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Parable

Parable Of The Good Samaritan Prayer

A short, Scripture-shaped parable prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.

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The prayer

A prayer to pray now

Lord Jesus, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho still exists. It runs past the homeless man under the overpass, the coworker going through a divorce, and the family member who calls when I am busy. Two respected people walked past Your wounded man in Luke 10 and gave good reasons. The Samaritan was not smarter. He was just willing to be late for his own plans. That is the part that pins me. My excuses are usually about my schedule. Cure my schedule of its tyranny. Make me someone who can spend the time, the money, and the care of a whole afternoon on a stranger and not feel that the day was wasted. Teach me also that I am sometimes the one in the ditch, and that grace comes from the one who stops, not the one who has it all together. Save me from the pride that walks by.

Amen.

How to pray it

  1. Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
  2. Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
  3. 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.

  1. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
    Luke 10:31

Questions about this prayer

When should I pray parable of the good samaritan 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 Luke 10:31. 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.