A Prayer for Bad Drivers

I just kicked off a new series on my Thursday Faith newsletter called “The Summer of Prayer”, and in honor of that, I thought I’d post a prayer here too.

Perhaps a prayer we can all relate to.

A prayer we unknowingly pray every single day.

Whether you have a long commute to work, are constantly out and about for errands, or are merely a pedestrian trying to cross a parking lot safely, you likely come into contact with a not so great driver.

And sometimes the only thing we can do is pray for them.

So God, I pray for every driver out there—the good ones, the bad ones, and the ones that think they’re the former but…

I pray for the drivers making a right turn, may they move all the way over in that far right lane Lord, and use their blinker, amen.

I pray for the drivers in the left lane, may they move all the way up so their brothers and sisters behind them have a chance of making that turn as well.

I pray for the drivers who think they simply need to answer a text or scroll on Instagram while operating a motor vehicle. I pray they never have to face the harsh consequences of doing so, and instead preemptively consider pulling over to the side of the road instead.

I pray for the drivers getting on the freeway, that they might GET GOING at a speed that provides safety for both their car and the cars behind them trying to enter into the flow of traffic.

I pray for those who see a long line at an off ramp—their off ramp no less. God, remind them that you love us all equally and that we are all trying our best to get where we need to go in a timely fashion. Encourage in their hearts an understanding that a line is a line—one that is long likely because of people trying to cut it, and we can all do our part by….NOT doing so.

I pray for awareness, for patience, for grace and for compassion, and Lord, for a driver attempting to change lanes to do so all the way rather than at an angle, thus blocking an entire lane and causing an unnecessary traffic jam.

I pray for kind horns at green lights, tiny beep beeps that help our weary drivers, stressed drivers, and drivers without reaction times equivalent to the speed of light—may we remember to be helpful instead of just MAD.

I pray for comradery, for space, for a willingness to let the giant semi-trucks over when they’ve had their blinker on for two miles. And I pray for knowledge, for attention, for an alertness that allows drivers who have already changed lanes to turn their blinkers off so as not to confuse the people around them.

I pray for the slower, more fearful drivers, that they would not only gain more confidence in their driving, but that they would also utilize the far right lane and get out of the way, amen.

I pray that we might all remember the power of the vehicles we drive, and the responsibility to operate them safely. I pray we’d recognize when a frustration is just that, when a moment of fear is just that, when a difference of opinion on how the road ahead should be driven is just that—that we wouldn’t find it necessary to go out of our way to belittle someone, to scream at them, to say things that might stick with them long after the passing rage leaves our bodies.

May we all remember that there are other people in those cars, God, even if they are people that, we believe, should not have been granted drivers’ licenses.

I pray for unexpected lacks of traffic, and for the perfect song to come on at just the right time.

I pray we all might get home safely today (and tomorrow, and the next day).

In your name I pray, Amen.