30 Days of Prayer for the Harvest
Day 9 – Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Today’s Devotional: Salt of the Earth
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples,
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16).
Jesus said we are salt and light in this world. What did He mean? Today, let’s think about salt. We tend to think of salt, first of all, as a seasoning or flavor enhancer for our food. The Bible even speaks of salt in this way. Job said, “Can flavorless food food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?” (Job 6:6). Paul uses salt to picture how we speak to those who are outside the faith writing, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6). We are to salt our conversations with the truth of the word of God.
Another common use of salt, particularly in the culture of Jesus’ day, was as a preservative that prevented the advance of corruption and decay. Since there were no refrigerators or freezers in those days, people would salt their food and meat not only for flavor but to prevent it from spoiling. Probably for both these reasons, God often required that the grains and meats that were offered as sacrifices be offered with salt (Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24). Salt is aseptic—pour it in a wound, it stings, but it removes infection and purifies.
One of the things that makes “salt” effective is its close presence to that which it seeks to flavor or purify. It must have contact with the things it flavors and purifies, or it will remain ineffective simply sitting there alone. As “the salt of the earth”, we must be, as Jesus prayed for us to be, “in the world,” but “not of the world” (John 17:16). Jesus sends us “into the world” to be effective as salt—in the corrupt world but uncontaminated by it.
Tomorrow we will think about the second part of Matthew 5:13, “But if salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
But today, do you realize that God has you where you are, in close proximity to the people you know, so that you would be the “salt of the earth” in their lives? Does your life bring the flavor of the gospel into your relationships? Does your life have a purifying effect for those around you? Does your walk with Christ make others thirsty for the Lord?
Today’s Prayer
Father, I believe that by faith in Christ, You have made me to be the salt of the earth. You have placed me strategically where I live among the people I see, meet, and know. Make me to be salt in their lives.
May my speech be seasoned with the salt of Your word and the testimony of Your faithfulness. May my conduct bring the flavor of the gospel into the lives of others. May I be a purifying influence wherever I go.
Lord, for the lost people on my list, I pray that by my “gospel salty” words and deeds, they may become spiritually thirsty for Christ. By my salt, may they feel the sting of the corruption of sin in their lives and the flavor of righteousness and forgiveness in Christ.
Amen.
Today’s Action
Think about ways you can season your speech with gospel salt. Sometimes the best salt is to simply ask a good question. What is a “salty” question you could ask them.
Pray for person on your list by name, ask the Lord to show you how to be the salt of the earth in their lives. Write down what the Lord shows you and follow through when you have the opportunity.
