A Prayer Before a Road Trip

Lord, the bags are packed and the tank is full. Before we back out of the driveway, we stop and look to You.

Bless this car — the engine, the brakes, the tires on the road. Bless the one behind the wheel with patience and clear eyes, and everyone riding along with easy laughter and good company.

Keep us alert through the long flat stretches and careful on the curves. Guard us from the driver who is tired, the driver who is hurried, and from becoming either one ourselves.

When we stop for gas and stretch our legs, let us notice the sky You made and the country we are crossing. Turn the miles into memory, Lord — not just distance, but time together.

And at the end of the last mile, let us arrive glad, grateful, and whole.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this in the driveway with the engine running, before anyone touches the radio. Families often let one person read it aloud while everyone else is still arguing over snacks — that works fine too.

A Verse to Hold On To

"The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." — Psalm 121:8 (KJV)