praying while driving

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When I was a child, I can remember one of the priests recommending to us to turn off our car radios and pray the rosary instead.
 
chataranga said:
Hello folks,
For those of you who pray while driving, whether the rosary or anything else. Please stop. For those of you who tell others to pray while driving-pleas stop. It is a dangerous practice. I’ve heard several priests on ewtn mention that they pray while driving and offer it as a good time to pray. Not so. Pay attention to that huge piece of equipment you are in charge of. Make driving itself the prayer, but pay attention to the road and the multitude of hazards there.
How fruitful or deep can a prayer practice be if one is really paying attention to the task at hand-namely keeping yourself and others on the road safe. Blessings to all-pray and drive safe.
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Praying makes my driving safer
 
I think that’s up to an individual’s discretion, much like someone that knows they are too tired to drive or need to turn off their radio or have passengers be quiet.

If I’m driving in a busy and complicated situation, I will not pray. But if I’m on a boring and long stretch of road, I actually find it helpful to stay alert. If I cannot talk to anyone when I drive alone, I can talk to God.

There have been times I’ve had to pray the rosary out loud when driving over a snowy mountain pass at night in order to stay awake and not fall asleep because I had nothing else to keep me awake, no radio reception, and no place to pull over or stay due to the snow.

This is a matter of personal discretion as a driver.
 
I think it’s a bit of hyperbole to say that prayer requires so much mental attention that a person could not possibly drive safely while they are praying.

I understand being distracted with physical objects that require one to take their eyes off the road, but praying either mentally or out loud? I’m sorry, but I’ve never had an experience that would lead me to think in these ways. From a theoretical perspective, the idea seems highly suspect.

Furthermore, even *from a psychological perspective, *repeating a short prayer while in a stressful driving situation would be very helpful. Anger as well as anxiety can be reduced, and one can focus one’s mind on the way we are to treat our neighbor and to love them in Christ. This is to say nothing of the fact that we are opening ourselves to grace in the process.

So yes, I’m with Catholic1954 on this one!
 
Its not praying that I am concerned with (as long as two hands are on the wheel and your eyes are on the road), I would ban navigation devices in all cars! This along with cell phones (all ready a violation in many states) are the biggest problem we face in distracted drivers!!!
 
Bottom line. Pray. Whether you’re driving, swimming, eating or mowing the yard. Pray.
 
If I am on a long trip then the more I can talk with someone…pray…listen to music…sing…(not talk on cell phone)…then I can concentrate better than if I was doing none of those things…to me just sitting and driving makes you become trance like to your surroundings:)
 
“In the end what matters most is-
How well did you live?
How well did you love?
How well did you learn to let go?”
Peace and health to you all.
 
chataranga said:
Hello folks,
For those of you who pray while driving, whether the rosary or anything else. Please stop. For those of you who tell others to pray while driving-pleas stop. It is a dangerous practice. I’ve heard several priests on ewtn mention that they pray while driving and offer it as a good time to pray. Not so. Pay attention to that huge piece of equipment you are in charge of. Make driving itself the prayer, but pay attention to the road and the multitude of hazards there.
How fruitful or deep can a prayer practice be if one is really paying attention to the task at hand-namely keeping yourself and others on the road safe. Blessings to all-pray and drive safe.
Click to expand...
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing”. Praying while driving is no more distracting that listening to the radio. It’s far safer than talking on the phone, listening to a stupid GPS machine, or carrying on a conversation with a passenger. Prayer keeps my mind from racing in a thousand different directions. Even if I can’t achieve deep contemplative prayer at the wheel, I am still elevating my heart and soul to God. I begin each driving prayer with a petition for safety. I don’t take my eyes off the road.
 
Erich said:
Just do it with your eyes open while driving!
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Reminds me of a joke. A gentleman prayed: “oh Lord, I pray that when my time comes, I should die in my sleep like my uncle Bill, and not screaming in terror like his passengers!” 😃
 
What specifically is the grace that we will be opened up to by praying?
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 Several folks have posted how their driving isn't adversely affected while praying and driving. Several have posted how the radio, passengers, cell phones, etc. are more distracting or more dangerous than praying. Not sure about that. I believe distractions are distractions and inherently dangerous.
 Over the years I've seen several news casts involving alcohol and a controlled test where the volunteer is behind the wheel of a machine that will check their response time in stopping a vehicle after a few drinks. Invariably the person being tested is amazed at how much their driving was affected(once they've sobered up and watched the video of their test) by x number of drinks. Some even thought their driving abilities were enhanced because they believed they would pay better attention because they had been drinking.
 How simple a behavior change to pray before driving and then afterwards giving a prayer of gratefulness. Blessings to you and yours.
 
Boy_Wonder said:
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing”. Praying while driving is no more distracting that listening to the radio. It’s far safer than talking on the phone, listening to a stupid GPS machine, or carrying on a conversation with a passenger. Prayer keeps my mind from racing in a thousand different directions. Even if I can’t achieve deep contemplative prayer at the wheel, I am still elevating my heart and soul to God. I begin each driving prayer with a petition for safety. I don’t take my eyes off the road.
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Agree!I start out with the Memorare ,usually say morning prayers with my teens on the way to the bus
and don’t miss the opportunity to say the rosary where ever I’m going.It’s a beautiful use of time and my safe driving parents handed this practice down to me and my 7 siblings.I love to try to stay connected through prayer with my Creator where ever I am .The days I haven’t prayed were the ones I nearly had mishaps,but usually from other drivers.
 
From St. John of the cross-Ascent of Mt. Carmel. “Wherefore it is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still, so that God may speak.”
Probably one of the most uncomfortable things in the world is silence. With silence we actually begin to hear “The incessant stream of thinking…” The same old stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years sometimes. We should learn to be comfortable with the discomfort. Speak less and listen to that still inner voice that is Truth more. Be well-blessings.
 
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