Farmers prayer. Though we all need God’s constant oversight, few people rely on God’s providence and provision as much as farmers. The farmer cannot make it rain during a drought. He can’t force his plants or animals to grow more quickly. For the farmer, there’s no illusion that he’s in control. He easily realizes the natural truth that is behind Paul’s spiritual statement: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6).
The farmer can plant. He can water. He can cultivate before and fertilize after. He can even remove every weed. But he simply can’t make the desired plant grow. All he can do is make every preparation. Only God can cause real growth – whether natural or spiritual. God is the source of Life, Growth and Grace.
With this dependence in mind, it’s vital for farmers to live a life of prayer. But how should they pray? What should be foremost in their minds? Let’s try this farmers prayer.
The Farmers Prayer
Almighty Father,
We humbly ask that you remember us, your children.
You are the Great Vinedresser.
God,You are the Great Shepherd.
You make the sun to shine and the rain to fall,
God, You give growth to every plant,
You make every bud blossom and bring forth every fruit.
God, You fill our hills, pastures, and meadows with grass and grain.
You give life and health to each animal,
Even noticing when the sparrow falls from the sky.
You visit the earth and life springs from your footsteps,
Visit us today and bring forth life in our fields.
Visit us today and give health to our animals.
Almighty Father,
With every green shoot that rises from the dirt,
And with every new animal that is born,
Remind us of the spiritual life that is budding and being born in our lives.
And we will give you the praise that’s due your name.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Bible on Farmers Prayer
Let’s look for other examples. Does scripture include an example of a farmers prayer? One of the things that we ought to remember is that the Bible was largely written in agrarian societies. Many of the authors of scripture were engaged in farming and they often wrote about farmers. Adam was told to tend the garden. Noah planted and kept a vineyard. And Jesus told parables about farmers and shepherds.
As we know David, the author of many of the psalms, was a shepherd as well as a king. This is why David often used agricultural pictures to express his heart toward God in prayer. Let’s think of Psalm 23, one of the most famous passages in the entire Bible. So this chapter relates God’s protection and provision to that of a shepherd who genuinely cares for his sheep. But this isn’t the only psalm that discusses God’s provision in agricultural terms.
In many ways, Psalm 65 gives us a beautiful pattern for the farmers prayer. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the part of this psalm.
Psalm 65:9-13
“You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;
You greatly enrich it;
The stream of God is full of water;
You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.
You water its furrows abundantly,
You settle its ridges,
You soften it with showers,
You bless its growth.
You have crowned the year with Your bounty,
And Your paths drip with fatness.
The pastures of the wilderness drip,
And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.
The meadows are clothed with flocks
And the valleys are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, yes, they sing” (Psalm 65:9-13).
As you read over this psalm, you’ll notice several things that commend it for the farmer’s use as he prays. First, this psalm makes it clear that God is the one who is ultimately responsible for natural growth. God is the one who waters the earth, blesses its growth, and causes a bounty to flow forth. In fact, this psalm makes it absolutely clear that all natural growth is rooted in God.
But this isn’t all that Psalm 65 teaches us. Notice that it opens with the words, “You visit the earth and cause it to overflow”. So God did not merely create the world and leave it to its own devices as the Deists taught. After God created the world, he visited it. He cared for it like a shepherd cares for his little lamb. Even now, God is caring for the world. So He is the one who makes the rain to fall. God makes the plants to grow. He opens and closes the wombs of animals. Finally, God is the source of all life and growth.
As the Psalmist wrote, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground” (Psalm 104:30). Thank you God for all you give us!
Also read: PRAY WAIT TRUST – The Keys to Effective Prayer. Try it
