The old man inched along the sidewalk, toting a heavy grocery sack. His back hunched forward and his eyes were fixed on the ground. When I stopped at the traffic light and spotted him, I knew it was time for a drive-by prayer.  

Drive-by prayers are little invocations that can be uttered for strangers who could use some help. It could be a pregnant lady, gingerly navigating a grocery cart in which a toddler is pitching a fiery fit, or a little boy walking by your house on the way to school. Maybe it’s the conductor on a train that roars through your neighborhood.  

The format is simple enough. “That woman in the next car, dear God, who looks so sad and lonely, please send someone to help her.” And for a child: “Please protect him at school and help him make friends.” I suspect there have been times when people have whispered anonymous supplications for me, which went straight from their hearts to the ear of God. This could explain why I’ve seen bad days suddenly turn around.   

Drive-by prayers do not require a car. They are wonderful ways to pass the time when you are stuck in a long line at the store. Instead of silently bemoaning your fate, you can choose someone nearby and say a prayer for them. You do not need the person’s name, because God knows it. You may never see this person again, at least in this lifetime, but perhaps you will run into them in Heaven.  

I discovered drive-by prayers many years ago, when my late husband and I were driving some sisters from Mother Teresa’s religious order around town. Moments after we all settled in the car, one of the sisters grasped her rosary beads. “Let’s say some prayers,” she said, and we began praying. As we drove down Ponce de Leon Avenue, we saw poor people camping out on benches, children in strollers, college students on bicycles and people eating lunch on trendy restaurant porches. They were all God’s children sweating under the same noonday sun, unaware that our prayers were pouring mystical balm upon their souls.  

Each day, when I scroll through the news, I see a desperate need for drive-by prayers. Photos show the grieving parents of the precious children who died in the Texas floods. There are couples whose homes were destroyed by hurricanes and families whose lives have been shattered by violent crimes. All these people are crying out for healing.  

When it comes to prayer, we must be vigilant. You might be yawning from boredom in a meeting or flat on your back in a hospital. Keep your eyes and ears attuned for folks in need of prayers. St. Therese of Lisieux wrote, “Prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Everything can be taken away from us—our health, our freedom and our money—but we still have enormous power when we lift our hearts to God.  

Our world seems to be in dreadful shape, ravaged by poverty and war. What would happen if more people were praying in their spare time instead of fretting and fighting? Perhaps if we took up the hobby of drive-by praying, we could help bring joy and healing to other people’s lives. And in a mystical and mysterious way, our devotion to praying for everyday strangers could transform the world forever.