Seeds Sown In Faith

“Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27)

As I prayed over my lunch today, I asked that the Lord bless the hands that prepared it and served it, and that they would come to know, love, and serve the Lord, in Jesus’ name. Since this food is leftovers, the thought entered my mind that I had already prayed over this food once and that I didn’t need to pray over it again. Then another thought entered my mind that there can never be “too many prayers.” So yesterday and today, a cook and a waitress at Kelly’s Country Cookin’ were prayed for, simply because they did their job. 

I probably won’t know what the effect or fruit of those prayers will ever be. I thought about that as I sat in chapel at the school today, before I ever prayed over my lunch. I was making copies in the front office and the Lord told me to go sit in chapel and pray while a student was being baptized. I sat in the back and prayed for the pastor, the school, and two students in particular who won’t be back next year. Two students whom I will likely never know what effect or fruit my prayers for them will ever be. 

One thing that the Lord has been ministering to me lately is that all seeds are planted in faith. We do not plant seeds because we see any immediate effect or measurable result. Some seeds take longer to germinate than others. Some seeds grow large plants and some seeds grow small plants. Some seeds grow only ornamental plants— plants just for show. And some seeds grow plants that bear fruit— plants that nourish and build up something else. 

Either way, seeds are planted in faith that at some point, they will rise up and change the landscape. 

(1 Cor 3:5-7) …the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

(1 Thess 5:16-18) Rejoice always. Pray unceasingly. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

(Heb 6:7,8) When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.