Two prayers, in response to Proverbs 6.6-11, both quote from the relevant verses, the second prayer has a clear focus on the ant.
How would you improve them?
Praying in response to an ant
Heavenly Father, we worship you the Lord of all Creation, we praise you for creating the skies and the earth and the seas, and everything in them. We praise your for the many different ways in which your creation declares and reveals your glory.
We come before you in humility and repentance, acknowledging that we, as a church community, have often failed to learn the wisdom that your creatures teach us.
Proverbs warns us of the dangers of idleness, saying, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:10-11, NIVUK).
Lord, we confess the times we have allowed laziness to take root in our hearts. We have procrastinated and neglected our responsibilities to one another and to You. We have rested in comfort and failed to prepare for the challenges ahead. Forgive us, Lord, when we have been short-sighted, thinking only of the present and not considering the future.
We ask for Your forgiveness when we have been burdensome rather than a blessing to those around us. Instead of taking responsibility for our own lives, we have sometimes relied too heavily on others, not pulling our weight in the body of Christ.
We acknowledge the ways we have failed to contribute diligently to the work of Your kingdom. Lord, forgive us for the times we have put off what is right and neglected the opportunities to serve that You have given us.
Father, we long to be a community that reflects the wisdom of Your Word. You instruct us to “go to the ant, consider its ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6, NIVUK). Help us model our lives on the diligence and foresight that you built into the ant. Teach us to be industrious and self-motivated, working for Your glory, not out of compulsion but out of love and devotion to You.
Help us to be a community that plans wisely and generously for the future, not only in practical matters but in our spiritual lives, preparing ourselves for the challenges ahead and storing up treasures in heaven.
Help us, Lord, to be responsible and self-reliant in our faith, while depending on You as our ultimate source of strength. Grant us the discipline to persevere in good works, even when it is hard, and the wisdom to manage the resources You have entrusted to us with care and integrity.
Most of all, Father, we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In Him, we see the fulfilment of all wisdom and diligence. He came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. As we seek to become a community that reflects Your wisdom, help us look to Jesus as our example and source of strength. May His Spirit work in us, transforming us day by day into a people who bring glory to Your name through our work, our service, and our love for one another.
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A prayer in response to Proverbs 6.6-11 with a focus on the ant
Heavenly Father, we praise you for all your creatures, great and small, and we praise you for all that is wise and wonderful that you have made.
We come before You in humility, seeking Your forgiveness for the times we have failed to live well in your world.
Proverbs calls us to “go to the ant, consider its ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6, NIVUK), and yet we confess that too often we have been slow to take any notice of this instruction. Instead of learning from the diligence and foresight of the ant, we have allowed laziness and complacency to creep into our hearts and our church family.
Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have been idle, when we should have been working for Your kingdom, and for the times we have been unprepared for the challenges that life brings.
Help us to look carefully at the ant, Lord, and to learn. Teach us through your creatures, enable us to be people who are wise as we use our time and resources, planning ahead and ready to face whatever lies ahead.
Father, we ask Your forgiveness for the times we have been a church family that looks only to the present moment, failing to plan for the future, both spiritually and practically. When we have been like those who choose “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” (Proverbs 6:10, NIVUK), and as a result we have found ourselves unprepared. Forgive us, we pray.
Make us conscious of the work You have set before us and help us to be diligent, without procrastinating or shirking our responsibilities, but pressing on towards the goal you have set before us.
Lord, we look to Your Son, Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the wisdom and diligence to which You call us. In Him, we see the ultimate fulfilment of Your wisdom. As we look to the ant and learn from the ant, help us look to Christ for longer, and to learn from him more deeply.
We ask that Your Holy Spirit will strengthen us to be a community that reflects the wisdom of the ant and the selfless love of Jesus. Help us to grow in diligence, discipline, and foresight, and to work together for the flourishing of our church and the advancement of Your kingdom. May everything that we do together be for Your glory. We praise you that in Christ we have the perfect pattern to follow.
In His precious name we pray. Amen.