We all absolutely love traveling. After all, it is in another city, another country that the soul can rest from the boring routine of everyday work. Traveling to different countries, we not only relax and unload emotionally, but also get acquainted with the culture, history, customs and traditions of entire nations.
But there are also among us “avid homebodies” who rarely go anywhere for one reason or another. Someone is afraid of various financial difficulties, or organizational issues of the trip. And many are simply afraid to lose their spiritual balance by leaving their native country. If you are faced with just such a spiritual problem, then prayer for travelers can come to your aid.
Depending on the type of transport on which you are planning your trip, appropriate prayers are allocated.
Prayer for traveling by road
Prayer for those traveling by car is now more widespread, because... traveling lovers often choose this type of travel. It is necessary to take into account the fact that traveling by car is the most dangerous. Even if you drive carefully and at low speed, you can still get hurt by other reckless racers who abuse the rules of the road. And even no traffic regulations can insure you against accidents. For this reason, the most significant prayer is for those traveling by car. Nowadays, the purchase of a car is often accompanied by a church lighting ceremony; this tradition has completely become common practice among most families. In many cars you can see a small icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. With such an arsenal, you can safely organize a trip over long distances without worrying about troubles.
Prayer before the icon of the “Smolensk Hodegetria” or “Guide” is also encouraged before getting ready for a trip. After all, being on a foreign land, everyone wants to feel confident. In such cases, this prayer will add peace of mind and relieve all sorts of worries.
Prayer of the “Smolensk Hodegetria”
O Most Wonderful and Above All Creatures Queen Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King Christ our God, Most Pure Hodegetria Mary! Hear us sinners and unworthy at this hour, praying and falling before Your Most Pure Image with tears and tenderly saying: lead us out of the pit of passions, Most Blessed Lady, deliver us from all sorrow and sorrow, protect us from all misfortune and evil slander, and from the unrighteous and fierce slander of the enemy. You may, O Our Blessed Mother, save Your people from all evil and provide and save You with every good deed; Do You need other Representatives in troubles and circumstances, and warm Intercessors for us sinners, not imams? Pray, O Most Holy Lady, Thy Son Christ our God, that He will make us worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; For this reason, we always glorify Thee, as the Author of our salvation, and extol the holy and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified and worshiped God in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.
How can an Orthodox Christian prepare for a long flight?
Go to the temple. A harmonious church service, wonderful singing, the smell of incense - all this gives harmony and peace, and this is not enough. Pass notes for the repose of your deceased loved ones, you can also ask them for support at such an exciting moment.
Pass notes on your health and that of your relatives. If possible, go to the priest and ask him to bless you before going on the road. After the service, go home quietly. Begin, together with other prayers, to read “Prayer for those who travel by plane.”
Read it several days before your flight and on the day of departure. Don’t forget to wear your pectoral cross; if for some reason you take it off, be sure to put it back on before traveling. You can take with you an icon of the Saint whose name you bear, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, he is the patron saint of all travelers and will definitely protect you, take Holy water with you on the flight, during times of excitement you can drink a little of it, you can sprinkle your seat on the plane with water.
Orthodox prayers are very powerful. They protect and protect us, they always help us when we need help.
Prayer for a good plane trip
If you are aiming to visit a country overseas or simply located at a decent distance from you, then you will have to resort to air transport. Despite the fact that nowadays, due to intensive technological progress, the plane is not such a dangerous way of transportation, it still gives rise to anxiety and worry for their lives in some people. Prayers for those traveling by air can help here. It is also advised to go to church before the flight, pray, confess and take communion.
Prayer to the Lord
Before departing on a flight, you must read the following lines:
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, command the elements and contain the whole handful, whose deeps tremble and whose stars are present. All creation serves You, all listen to You, all obey You. You can do everything: for this sake, you are all merciful, Most Blessed Lord. So even now, Master, accepting the warm prayers of these Thy servants (names), bless their path and air procession, forbidding storms and contrary winds, and keeping the air flown safe and sound. Giving them a saving and calm air-to-air escort and a good intention to those who have done it, they will happily return in health and in peace. For You are the Savior and Deliverer and the Giver of all good things, heavenly and earthly, and we send glory to You with Your Beginning Father and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer words can be read not only before the trip, but also during it. It is also recommended to attend a church service, or you can read the prayer yourself. If not a single necessary prayer comes to mind, it is quite possible to simply verbally turn to God with a request or petition.
How St. Nicholas the Wonderworker helps travelers
Nicholas the Wonderworker is well known to any believer. During his life, he managed to help many people and more than once set out on a journey to restore justice and protect the offended. But in those days, travel was very long and very dangerous - wild animals, robbers, military enemies, bad weather - everything was against the person. Therefore, prayer has always been necessary for travelers.
Saint Nicholas has never flown on an airplane; today, before takeoff, you can briefly address him: “Saint Nicholas, pray to God for us!” - cross yourself, sign your child with the sign of the cross, and you can calmly surrender into the hands of God. You cannot predict your destiny, but you can prepare for a meeting with the Creator. It is in our hands; if we work on ourselves every day, fear will gradually go away and only the joy of communicating with God will remain.
- A special prayer has already been compiled for those traveling by air; it can be found at the end of the material. Read it before takeoff. After a safe landing, be sure to express gratitude, at least briefly (“Glory to Thee, Lord!” - and cross yourself).
Indeed, the plane seems to be a very dangerous form of transport, but all these are just illusions. In fact, the usual minibus is many times more dangerous. According to statistics, much more often people die in car accidents, alas. Therefore, every time you part with someone, you need to pray for the person, wish him well and peace. Prayer for those traveling by car should be especially intense.
Prayer is the key to a successful trip
Travel - a prayer for travelers, calls on the Lord to accompany them in a foreign country, so that the wanderers do not go astray and return home safe and sound. Traveling with God in your heart is the key to a successful trip. It is faith in a higher power that saves you in dangerous situations.
In the Russian Orthodox religion, Nikolai Ugodnik is a highly respected blessed one. If you follow Orthodox traditions, then every task must begin with prayer, and travel is no exception. People turn to prayers when they are in difficult living conditions, and the journey, as one can imagine, involves covering a considerable distance. This causes difficulties of both a physical and psychological nature, and in addition, unfavorable weather conditions can ruin plans. Since this is the patron saint of travelers, a prayer for travelers to Nicholas would be very appropriate here. After His blessing, any road will seem easy and prosperous.
Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker for travelers
Oh, all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and sad person in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me to the accursed, beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal torment: may I always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, self-control, the teacher, show you to your flock as things are true; For this reason, you have gained high humility, rich in poverty, Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3
In Mireh, the holy one, you appeared as a priest: For Christ, O Reverend, having fulfilled the Gospel, you laid down your soul for your people, and you saved the innocent from death; For this reason you have been sanctified, as the great hidden place of God’s grace.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos “Quick to Hear”
The prayer to the Mother of God for travelers is also quite often used during travel.
Most blessed Lady, Ever-Virgin Mother of God, who gave birth to God the Word more than any word for our salvation, and who received His grace more abundantly than all others, who appeared as a sea of Divine gifts and miracles, an ever-flowing river, pouring out goodness to all who come running to You with faith! In honor of Your miraculous image, we pray to You, the all-generous Mother of the Humane-loving Lord: surprise us with Your rich mercies and our petitions brought to You, Quick to Hear, speed up the fulfillment of everything for the benefit of consolation and salvation for everyone. Visit, O Blessing Thy servants, with Thy grace, grant to those who are ill, healing and perfect health, to those overwhelmed by silence, to those captivated by freedom and various images of the suffering consolation. Deliver, O All-Merciful Lady, every city and country from famine, pestilence, cowardice, flood, fire, sword and other temporary and eternal punishments, by Your maternal boldness turning away the wrath of God: and free Your servants from mental relaxation, overwhelm of passions and falls from grace, as without stumbling Having lived in all piety in this world, and in the future, eternal blessings, we will be made worthy of the grace and love for mankind of Your Son and God, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
It is better to read the prayer for those traveling by air before setting off at home or right in the cabin of the plane. This must be done in order for the flight to go safely and smoothly, because it is not for nothing that this type of movement causes fear in many travelers.
Important Tips
Children are especially vulnerable when traveling; they require extra attention on the road, so you definitely need to pray for them. Thanks to maternal prayer, a small child will survive a long-distance flight without any problems.
More prayers for travelers:
A prayer for a safe air flight should be read at home before departure or while sitting in the aircraft cabin.
In a quiet and calm atmosphere, you can close your eyes and imagine that now you and the Lord are nearby, tell Him, even mentally, about your emotional experiences, ask for protection and tranquility during the flight, for a successful ending.
Preparing for the flight
Other prayers to Nicholas the Wonderworker:
Flight behavior
Do not neglect the above rules and prayer. After all, no one knows what awaits each of us around the turn of fate.
Advice! Believe in a miracle, believe that the Lord will hear and help! Don’t panic, and in case of an emergency on board an aircraft, try to calm down the passengers and invite them to pray with you!
The Lord is always with us in happy, difficult and even the most terrible moments of life. Believe in God, love Him as the Holy Saints loved Him - then your life will go peacefully and calmly, and no one and nothing will be able to harm you.
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Request before departure
A few days before your trip, go to the temple to take a blessing from the priest and serve a prayer service. There is always free time before boarding the plane, unless of course you are late.
Traveling by plane brings us closer to heaven physically, to get closer spiritually, to relieve anxiety, to tune in to a pleasant flight. Prayer before going on an air trip will help cope with nervous symptoms.
Traveling by plane brings us physically closer to the sky
If there is a chapel at the airport, pray in it, light a candle and order a prayer service for health. Take a prayer book or Psalter with you on board the plane. When reading a prayer for those traveling on an airplane, you need to sign not only yourself with the sign of the cross, you can mentally make the sign of the cross on the plane.
Psalm 26
Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior, whom will I fear? Lord, Protector of my life, from whom shall I fear? Sometimes you come close to me with malice, even if you tear away my flesh, those who insult me and attack me, you become weak and fall. Even if a regiment rises up against me, my heart will not fear: even if it rises up to fight against me, I will trust in Him. I have asked one thing of the Lord, and I will require this: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord and visit His holy temple. Because He hid me in His village in the day of my evils, He covered me in the secret of His village, He lifted me up on a rock. And now, behold, I have lifted up my head against my enemies: I have eaten and devoured in His village a sacrifice of praise and shouting: I will sing and sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my voice, which I have cried, have mercy on me and hear me. My heart says to you: I will seek the Lord, I will seek your face, O Lord, I will seek your face. Do not turn Your face away from me, and do not turn aside with anger from Your servant: be my helper, do not reject me and do not forsake me, O God, my Savior. For my father and mother abandoned me, but the Lord will receive me. Establish the law, O Lord, in Thy way, and guide me on the right path for my enemy’s sake. Do not betray me to the souls of my afflicted ones: for I have stood up as a witness of unrighteousness, and lied untruthfully to myself. I believe in seeing the good Lord on the earth of the living. Be patient with the Lord, be of good courage, and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord.
The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: whom shall I fear? If evildoers, my opponents and my enemies come upon me to devour my flesh, then they themselves will stumble and fall. If a regiment takes up arms against me, my heart will not fear; if war arises against me, then I will hope. I asked one thing from the Lord, this only I seek, that I might abide in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to contemplate the beauty of the Lord and visit His [holy] temple, for He would have hidden me in His tabernacle on the day of trouble, He would have hidden me in secret places. the place of His habitation, He would lift me up onto a rock. Then my head would be lifted above the enemies surrounding me; and I would offer sacrifices of praise in His tabernacle, and would begin to sing and make melody before the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my voice with which I cry, have mercy on me and listen to me. My heart speaks from You: “Seek My face”; and I will seek Your face, O Lord. Hide not Your face from me; do not reject Your servant in anger. You were my helper; do not reject me and do not forsake me, O God, my Savior! for my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will receive me. Teach me, O Lord, Thy way and guide me on the path of righteousness, for the sake of my enemies; Do not hand me over to the mercy of my enemies, for false witnesses have risen up against me and breathe malice. But I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened, and trust in the Lord.
Psalm 90
He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the blood of the Heavenly God, says the Lord: You are my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap and from the words of rebellion: His splash will overshadow you, and under His krill you hope that His truth will surround you with weapons. Do not fear from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies in the days, from the thing that passes in the darkness, from the clot and the demon of the midday. Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come near you: behold your eyes and see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope: You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body: as His Angel commanded you about you, to keep you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, lest you dash your foot against a stone: tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross over the lion and the serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will destroy him and glorify him: I will fulfill him with the length of days and show him My salvation.
Translation: He who lives under the roof of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, rests, says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust!” He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague, He will cover you with His feathers, and you will be safe under His wings; shield and fence - His truth. You will not be afraid of the terrors in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that walks in the darkness, the plague that devastates at noon. A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you: you will only look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. For you said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Most High as your refuge; no evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling; for He will command His angels about you - to guard you in all your ways: they will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone; you will step on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon. “Because he loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him, I will satisfy him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.”
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