Pray Like You're A Passenger In An Airplane

​I had coffee with a friend yesterday. She told me about a recent flight she took. In telling the story, she told me about the prayer she said while sitting on the runway waiting for the plane to take off.

It was quite a detailed prayer.

Then, I told her about the simple prayer I always whisper when flying. A prayer not quite as comprehensive, but still a request for God's intervention in my travels.

As we were talking about planes and prayers, it occurred to me just how infrequently I say similar prayers when driving a car. Or even when being a passenger in a car. This seems strange to me given that statistics suggest automobiles, when looking at deaths per mile traveled, are at least 100 times more dangerous than commercial airplanes.

I reflected out loud with her about this. I said I think this is about control. When driving, we perceive much greater control over our safety than when flying - no matter what the probabilities tell us.

And I wondered, is my reaching out to God directly proportional to my fears? Am I more likely - maybe even MUCH more likely - to have a conversation with God when I can't imagine anything other than God being powerful enough to ensure my safety or positive outcomes?

I told my friend that MY airplane prayer is simply, "God, put this plane in your hands." I told her as I say this, I actually visualize God holding the airplane in midair. He looks like a father holding a precious baby.

Why don't I say the very same prayer when driving? Is it because I literally have the steering wheel, and for all practical purposes - the automobile - in MY hands. Can some situations make me so confident in my own hands that I presume away any need for God's hand?

Why do I so readily place my airplane life in God's hand, but resist doing so in so many other areas in my life? Has my own life, my own personal risk statistics, not proven beyond any doubt that God's hands are much healthier than my own when looking for direction or protection?

I will answer that question: my statistics all point to God....

My friend and I had a great coffee chat, but I think my biggest takeaway in our conversation was that I need to treat more of my life like I'm sitting on a runway in an airplane about to take off.

I need to have airplane relationships. Airplane jobs. Airplane dreams. Airplane finances. Airplane parenting.

And more.

I need to spend much more time visualizing God holding more areas of my life in his hand like a precious baby than just the airplane I might be sitting in.

Even things as simple as this article and Facebook post.

God, hold it in your hands.

Like a precious baby.