Church Sets Up Prayer Tunnel in Atlántida
Members of Iglesia Corazón de Dios pray for travelers returning from the Honduran holiday.
A Prayer Tunnel welcomes drivers returning from the Semana Morazánica holiday in El Porvenir, Atlántida, according to the Honduran outlet TU NOTA. Iglesia Corazón de Dios set it up at that point on the route.
Prayer right on the highway
Drivers passing through El Porvenir can stop to receive a prayer and a blessing for their vehicle, TU NOTA reported. The idea is to bring hope, protection and faith to those heading home after the break.
Iglesia Corazón de Dios will stay at the site for the rest of the week, the Honduran outlet reported. Those staffing the tunnel offer drivers a moment to reflect and words of encouragement before they continue on.
«An improvised space beside a highway can be as holy a place as a temple.»
A whole week on the road
The tunnel doesn't run for just a few hours. The evangelical Christians staffing it will remain there for several days, with the goal of accompanying those traveling the country's roads after the holiday, according to TU NOTA.
The Semana Morazánica holiday sends Hondurans onto the highways. The trip home is the moment that church chose to pray.
For the Christian faith, praying for someone who is traveling is not a decorative gesture. The psalm puts it this way: "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (Psalm 121:7-8, ESV).
The letter to the Thessalonians asks for it plainly: "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). Stopping to pray for a stranger driving home is a simple way to obey that command.
Blessing a vehicle is not an amulet or a guarantee that nothing bad will happen on the road. It is placing before God what we do every day: drive, work and come back. The car is also part of what God gives us to manage with care.
Prayer for those just passing through
Anyone who drives for many hours knows the tiredness, the rush and the risk. Praying before starting the engine doesn't change the motor or the road, but it does change the heart of the person behind the wheel and of the one waiting at home.
A church that leaves its walls and plants itself where there is traffic offers something free: time, prayer and a blessing over the vehicle of someone it may never see again. You don't need to know their name to pray for that person.
Prayer doesn't depend on the place or the size of the group that hears it. It depends on God, who listens to anyone who comes humbly. That's why an improvised space beside a highway can be as holy a place as a temple.
If someone in your family hits the road this week, pray for that person before the car starts. Ask God to keep their going out and their coming in, and thank him for every return. A message before the trip also keeps them company.
And if you're the one driving, thank God when you arrive. One minute of prayer, on the shoulder of the road or in front of your house, is a small step anyone can take today.
