But John was writing to a stationary church, not someone about to travel. Some might say that traveling mercies are consistent with what the apostle John wrote: “I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). To the Romans he wrote, “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped by you on my journey there by you” (Romans 15:24, ESV).īut in his requests for prayer, Paul never asked that believers pray for his safety.

Paul asked Titus to “diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them” (Titus 3:13). But just because something isn’t inherently wrong, does that mean we should ask for it? In other words, could there be clear reasons why praying for traveling mercies may not be appropriate?ĭespite the extensive traveling conducted by the apostles, they rarely made requests-by letter-regarding travel. Indeed, it would be wicked to desire an accident, illness, and death while traveling. It’s a short way of asking that there be no traffic on the way to the airport, that no one be chosen for special screening, and that the airplane fly its proper path and arrive at its destination at the appointed time.Ībove all, it’s a request that no one get injured, that no accidents of any kind occur, and that everyone remain in full health.īut it’s difficult to remember all the different elements, so to ensure full protection, we simply pray for traveling mercies.įundamentally, there is nothing inherently wrong with such a request. So what do people mean when they ask for traveling mercies? To state the obvious, they’re asking for safe, smooth, problem-free travel. There, a chaplain prayed for traveling mercies on behalf of a soldier.īecause new phrases in a language take root verbally before they appear in print, it is impossible to know precisely where and how the phrase originated.

The earliest known use in a context outside of missions appears in the 1956 book They Shall Not March Alone. Letters from missionaries report that the Lord provided traveling mercies as they traveled to their ministry destination. The phrase “traveling mercies” goes back at least as far as the late nineteenth century when travel was far more perilous than today. The phrase communicates something, but it’s a cheap substitute for biblical truth. To me, “traveling mercies” is imitation crab in Christian lingo. I don’t eat a lot of sushi, but when I do, one of the ingredients is usually imitation crab. “Please pray for traveling mercies as we go to. This post was first published during January 2016.

Traveling mercies book