Parable
Parable Of The Dragnet Prayer
A short, Scripture-shaped parable prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Jesus, You told a story about a net thrown into the sea. It pulled in all kinds of fish, good and bad, together. You said that is how it will be when this age ends. The angels will come and sort the good from the bad.
I keep trying to sort people before You do. I look at my neighbors and decide who is good and who is not. That is not my job. The net is Yours. The haul is mine to help with. But the sorting belongs to You and Your angels.
Forgive me for the secret lists I have made in my head. I have judged people You have not judged. I have written off people You may keep. I have praised people You may set aside.
Some people do not look special to me, but You may call them good. Some people look great to me, but that does not mean You will keep them. I do not see the way You see.
Cure me of the need to sort everyone around me. I do not want to play at being an angel. I want to be one of the fish that trusts the One who sorts.
Teach me to leave the verdicts to You. Help me to do my part, which is to bring in the catch, not to decide who stays and who goes.
Amen.
How to pray it
- Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
- Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
- Carry it with you. Keep one sentence with you — on your phone or in your pocket — and return to it when the day gets loud.
Verses to pray
Pray these slowly, one line at a time. Scripture quoted from a public-domain translation.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some fish of every kind,
Matthew 13:47
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray parable of the dragnet prayer?
Pray it whenever the words fit your moment — at the start of the day, in a hard stretch, or when you simply want to turn toward God.
Which Bible verses anchor this prayer?
This prayer is anchored in Matthew 13:47. The "Verses to pray" section above quotes them in full.
Can I save or share this prayer?
Yes. Use the Copy prayer button to copy the words, or open the Chosen Portion app to keep a daily prayer, devotional, and Scripture with you.