My husband and I haven’t traveled abroad together since visiting two of our children years ago when one lived in Italy and another was in the Navy in Spain. We were younger then, and traveling was much easier. Fast forward to today, when we’re planning a long-awaited trip to Norway and encountering obstacles like many of you who are planning trips abroad might be experiencing. We’re praying daily for our trip, and I’m sure you are praying for yours too.
Traveling abroad, whether for work, vacation, or ministry, is exciting and adventurous, but preparation and going into unfamiliar territory out of our daily routine can also cause stress, anxiety, and worry. It can be emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining. The Bible provides comfort and assurance wherever we go. Here are five prayers that are helping us, and I hope will bless you with faith-based support and encouragement as you embark on this exciting journey.
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1. Prayer for Travel Arrangements
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Father, making all the flight and accommodation arrangements seems overwhelming. There are so many choices, and I want to wisely spend my money and be a good steward of this opportunity to travel abroad. Each place offers intriguing sights to see, and it’s so difficult to make all those decisions when I’m not sure how to best use my time there.
Lord, You know that even packing can be exhausting trying to decide what type of clothes and shoes are appropriate for different climate and weather conditions, sightseeing, and social engagements. I don’t want to take too much since there is a weight limit for suitcases, but I don’t want to not have what I’ll need for each occasion. Help me develop a checklist of the necessities and remind me that I can always purchase something I forgot.
Lord, I want to enjoy this trip and not miss out on anything, yet I know I can’t do it all. When I’m discouraged or dismayed, help me to seek Your wise counsel. Show me the way, Lord. Remind me to pray before I make a decision or deposit. Give me peace and direct me to whom I should ask for assistance. Help me remember that while this might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore other countries, You’ve seen it all and created it all, and if I call on You, You will show me the way I should go.
Once the decisions have been made and paid for, Lord, please grant me peace of mind not to second-guess or worry when rates go down or up. If I need assistance, humble me to ask for it. Don’t let me lose my joy in the details, knowing that always the joy of the Lord is my strength, and I can do all things through and with Christ. Amen.
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2. Prayer for Health
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2
Father, as I await my long-planned trip abroad, I pray and plead that You would keep me healthy and away from any bodily harm that might jeopardize my travels or my enjoyment of the trip. Help me to rest and sleep at night, even though my mind is racing in anticipation of such a big trip to another country. Plans are made and paid for in advance, and the thought of losing all of that because of a sudden illness or health issue before I leave is so stressful. Guide me as to whether I should take out the travel insurance. Protect me from systemic illnesses that would prohibit me from traveling abroad. If shots are needed for the areas where I’m going, please don’t let me have detrimental side effects.
When I’m on the trip, oh Lord, let me enjoy good health. I’ll be eating foods I’m not used to and in time zones drastically different from home, so remind me to bless my food before I eat it and make time in the hectic schedule for rest and sleep. Make it clear to me when I need to take a break from activities and relax to enjoy new sights, sounds, and weather.
When schedules are hectic, nudge me to take my usual medications and supplements. Father, if I do become ill or have an accident and need medical help, please watch over me and lead me to the best physicians and hospitals. Give me patience if there’s a language difference.
Oh Lord, You are the Great Jehovah Rafa, and I’m praying now for Your healing hand to keep me healthy before the trip and while traveling so far away from home. Guide my steps as I’m walking, maybe on unstable ground, climbing stairs, and sightseeing. Help me know my limits so that I don’t stretch or strain or injure myself. My body is Your creation, and I’m putting my trust in You to help it function as You intended. Praise You, Lord, for I know that I’m beautifully and wonderfully made by You. Amen.
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3. Prayer for Safety
“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble.” Proverbs 3:21-23 NLT
Father, I pray that I am in Your will in my travels. I know that I’m not traveling alone, You are always with me and only a prayer away. Thank You for the armor of God that You provide for me in Ephesians 6:10-18 and remind me that I should prayerfully armor up spiritually before starting my trip and on each day while traveling in foreign countries.
I pray for traveling mercies for the long flights and for the alertness and skills of the pilots and flight attendants and for the planes to function well. Please put a band of angels around the plane and all the vehicles I’m in on the ground. Help me to find physical comfort in the plane seat and be able to sleep when it’s time to sleep and arrive feeling refreshed.
Lord, please give me wisdom and discernment of where I should go and where I should avoid at my destination. Lord, prompt me to remember always that the safest place in the entire world is in Your protection and that You’re with me wherever I go. Thank You for Your divine protection and going before me and behind me. Please travel with me as I leave the known and venture on this exciting adventure. Calm my fears and apprehension as only You can. Praise You for creating such a beautiful world for me to explore with You always by my side. Amen.
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4. Prayer for Being a Good Representation of Christ
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Dear Lord, as I travel abroad in foreign countries, let me be a good representative of my country and, most importantly, a good witness for Christ. On the long plane ride, when I might be tired and become grumpy, let me still be kind and courteous to the flight attendants and those sitting near me on the plane. Don’t let me become impatient or demanding, and please give me patience when things aren’t going my way.
When I’m in other countries, whose ways are different from what I’m used to, let me enjoy their culture and be understanding of language differences. Don’t let me shy away from greeting someone with my normal “God bless you” or “Have a blessed day.” Let me show that I’m a Christian with no need to say that I am. Let my actions and words show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and thankfulness.
Give me tolerance when lines are long or I don’t understand foreign road signs, language, or cultural traditions. Keep a smile on my face even when I’m weary and may become impatient. As I pray before my meals, remind me to ask others around me if they, too, would like to pray with me. No matter where I go, especially abroad, I am Your representative, and I pray that others would see You clearly in me. You are the Father of all races, creeds, and nationalities. Let me not become judgmental or critical of things I don’t understand in other countries, but be respectful of our differences that shouldn’t divide us. You are universal wherever I go. Praise God! Amen.
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5. Prayer to Have Fun and Make Memories
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Psalm 100:1
Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity I have to take this marvelous trip to explore and experience surroundings and cultures that may be new to me, but familiar to You who created all the earth. I’m so grateful for You making this possible, and I know You want me to enjoy myself and treasure the memories I’m making. All the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes I will take with me long after I return home. Whether it be in pictures or just in my mind and heart, I pray this trip abroad will be all that I’ve hoped it would be.
Please help me meet new people, whether traveling with me on tours, in the hotels, planes, buses, and people native to wherever I’m going. People I would’ve never met had I not ventured on this trip. Memories I’ll cherish long after I’m back home again, sharing with friends and family the experiences I encountered along the way.
Lastly, but importantly, Lord, help me have fun. Surprise me with blessings I could’ve never anticipated, and help me to be a blessing to people I meet along the way. Show me and teach me what You want me to take away from this trip, and when it comes to an end, I pray I’ll be glad that I went. In Your precious Holy Name, I put my trip abroad in Your capable and loving hands. Amen
Have a wonderful, memorable trip abroad, and I pray that my husband and I do also!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8
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Originally published Friday, 27 June 2025.
