As I drove down the highway, coming home from two family funerals, my pastor husband was asleep beside me, tired from his stint at the wheel. Looking for a way to stay alert, I invented a new way to pray. I began to read words on trucks. Whatever the name or slogan said, I used it as a springboard for prayer. At first the names were geographical and easy—Western, Heartland, Great Plains, Northern. I took time to pray for the people in each of those regions of the country.

For the more abstract names I allowed my mind to tune into whatever the word reminded me of:

• FedEx—the first time I saw it, I prayed for the federal government; the next time, for our ex-president and vice president.
• M.S. Carrier—I saw several of these, so I prayed for those who are carriers of AIDS and other communicable diseases. I prayed for those in public transportation who are carriers of people. I prayed by name for friends suffering with MS.
• Rollings—Names of a brother and sister from my high school youth group years ago came to mind. I prayed for God’s blessing on their lives.
• Ryder—I asked God to care for my “rider,” my already exhausted husband headed back into a whirlwind pastor’s schedule. • Budweiser—Those caught in the grip of alcoholism became the focus of my prayer.

I enjoyed that hour and a half with God in prayer. It seemed to fly by. It was almost as if we were having a running conversation about a wide variety of people. I wondered if He put trucks along my way so I could pray for particular individuals or situations. I am certain He put thoughts into my head so that my prayers flowed in certain directions.

I continue to use this free association prayer as I travel. Rarely does my mind draw a blank as I read the sides of trucks. But when it does, I pray for the truck driver.

I make a fast-paced game of it, the pace of the prayer matching how quickly the next truck approaches. Sometimes I go at a more leisurely pace, allowing trucks to pass unread while finishing a prayer and then picking out a new truck.

On our next long trip I think I’ll try free-association praying with billboards. They should stretch my imagination with lots of additional ideas for prayer.

CAROL R. COOL is a speaker, writer, and editor from Ephrata, PA.

(C) 2013 Prayer Connect magazine.