READING: Hebrews 13:15
Some years ago, I was driving with a friend who said, “Let’s pray together as we drive.” It felt odd to pray with my eyes open and watching traffic, but that practice has become an important one to me. I spend a lot of time in the car, and it’s often “alone” time – so I want to use it wisely. Here are some benefits of praying as you drive:
- It allows you to use that down time wisely. You can’t do much except drive when you’re in the car, but what you can do – pray – matters much.
- It keeps you focused on eternal matters. It’s not wrong to listen to the news or the sports channel, but taking the time to pray has more significance (and, if you do listen to the news, you can use the news stories to trigger you to pray for people, countries, and difficulties around the world).
- You can prepare your heart through prayer for the rest of the day. When I pray on the way to the office, my day is almost always better. At a minimum, I start the day in a better spirit.
- It pushes you to see your surroundings and pray for the community. Needless to say, I want you to keep your eyes on the road—but don’t miss schools, churches, government buildings, etc., that should lead you to pray more specifically for the community. I encourage you to pray for people you pass as you drive, recognizing that you might be the only person praying for those persons today.
- It helps you avoid doing wrong things like texting and doing emails while you drive.
- It allows you to “continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise” (Heb. 13:15) as you drive.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to use my driving time wisely this week.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 37:1-39:21, Matthew 25:31-46