by Rev Steve Nickodemus

Prayer work.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Psalm 90:17

Question: What are these women doing around the table?

Answer: They are praying.

Funny, it doesn’t look like they are praying…it looks like they are knitting. That’s right, they are knitting…they are knitting prayers into shawls. These women, and others like them, have knitted hundreds of prayer shawls over the last decade.

How does that work?

As each woman knits, she prays for the person who will receive that shawl. That person is yet unknown to the knitter, but God knows who will need that shawl. It may be someone who is grieving and needs comfort…someone who has lost a parent, a spouse, or a child. It may be someone depressed, or struggling with suicidal thoughts, who needs the presence of God. It may be someone nursing a new born baby, or a mother needing strength and endurance.

No matter to whom the shawl may go, it goes out already with hundreds of prayers already prayed over it. It goes with the blessing of the Almighty God upon it. It goes with the redeeming love of our Savior upon it. It goes with the comfort of the Spirit upon it.

These shawls are knitted by hand with this prayer: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us…establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands.” So the prayers go in, the prayers go out, and the prayers go up.

May the prayers of God’s people go up even as we labor with our hands before you, O Lord, and do establish the work of our hands. Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado