People like rituals to ensure safety while traveling. One of the most famous is praying to Saint Christopher. For centuries Catholics have prayed to Christopher for “traveling mercies” when setting out on a journey. According to Catholic.org, Christopher, a tall, strong man known for helping people cross a dangerous river, is the patron saint of bachelors, transportation, traveling, storms, epilepsy, gardeners, holy death, and toothaches. Some wear necklaces of Christopher hoping for his protection. In the 1950s, many kept statues of Christopher on the dashboard of their cars for protection while traveling. Today (according to some brief online shopping) it looks like visor clips and various medallions that attach to the car are more popular than the statues, which, even with a magnetic base, must be prone to falling.
However, the Bible forbids us to pray to anyone but God Himself, see Deuteronomy 18:10-13 (and other verses). And why bother Christopher anyway, when you can talk to the Omniscient God of the Universe, the Creator who made you, who loves you, and who knows what is best for you? God says “Call unto ME and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). Why would you ever pray to anyone else?
Nevertheless, prayer when you travel is an excellent idea. Moses and the children of Israel traveled forty years in the wilderness. Moses had a prayer for every journey. (I bet it was a good one!)
“Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say:
‘Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence.’
When the ark came to rest, he would say:
‘Return Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel’” Numbers 10:35-36.
Although I had not thought about it when reading this passage before, today I think I will put these words in the car and consider praying them as I begin and end my journeys. Why not? A prayer to GOD HIMSELF, based on GOD’S WORD (actual scripture), and used for forty years by Moses, certainly beats a prayer offered to a dead man who never saw an automobile, a freeway, or a traffic accident.
“Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered!”
In other words,
“LET’S GOOOOOOO!”
ΑΩ
Household Words: 