Lou’s Ekballo Story

While reading the classic book “Rees Howells: Intercessor” I was suddenly arrested by the following paragraph that could, if it is true, light a fire of prayer that could shape the face of the whole earth and trigger the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Then, while in Africa, he (Rees Howells) had been struck by Andrew Murray’s comment on the Savior’s word in Matthew 9:38, “Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” Andrew Murray has pointed out on the strength of this verse, that the number of missionaries on the field depends entirely on the extent to which someone obeys that command and prays out the laborers; and the Lord had called Mr. Howells to do this.” If this Scripture and Andrew Murray’s commentary on it is true and the church really

understood its implications, then Matthew 9:38 would be on the fiery lips of millions of believers everyday worldwide. Jesus is very clear in Matthew 24:14 that he cannot return to the planet until every ethnic group has had a witness of the gospel of the kingdom. If we want Jesus to return, we must face this massive challenge; there are 7,000 unreached people groups in the earth today of whom 2.9 billion people have never heard the gospel. And if Andrew Murray is right, the only reason is that the church has not prayed the laborers into those fields. I am seriously asking myself and all those who read here this question…Have I merely taken Matthew 9:38 as a simple suggestion from the Master? And have I trivialized the main prayer request that Jesus Himself made of His disciples?

I write this message believing that an Earth-shaking revolution is about to take place because the Lord of the Harvest is breathing this prayer upon the Church of the earth. If the first apostles were commanded to pray this prayer before they were sent, how much more will the last Apostolic generation be required of Heaven to pray this prayer to bring forth the fulfillment of the task that “this gospel of the Kingdom must be preached as a witness to all ethnos (ethnic groups), and then the end shall come (Matthew 24:14)”? Revelation 5:9 and Revelation 7:9 insist that every tribe and tongue will be around the throne worshipping the Lord, and that a multitude that no man can number will be saved out of the great tribulation. Friends, this is the end of the story line and we are beginning to read the final chapter that sets the stage for the return of Jesus to his throne in Jerusalem.   There are 7,000 ethnic groups, tribes, tongues, and peoples that are yet unreached with the Gospel. It is clear that around the throne there must be worship from every tribe and tongue.  Do you see this? The commission of the Master was, “Go

ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations (Gr. ethnos)” – every tribe and tongue. There are 2.9 billion people among these unreached and unengaged people groups. The church wants Jesus to return but until every ethnos is reached, He cannot come. If Andrew Murray’s comment is true then one of the most important prayers that can be prayed at the end of this age is “thrust forth laborers into the harvest field!”I was traveling with the YWAM Circuit Rider movement as we met at the Orlando House of Prayer. There we met again to catch God’s prophetic purpose in this throbbing moment of history. There Brian Brennt told his story that while in California, he had been discussing these gatherings that would bring prayer and the thrusting of laborers together to bring forth the great awakening in America and this missions movement. He told the group of leaders that he didn’t know the name of these gatherings, when suddenly, Faytene Grasseschi blurted out in a spirit of prophecy, “The name of these gatherings is ‘Ekballo’!” Not knowing the significance of that word, we began to research the significance of the Greek word ”Ekballo”.