Excuses

*I have often used portions of the beautiful prayers of my friend Ray Majoran, but this prayer so moved and challenged me that I had to share it in its entirety. Let the Lord use Ray’s words to bless you as they did me. Blessings, Ed 😊

“Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:16-24 NLT)

Merciful Lord, You are the generous God who prepares what we could never earn, for You have opened Your kingdom through the finished work of Christ. Your call is weighty, and Your invitation is rich with undeserved grace. We praise You for the mercy that seeks sinners, and for the truth that Your house will be filled.

We confess how often we delay in answering Your call. We excuse our silence, postpone obedience, and persuade ourselves that there will be a better time to speak of Christ, a better season to serve, and a more convenient day to repent. Yet Your Word says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). Teach us to fear the drift of a heart that keeps looking for the right moment while neglecting the clear command before us. Help us to be faithful with the Gospel, and keep us from the folly of waiting for perfect conditions to obey You (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

For those who have not put their faith in Christ, resolve every excuse and expose the emptiness of every lesser priority. Cause each person to seek You while You may be found (Isaiah 55:6), and grant repentance before another day is wasted. Fill us with urgency and a deep concern for souls, so that our lives would demonstrate that Your invitation is too glorious to ignore and too urgent to postpone.

ONE QUESTION

Have I allowed work, possessions, goals, or relationships to become polished excuses?

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

Location: India

Ray’s Camera Settings: 24mm, ISO 100, 1/640s, f/5.6