Every Orthodox driver knows: one should go on the road, having prayed to God for good luck on the road. In our time, on busy roads often occur various incidents. Professionalism and attentiveness at the wheel will help to avoid an accident, and Christian prayer is able to calm the mind and give confidence. For information on what appeals to the Lord for motorists are and how to pronounce them correctly, read the article.
How to pray before the road?
The driver’s prayer, like any other, must be sincere and uttered with all my heart, with faith in the Lord. It is best to pray before you go on the road, on the way it is better to pray not out loud, but to yourself, concentrating on driving. You should not be baptized on the road and tear off your hands from the steering wheel for this, cross over before getting into the car. Remember that taking control of the car, you also take responsibility for your life, the lives of passengers, other drivers and pedestrians.
Hoping for the help of God in the way, one should not bow deeply and attach to icons. Faith must be pure, but simple, do not flaunt it and then your prayer will be heard and accepted with dignity. Do not rush to God ahead of time - be careful and attentive.
If you received as a gift an icon for a car, treat it with respect and attach it so that it does not obscure your view. Drop any disrespect - despite its small size, the car icon is as sacred as any saint image. But nevertheless, the icon is not a guard against an accident or breakdown, a stupid sin is attributing to it magical properties.
Like the consecration of the chariot or the whole car, the icon does not give the car protective properties. The very rectangle with the image of the saints does not protect you, the people sitting in the car, with the help of God's will, and in no way is the guarantor of technical safety.
Why are the icons of the saints necessary in the car?
It's an amazing fact, but few modern motorists know why icons really are needed in cars. Sitting in a taxi car, in a car of acquaintances or random people who have an icon in the cabin - pay attention to how motorists treat it when they get into a car. If the driver ignores the image of the saint, carelessly starting off - he misinterprets the purpose of the icons.
Many people still believe that a small iconostasis on the dashboard is able to protect the car and passengers from an accident, traffic police checkpoint and many other problems in the journey. This is not true.
The Orthodox Church is critical of the use of any charms.
The icon in the car is intended solely so that the person sitting in it can, looking at the image of the Lord or the saint, pray to him and ask for good luck. Perhaps, to someone, the presence of an image gives strength and confidence, but the icon does not have the properties of an amulet. Strength has faith in the saints and God's favor.
An interesting fact about Orthodoxy and cars: in some countries there is a tradition to put a figurine of Jesus Christ in the cabin near the dashboard. The purpose of this figure is very serious - it is not decoration and not the deification of the subject. In an accident, regardless of the outcome, the motorist has the opportunity to look at the face of Jesus and pray to him for forgiveness, which often gives him strength to recover from the incident.
Proceeding from the foregoing, you should not hang the whole car with icons, if you are not going to give prayers to them all in turn. Two, at most three icons are enough.
The location of the icons in the car
The location of the icons in the car can be very different. You can attach them as you like, but There are several important rules to keep in mind:
- First of all, icons should not interfere with the view, as well as hide the important elements of the car control panel.
- Icons located in the car should look at the person praying.
- Sometimes some motorists turn the icons face to the road, sticking them on the windshield. Such an arrangement is also permitted by the priest, there is nothing fundamental in this.
- Icons in the car can be located on the dashboard, as in the "red corner" of the house. You can pray and be baptized to this prayer corner when there is no temple nearby.
By and large, there are no strict rules about the placement of icons in the car. Everyone does it the way he likes.
What icons to place in the car?
It is believed that the car must be present icon of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of travelers. However, the Orthodox Church instructs drivers to place three icons in cars - Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. You should also not forget about St. Christopher, the patron saint of carriers, sailors and drivers, whom Jesus baptized by crossing the river with his help.
Types of motorist prayers
The purpose of the vehicle is to successfully, quickly and safely deliver passengers to their destination. The purpose of the prayer is to protect the driver from danger, to give him confidence and calm along the way.
The strongest prayer on the road is considered prayer to the Lord for help and preservation on the way. Besides her, there are references to Guardian Angel, Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Most Holy Theotokos.
Every prayer on the journey will protect you so that nothing happens to you. Not every guard is able to protect you as prayer.
Prayer to the Lord God
Taking care of a safe road, first of all you should pray to the Lord God. This is done just before the trip, before landing in the car or already inside, looking at the icon depicting Jesus Christ.
Below is the text of this strong prayer on the road, especially on a long journey:
“O Lord Almighty, I bow to you, coming out on the threshold, standing on the road. O All-seeing and All-Knowing, I pray thee for help on a long journey, do not forsake your servant in hope. Do not forsake me from the goal, clear the road to clear, strengthen my attentiveness and get to the goal without hindrance. Thy will is your divine will, and I will go the way with faith in my heart. Amen".
Guardian Angel
After praying to the Lord God, you can also pray to the Guardian Angel, which every person has. It is designed to help in all situations.
The prayer of the driver before the dear Guardian Angel is recommended to be read by the Orthodox Church:
“The holy keeper of heaven, the angel is bodiless, directed to me by the heavens, guarding from troubles. I pray you: enlighten and save the servant of God from evil (name, if passengers are traveling with you - the names of each). Be a helper and protector to me, save and save me on my way, put my eyes on with clarity, put on my ears with sensitivity, don't take my eyes off the road. Angel of Heaven, thank you for helping me along the way and forever your faith will be kept. Amen!"
Icons of the Guardian Angel can also be found in church shops and pasted next to the icons of Jesus Christ and the Virgin.
Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker "About traveling"
A prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker on the road in Russian is more suitable for long-distance travel, travel and difficult weather.
It is read three times, on the image of the saint:
“To the All-Holy, Nicholas, saint of God, our sincere patron and helper in all adversity. Help us, sinners, to turn to the Lord. Beseech the Most High to forgive us our sins, from our youth to old age, for our feelings are strong in the Christian faith, and we give up our praise of day and night. As the waters of the sea opened up under the step of Moses, as His word temporarily pacified His storm, to which you yourself are the whistleblower, the Great Miracle-Worker, so let my path be successful today and now forever. I pray for this continually in front of your face and the Lord’s gaze. Amen".
It is worth remembering or reading, if you did not know about it, with the story of how St. Nicholas saved the ship on which he sailed. With the power of one prayer to the Lord, he pacified the storm that was approaching the boat and the sea had subsided. Of course, the car is not a boat, but people worship the Wonderworker for his sincere faith and the light that he carried in the name of God. It is believed that the prayers read to Saint Nicholas are offered to the Lord more often than many other saints.
Appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Both the driver and the passenger, as well as the relatives remaining at home, can pray to the Most Holy Theotokos. Before any responsible road, just a simple trip for groceries or going to children in kindergarten or school, a prayer for the health of the Mother of God should be offered:
“Our All-Good and All-Merciful Lord, keeping all his slaves patiently in love, I pray you humbly, with the intercession of the Virgin Mary and your saints. Save me from the evil and death of me (or the name of the driver), the sinner, and the people who followed him, help everyone to get unharmed to his goal. For man is led by your Will, do not turn away from us mercilessly.
Lord of God, deliver me (or the name of the driver) from the evil thirst for foolhardiness, from unholy death without confession of confession, let, O Lord, live to old age without the burden of my victims, and let Your name be glorious henceforth and henceforth. Amen".
Saying any prayer, at the end of it, listen to yourself. The Lord speaks to us through feelings, and if you feel a surge of energy, enlightenment, and elevated mood, feel free to set off. Do not forget about the rules of the road and care, the Lord keeps you, but you take care of your own hands.
If, having said a prayer, you suddenly feel sadness or anxiety, as it intensifies, think: maybe it is worth postponing the trip or using public transport?
