These prayers are for the driver, and for the family at home tracking the truck on a phone.
Historical Context
Christopher’s name means “Christ-bearer.” The legend tells of a giant who carried travellers across a dangerous river and one night carried a child who grew heavier with every step; the child was Christ. His feast was moved off the universal calendar in 1969, but he is still a saint and still the patron of everyone who drives for a living.
A Prayer Before a Long Haul
Lord, I am pulling out again.
Ride with me the whole way.
Keep my eyes sharp and my mind awake,
my brakes good and my load secure.
Protect the families in the cars around me
and give me patience with the ones who cut me off.
Bring me home to mine.
St Christopher, pray for me.
Amen.
A Prayer for Driving at Night
Lord, it is late and the road is long.
Keep me awake, or make me wise enough to stop.
Light the road ahead and keep the deer off it.
Watch over everyone sleeping
while I carry what they will need in the morning.
Amen.
A Prayer for My Trucker Husband (or Wife)
Lord, he is out there somewhere tonight
and I am counting the miles.
Keep him safe in weather and in traffic,
rested when he needs to be,
and faithful to us across all that distance.
Give me peace while he’s gone
and let him walk in the door soon.
Amen.
A Family Prayer for a Driver on the Road
God, keep Dad (Mom) safe on the road tonight.
Help the truck run well and the other drivers be careful.
Let him know we are thinking of him,
and bring him home soon.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- At the pre-trip inspection, before pulling out.
- Before driving through bad weather or mountain passes.
- During a night run, and at the truck stop before sleeping.
- For the family at home, each night the driver is away.
- On 25 July, the feast of St Christopher.
Scripture Connection
“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” — Psalm 121:8
Psalm 121 was a pilgrim’s song for the road to Jerusalem, sung by travellers facing hills and danger. “Going out and coming in” is exactly the shape of a driver’s life: leaving and returning, again and again.
Related prayers
For the patron of drivers, see the Saint Christopher Prayer. Other drivers have their own pages: the Bus Driver Prayer and the Motorcycle Prayer. For the family waiting at home, there is the Safely Home Prayer.