In the Bible, whenever it talks about work, such as being diligent in your work, the examples used are primarily about farming or raising animals, like sheep. This is because farming and raising livestock is one of the most common occupations for people during their time, as compared to our modern era, where there is a wide variety of jobs, like office workers, engineers, janitors, programmers, etc. Being a cattleman is not a job for the lazy type. It involves diligence and hard work in the trade, as well as dedication. While working as a cattleman, you will have to get your hands dirty. Some people may see being a cattleman as a dirty job, but it is also a job that is vital to our survival. Why? Because it gives us food. The cattle meat and any other animal meat that we buy at markets or grocery stores were all raised by cattlemen. If not for those who raised that livestock, they wouldn’t be available for our dinner tables. So if you’re a cattleman and don’t see the value in your work, know that your work keeps the plates full for countless others.
You can be a blessing to others through the work that you do. Here is one of the simple prayers that you can pray for your work:
Heavenly Father, open my eyes as to how people are blessed by the work that I do as a cattleman, and I pray that every cattle I raise ends up providing food for other people. With that, help me always be excellent in the work that I do to deliver quality meat to those who want it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
What does the Bible say about farming animals?
Now, this is not the place to debate whether one should eat meat or not, but biblically speaking, it is not a sin to eat meat as Christians of the New Covenant. When the Bible speaks about farming crops or livestock, it talks more about the work itself and how we ought to work using farming and raising livestock as a reference, as it is one of the most common sources of income and occupation during their time. The Bible tells us that we ought to work diligently.
Proverbs 6:6-8
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
Proverbs 10:4
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
Therefore, as a cattleman, whether you are at a managerial level managing several cattlemen, or a cattleman who works the cattle yourself, you ought to be diligent in the work that you do. One example of a verse in Proverbs that you could apply and relate to being a cattleman would be Proverbs 14:4, where it is written:
Proverbs 14:4
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
If you break down this verse, it says that if there are no oxen, then the manger is clean. Raising oxen is not easy work. It is a dirty job and takes a lot of work. That is why not having oxen means that the manger would be clean. However, that would also mean that there would be no abundance in crops because, during their time, oxen were used for farming crops. Some people around the world still do. In other words, if we want to have abundance in crops or, in our context, income, then we must do the work, and we must work diligently.
You can pray this prayer as you pray for diligence in your work:
Heavenly Father, You said in Your Word that a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes one rich. Give me the grace to work with diligence as a cattleman. Help me so that I will never be lazy or slack off, but instead always be hardworking and willing to do the dirty work needed to earn income from raising cattle. May I glorify you in my work and work heartily for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
What does the Bible say about protecting livestock?
It has been God’s design for mankind to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to them.
Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
In the case of being a cattleman, this means being a good steward of the cattle that are under his care. In Proverbs 27:23, it is written:
Proverbs 27:23
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
A Cattlemen’s Prayer
The Bible does not directly speak about protecting our livestock. However, we should pay attention to them and always know their condition. If we truly pay attention to our herds or livestock, we will take the necessary measures to protect them from any harm or danger. We will place fencing around them to protect them from any predators. We will also provide good shelter to protect them from bad weather. Giving attention to our herds of livestock means protecting them and taking care of them, including feeding them and making sure that all of the livestock are in good health. We need to be good stewards of our herds or livestock because they don’t last forever. They are not immortal. They are also the source of income for cattlemen whose sole business is cattle, so taking good care of them is essential.
As a cattleman, there are plenty of concerns that you can pray for. You can pray for the weather, the health of the cattle, and so much more. Here is one way you can pray as you raise cattle:
Father in heaven, give me the grace, wisdom, and knowledge to be a good steward and take excellent care of my cattle. I pray that no diseases or plague shall come upon my cattle. I also pray that you protect my cattle from bad weather that may cause them harm. Protect them as well from any predators. May no predators come near them. Help me take good care of my business and give me the wisdom to manage it well. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
As you raise cattle, always remember that you are working heartily for the Lord, and not for other men (Colossians 3:23). Always seek to glorify and honor God in the work that you do (1 Corinthians 10:31). The cattle that you have all came from God. You must be faithful when it comes to taking good care of it. It is a means for God to provide you with the income and the food you need.