Parable
Parable Of The Great Banquet Prayer
A short, Scripture-shaped parable prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Lord,
"I have bought a field." "I have bought five oxen." "I have married a wife."
Three ordinary excuses from Luke 14. Nothing sinful. Just normal life. A new field. New work. A new family. Good gifts that quietly shut the door on the Giver.
That is what scares me.
Free me from the kind of life where Your gifts become my reason to say no to You. I would rather come to Your table unprepared and underdressed than stay home because my Tuesday looked too full.
If I start to drift, send Your servant to call me again. Call my friends too. Fill Your table from the streets and lanes. I want a place there.
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.
They all as one began to make excuses.
Luke 14:18
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray parable of the great banquet 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 14:18. 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.