workers so that the Deaf people — the 98% around the world who still don’t know about your Son, Jesus — can know. We need your help. Thank you for your faithfulness to forgive our sin, the sin of overlooking this people group. Maybe unintentionally putting them aside, but God, right now, we say we’re gonna commit to this work to share you and your love. And we ask that you respond by sending laborers who can go and tell the good news. 

Give us wisdom to steward the gifts that you’ve given us so that we can see more laborers go out. Thank you for hearing our prayer. Thank you for leading us not into temptation or distraction from our own excuses. I can’t; I’m too busy; I’m not good enough. But no, God, help us to resist that temptation, to lean into you, to focus on what you have called us to do, to trust your plan. And help us to be obedient to do the good works that you’ve called us to do, God. We want to honor you; we want to glorify you. Jesus, thank you for the life that you’ve given us through your death on the cross. Thank you for your blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. And we ask this together. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.