When I was growing up, among the most frequent prayers I heard my parents use was a prayer for \u201ctraveling mercies.\u201d I think I always knew what the phrase meant\u2014an all-encompassing prayer for God\u2019s watchful care and protection as we traveled.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t hear (or say) the phrase as much these days, but I do still pray when I travel. After all, the Bible says, \u201cYou have not, because you ask not,\u201d (James 4:2). So I ask. For protection. For timely travel. And more. Here are seven prayers you can use before and during a trip:<\/p>\n
1) Based on Psalm 91:9-12, NIV
\nLord, you are my refuge;
\nMost High, you are my dwelling place.
\nLet no harm overtake me,
\nno disaster come near me.
\nCommand your angels concerning me
\nto guard me in all my ways;
\nlet them carry me in their hands,
\nso that I will not so much as trip over a stone.<\/p>\n
2) Based on Psalm 121:8, NIV
\nLord, watch over our coming and going both now and forevermore.<\/p>\n
3) Based on Psalm 139:7-10, NIV
\nGod, thank you that I can go nowhere without your Spirit,
\nthat I cannot evade your presence.
\nIf I fly through the heavens, you are there;
\nif I drive through the deepest valley, you are there.
\nIf I rise on the wings of the dawn,
\nif I settle on the far side of the sea,
\neven there your hand will guide me,
\nyour right hand will hold me fast.<\/p>\n
4) Adapted from Saint Patrick\u2019s Breastplate
\nChrist beside me,
\nChrist before me,
\nChrist behind me,
\nChrist within me,
\nChrist beneath me,
\nChrist above me.
\nChrist on my right hand,
\nChrist on my left,
\nChrist where I leave,
\nChrist where I arrive.<\/p>\n
5) A prayer of Saint Brigit of Kildare, Revised
\nLord, I place myself in your keeping as I travel.
\nI shall not be forgotten.
\nI shall not be destroyed.
\nI shall not be imprisoned.
\nI shall not be harassed by evil powers.<\/p>\n
6) A Prayer by Bob Hostetler
\nLord, you know what awaits us as we travel today. You know every bend and bump in the road, every sunbeam and cloud in the sky. So please make straight paths for our feet. Grant us safe and successful travel until we reach our destination. Save us from worry and stress. Make us patient and polite along the way. Make us kind and attentive to others, and please give us the blessing of somehow being helpful to someone else. And especially, Lord, make this an Emmaus trip, that we may travel in your company and, when we reach our destination, know you better than when we began, in Jesus’ name, amen.<\/p>\n
7) A Prayer by Bob Hostetler
\nLord Jesus,
\nbe my vanguard,
\nrear guard,
\nand constant companion
\nas I travel.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n
What about you? Do you have a go-to prayer for before you embark on a trip?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When I was growing up, among the most frequent prayers I heard my parents use was a prayer for \u201ctraveling mercies.\u201d I think I always knew what the phrase meant\u2014an all-encompassing prayer for God\u2019s watchful care and protection as we traveled. I don\u2019t hear (or say) the phrase as much these days, but I do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":31156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[397],"tags":[24,15,30,14,81,153],"ppma_author":[465],"class_list":["post-25038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quotes-verses","tag-christmas","tag-faith","tag-prayer","tag-spiritual-growth","tag-thanksgiving","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n