Monthly Calendars

Prayers

Our prayer pages are filled with an assortment of prayers inspired by this ministry.
You may want to use these as a guideline for creating some of your own!

Beginning To Knit Dedication © 2008 All Rights Reserved

By: Janet Bristow - 2000

Mantle of Love, Healer of Hearts,

I light this candle as a reminder of Your presence as I begin.
I ask a blessing from all who have come before me;
whose hands have been instruments of creation and beauty;
who have used humble tools and hand-spun wool in order to provide cover and warmth for
themselves and those they loved;
who have felt, as I will feel, the yarn in their fingers;
who have seen, as I will see, the growth of the fabric;
who have heard, as I will hear, the click of the needles.

Guide my attention to stay on course.
Hold me close and ground me.
Bless, also, this yarn and these knitting needles.
May any negative energy connected to them be cast away as I cast on;
and all positive energy bound in as I bind off.
In their simplicity, may I find comfort and solace.

Bless my hands...
Often just appendages at the end of my arms...
workers doing their job without appreciation...looked at, yet not really seen.
These instruments of love have done mundane tasks, yet also create beauty.
They reach out, touch, stroke, scrub, lift, grasp, gesture and guide.
These hands, my hands, gifts of great importance,
Blessings be on them and in them as I begin.
May the fruits of their labor be good!

Prayer Of Blessing (blessing for a completed shawl)

© 2008 All rights reserved.

By: Janet Bristow - 2000

May God's grace be upon this shawl...
warming, comforting, enfolding and embracing.
May this mantle be a safe haven... a sacred place of security and well-being...
sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones.
May the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace,
and wrapped in love.
Blessed Be!

Ariadne's Blessing © 2008 All rights reserved.

By: Janet Bristow - 1998

Holy One,
Whose womb is threaded and waiting,

guide us to pick up the thread
and walk the spiral through the dark and

difficult passages.

Life Cord,
Who sustains us as we move to our center, give us courage

to meet our souls.
Comfort us through our dismantling, wrapped in

Your loving embrace.

Mantle of Love,
Rebirth us with Wisdom, as we are knitted once

again back into wholeness.

Starting Prayer © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Pamela Stiff

Dear Lord,
Take away all my negative thoughts and feelings as I work on this shawl of comfort for ___________. Guide my hands as they work and keep my thoughts positive and centered around her. I make each stitch with love and a prayer in my heart for her comfort, hope, and healing. May __________ feel Your loving arms around her as she wears this shawl and may it represent to her Your power to heal any hurt. Comfort her, Bless her, Heal Her. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen

St. Patrick Church - Starting Prayer - © 2008 All rights reserved

by Darcy Horon -Siepman

Dear Lord, Bless these needles that they stay strong and light so they don't tire the hands that wield them;
Bless this yarn with strength and softness that it will form a cloth of warmth and comfort;
Bless these hands with strength and skill so they may make well crafted gifts;
Bless this heart with strength and perseverance so I will see this work through to bring comfort to those in need;
But most of all dear Lord, Bless the wearer of this cloth with strength and comfort that
their burdens may be lightened and their hearts gladdened with the realization that they are loved.

Psalm 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and confirm for us the work of our
hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.

Gathering Prayer and Blessing (for group work) © 2008 All rights reserved
By: Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW

As we gather in community to share our prayer, our stories, the work of our hearts and hands, we pray for God's blessing on our endeavors:
A blessing to my mind - to be free to enter this time of contemplative activity...
A blessing to my hands - to be the source of creating something of beauty and love...
A blessing to my soul - to be open to the promptings of loving and caring...
A blessing to my yarn - to be shaped into patterns of loving and caring...
A blessing to my needles - to be the holders of stitches as they become a whole garment...
A blessing to my knitting - to be a work of heart and hands, body and spirit...
A blessing on the one who will receive the fruit of my prayer and my knitting...
May this shawl be welcomed in the spirit in which it was knitted...
May we become one with the One who knitted each of us in our mother's womb...
I join my blessing, my prayer and my knitting with women all over the earth in this common effort to

bring healing and wholeness, comfort and celebration.

Nine Blessings © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW

I call nine blessings from above

In the name of God: the creator, the giver of life, the holder of time
In the name of Jesus: the savior, the healer, the lifter of pain.
In the name of the Spirit: the comforter, the consoler, the sustainer of life.

I knit a mantle of caring
I knit a mantle of protection
I knit a mantle of wholeness

I knit a mantle of strength
I knit a mantle of healing
I knit a mantle of patience

I knit a mantle to enfold you
I knit a mantle to encircle you
I knit a mantle to empower you.

Prayer For Healing © 2008 All rights reserved
By: Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW
www.shawlministry.com

In the beginning, creating Godde, you formed my being. You knit me together in my mother's womb.
To my flesh and blood you gave the breath of life.

O loving One, renew me this day in your love, grant me life as gift of Your faithfulness;
grant me light to journey by; grant me hope to sustain me.

May this mantle be for me a sign of Your healing presence. May it warm me when I am weary;
may it surround me with ease of my suffering; may it encircle me with caring when I am in pain.

O Christ who healed the broken in body and spirit, be with me and all who suffer this day.
Be with the doctors, nurses, technicians, chaplains and all who care for the sick.
Be with families and friends of those abiding with and comforting the sick.

May Your gentle, yet strong touch reach out to heal all the broken
and hurting people and places in our world.

Prayer For Comfort © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW

As you wrap yourself in the prayer shawl of comfort...
May the Mother of Mercy, the Father of Faithfulness and the Spirit of Compassion
wrap you in their all-encompassing love this day.

May you find comfort
   from all that appears too much to bear at this moment
   from all that feels as if it might be the breaking point
   from all that seems to threaten your peace of heart.

May this prayer shawl be
   a shelter for time of overwhelming grief
   a shade in times of sorrow too deep for words
   a shield from times of unimaginable loss.

May you be comforted
   by the presence of those who love and support you
   by faith in the eternal Loving One
   by the memories of what you hold most dear.

May you be strengthened
   in your daily comings and goings
   in your tentative new beginnings
   in your unfolding new memories.

Blessings of the Angel of Comfort be with you and all you love now and forevermore.

Psalm 139: 13-14

You created every part of me, knitting me in my mother's womb.
For such handiwork, I praise you.
Awesome this great wonder.

Shawl Blessing For Two Uniting © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Betty Breen with Jeanne Grandy & Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW
Spring 2002

In celebration of the love, hopes, and dreams the two of you bring to this new dimension in your relationship-a gift, made for you with love.

As you wrap yourselves in it together, may it be for you a gentle reminder that
You are loved and cherished,
You are gifted and giving,
You share the riches of life experience;
You are knit together with the Creator,
the one who is with you always,
and with all those whose lives touch yours.

May this shawl be for you useful...
For fun, for love, for making up, for making decisions,
For comfort, for warmth
For strengthening your Togetherness.

May love and blessings flow from your new life
together to touch this world anew.

Shawl Blessing For New Birth © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Cathleen Murtha with Jeanne Grandy

In the beginning, creating Godde, you formed my being.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
To my flesh and blood you gave the breath of Life.

O loving One, we celebrate this day, gift of your love.
You have granted life as gift of your faithfulness to all generations. Grant your light to journey by; grant your hope to sustain my becoming all that I can be.

Bless my parents and all parenting, that Wisdom will guide your children to will and to work for good to the benefit of all living on this planet home.

May this wrap, whether for nurture, warmth, or security, be a gentle reminder of my prayer and Your presence and love with us always.

New Baby - Shawl Blessing © 2008 All rights reserved

By: Janet Bristow
St. Patrick/St. Anthony Prayer Shawl Ministry

Loving God,
Bless this woman and this new life birthed into the world.
As she wraps her baby into this shawl, may she too, be enfolded in Your unconditional, motherly embrace.
Precious these two lives, forever bonded to each other - to You!

Bless too, this child's father... provider, protector, and guardian. As his child grows,
may he be given the strength, compassion, and tenderness needed to be the best role model
he can be.

Surround this family with comfort,
   Wrap them in peace,
   Bundle them securely in love,
   Cradle them with hope in the future.

May their days together grow in joy, guided by Your tender, maternal love,
blessing this family through all the generations.

Amen

Prayer Shawl for Expectant Mother of Twins © 2008 All rights reserved

Good Shepherd Parish - Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Prayers and loving thoughts were woven into the stitches of this prayer shawl as it was crocheted for you.
May it be a sign of God’s constant caring presence and His abiding love.
May it remind you to be ever thankful for your unique God given gifts.
May it remind you of the answer to your prayers, this miracle of new life.
May it encircle you with warmth and comfort when you are tired and stressed.
May hosts of angels surround and protect you and the babies at the time of birth.
May God’s generous blessings be bestowed on you and the unborn twins as it warms you.
May God bless you as new parents and grant you strength and wisdom along the way.
In wonder and thanksgiving, may you enjoy watching your precious little family grow.

Enjoy the shawl made with love, hugs and prayers,
And remember to trust in the Lord.

Prayer Shawl for Twins (name, or Baby) © 2008 All rights reserved

Good Shepherd Parish - Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Prayers and loving thoughts were stitched into this Prayer Shawl as it was made just for you.
May it be a sign of God’s constant presence and His abiding love.
May it remind you to be thankful for the precious gift of life you received and grateful for your unique God given talents.
May it remind you to treasure your parents and loving circle of family and friends.
May it surround you with warmth and comfort when you are weary.
May it be a mantle and sign of God’s healing presence when you are sick.
May hosts of angels surround and protect you as babies (a baby) and as you grow into adulthood.
May God continue to bless you and grant you strength and wisdom along the way.
May you (both) be blessed with good health in body, mind and soul with a kind, loving heart.

Enjoy your shawl made with love, hugs and prayers,
And remember to trust in the Lord.

PRAYER OF BLESSING (for pets)
(adapted from prayers by J. Bristow & S. Jorgensen; )
May God's grace be upon this garment of prayer...
Warming, comforting, and embracing.
As you gently wrap this around your beloved pet,
May you both be surrounded by love knit into it,
enfolded by comfort and prayer,
graced with peace,
and kept in eternal life,
Knowing that our Lord has a special place in His heart for the animals created by His hand.
Amen.

Opening Prayer © 2008 All rights reserved
Written By: Cynthia D. Yee
West Avon Congregational Church

Jesus spoke to them, saying,
"I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness
but will have the light of life."

Gracious and loving God, as we light our candle we remember
Your Light which shines into darkness,
Your Son whose life, death and resurrection gives us hope,
Your Spirit which permeates every corner of our lives.

Be present here as we knit these shawls and enjoy each other's company.

We remember all those for whom we knit these shawls:
Those who are lonely and need to know they are loved,
Those who are ill and yearn for healing of body, mind and spirit,
Those who face challenging decisions and search for guidance,
Those who are grieving and welcome comforting words and actions,
Those who are celebrating newness of life and rejoice in the warmth and
richness surrounding them.
Again
Bind us together in one community of love, founded on the faith that Your love and grace are everlasting. Amen

Prayer used for opening the gathering of The Prayer Shawl Ministry
at West Avon Congregational Church.
In Celebration of the Group's Second Anniversary. © 2008 All rights reserved
Written By: Kay M. Donnelly
West Avon Congregational Church 5/13/02

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity to gather together and
celebrate our ministry. We've been blessed with the opportunity to share
our love and concern for others through something tangible - the prayer shawl.
We come in joy tonight recognizing our second anniversary,
and pray for our continued mission in the years to come.
Please give us your blessing as we daily reach out to others
and spread the word of Love.

By: MJ Pattison - New Life Presbyterian Church - Rochester, NY

(prayer to be read after reading Psalm 90)

O Lord, indeed, establish thou the work of our hands

bless these new and empty knitting needles

so that they may become instruments of prayer and meditation.

As we fill them may our hearts be filled with the ones we hold dear

who need your special providence and embrace.

For those of us who are learning something new, give us perseverance

as we remember those who courageously face what they did not choose.

For those of us who are making sacred a hobby and a joy,

give us patience and gratitude as we pray for our friends who

inspire us with their patience and gratitude in the face of suffering

and the fear of losing life.

O Lord, establish thou the work of our hands

as we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Who know all the suffering we can know because he took it upon

himself for our sakes. - Amen

By: Ruby Ouelette -CT

(To my Mother, whose perseverance and wisdom while battling cancer

gave me the strength to write this poem God's speed - I love you!)

Oh, angel of mine please hear my prayers,

give me strength and remove my fears.

My heart is heavy and I'm having doubts,

I'm asking you please help me out.

I'm not asking for a sign just a little love

between your heart and mine.

I know you are with me every night,

guide me so I know what I do is right.

The Healing Shawl

I woke as the dark began to fade

A ray of light played on the shade

I'm surrounded by a warm, soft glow

It is love...that I know.

It's not the love of my youthful days

But the love of a stranger far away.

She knitted for me a healing shawl

And prays for strength if I should fall.

These silky strands which embrace my soul

Surround me with love and make me whole

Below this warm fabric lay the depth of it's meaning

Healing and love is what it is bringing

The love of strangers, family and friends

Nourish my body and urge it to mend.

Dear Lord, please bless these needles of mine.

That I may make a shawl of strength, faith,

health and love. Give this shawl the ability to comfort,

the ability to heal, the ability to give strength

where it is needed and of your will it to be.

May the recipient be able to know that you are with

them and that they are not alone.

That they are cared for and loved and prayed for.

That your loving arms are around them,

to protect them for whatever reason they should need,

whenever they put this shawl on.

Lord, thank-you for the

blessings that this shawl is given. Amen.

Prayer for Shawl Ministry - Closing Prayer - © 2008 All rights reserved
Good Shepherd Parish - Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Dear Lord,

We thank you for the generous gifts we have received and ask for your

continued blessings on our homes and families.

May the Holy Spirit guide us as we share of our time, talents, prayers

and love in this Prayer Shawl Ministry

We also ask your blessings on the recipients of the shawls that they may feel comforted

by your steadfast love and if possible that their health be restored.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

A Shawl Maker's Prayer

Dear Lord; Bless my hands as I knit today. May each

twist of the yarn guide me to create a pattern of love and

comfort in my work and remind me of Your ultimate protection.

Wrap me in Your spirit so that I will be more caring towards

those in need.

Grant me patience as I create this shawl. And bless

my handiwork as it travels to bring comfort and peace

to someone in need of Your warming embrace. Amen.

A prayers from the Bahai faith:

Submitted by: Sandra Klassen

Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy.

Nearness to Thee is my hope and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to

me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world yet to come.

Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

2nd prayer: submitted by: Sandra Klassen

Is there any remover of difficulties save God? Say praise be God!

He is God! All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!

Blessings For You

There is many blessings in this shawl I made for you,
It starts with a prayer and some yarn (with a lot of help from the Lord too),
As hours go by and your shawl has grown,
I pray all the prayers and blessings for you and hope you will have known,
That someone cares and thinks of you,
Like The Lord above and me too.
There is a lot of Blessings in this shawl I made for you,
It ends with a prayer and some yarn and gifted with Blessings anew.
From the Lord and me and delivered to you.

Sister Theresa Ann, cps

The Divine Knitter

The pattern selected,

the color chosen,

the Knitter rejoices

in loving

anticipation.

Jesus,

The Knitter sits

silently

casting on the yarn,

touching

with reverence

its texture,

feeling

its softness

flowing

through His fingers.

I, the pattern

I, the yarn

held

in loving anticipation.

I am

Being knit

Into being.

Into the Image

and

Likeness of God.

God, Who delights in

My unfolding,

God, Who finds joy

In the shawl

I am

Becoming.

Jesus,

The knitter,

Loves me,

Cherishes me

Holds me

Close to His heart.

For

I am the shawl

The work of

His hands.

BORNE

By Janet Bristow © 2008 All rights reserved
4/2005

Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, a shawl skeins of yarn. Wings to fly above troubled waters

~~~Envelopment is from Solace~~~

~~~~~~~~~ unfurled ~~~~~~~~

Shelter Peace

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

Comfort Rest

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

Security Sacred

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

Warmth

Provena St. Mary's Praying Hands Shawl Ministry - Praying Hands Crafters
Kankakee, IL

Beginning Prayer: "God, bless the work of my hands, may it bring joy to the wearer and
peace to the crafter. May the person who receives this shawl feel your
loving embrace. May this shawl be a tangible prayer and blessing. Amen" © 2008 All rights reserved

Prayer Tag that is packaged with the shawl:
"This shawl was crafted with prayers for your healing-Body, Mind &
Spirit. As you wear this shawl may you feel the warm embrace of our
Heavenly Father." © 2008 All rights reserved

~a shawl maker’s prayer~

By Janet Bristow

Good God!

Guide me through the

knots,

kinks,

dropped stitches,

split yarn,

shredded fringe,

dye lot mismatches,

pattern mistakes,

errors,

and the myriad other “issues” that get in the way of my centeredness!

Help me to see that these annoyances:

knotted emotions,

kinked plans,

dropped dreams,

split relationships,

shredded hopes,

mismatched friendships,

mistaken assumptions,

errant goals

are actually metaphors of life!

As I knit through the creation of the shawl, I gratefully acknowledge and accept the imperfections, weaving

them into my prayers and intentions for the one who will be

wrapped in and

blessed by it all!

Written by: Tish H.

Say a Little Prayer
As I start this shawl I say a little prayer.
In hopes this shawl will be worn,
And not thrown neatly on a chair.
I say a little prayer that the Lord grants
your intentions that only you know.
I hope this shawl gives you comfort
where ever you go.
So, when you are happy, sad or you think
no one cares.
Wrap this shawl around you and say a little prayer.
Hope, Faith and Love is in each stitch I make
from beginning to end.
And with all the prayers I pray with this shawl that I send.
I pray that you know that the Lord is always there.
As I am finished with this shawl I say a little prayer.

Heavenly Father...............you who know the deepest desires of our hearts.............to encourage..........to nurture.............to soothe the weary worn travelers of this earth. As we wait expectantly for the return of your Son, Jesus.......................we create these shawls with purpose. Purpose to lift the heavy loads and burdens from the backs of the bearers. With each stitch that is made, let it be a representation of the love that flows freely from the throne room of grace. Merciful Redeemer..............gives us the were withal to accomplish this labor of love. Bless every part of our being, so that we are able to create one shawl after another, never growing weary. Let all be done to Your Honor and Glory.................in the Precious Name of Your Son, Jesus. Submitted by......................June Gauthier© 2008 All rights reserved

Submitted by: Adair L. of Woodbridge, CT

"Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope,

and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world

and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, he All-Wise." Baha'u'llah

Prayer Shawl Tag

Prayer Written By: Gena Kathka, March 16, 2006

This shawl was made just for you
To bring comfort
To know you are loved
To share in your joy
This shawl is to wrap you up
When you're cold
When you're hurting
When you need to snuggle
This shawl was knitted or crocheted
With Blessings
With Love
With Prayers
Made By _______________

Prayer Shawl Prayer

By Chuck Svihlik

Dear God, with You all things are possible
Bless these hands as they attempt to create this shawl,
may they do Your Bidding, and when complete may this shawl
give warmth and comfort to who ever receives it.
Let it be filled with Your Love. Amen

P.S. Chuck's wife Marianne uses this prayer when making shawls with her loom.

Guided by God’s love for us, this shawl is knit for you.
Healing, strength and peace, to bless upon your spirit true.
Wrap yourself in warmth and love, entwined in every stitch.
Prayers said to God above, please heal, mend and enrich.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, intoned throughout the shawl.
Triune blessings knit within it, best wishes from us all.

May this prayer shawl enfold you in warmth, comfort, healing and peace.

Prayer for the Seriously Ill by Leslie Hay

This Prayer Shawl was made for you, ………………., with hope
for your swift recovery, and complete healing in the name of the
Lord, Jesus Christ. May it warm you when you are chilled, and
comfort you when you are feeling down.   And may God bless you
with His healing touch.

                                        With Love and Blessings

                                                  …………………….

THE PRAYER SHAWL

I wrap the prayers of warmth and love around your weary frame,
Praising, thanking God for the gift of you as
I pray your name.
Every stitch sends forth a plea that Joy will fill your soul.
On and on the needles fly making a
pattern of prayer gold.
The shawl takes on a holiness for prayer
is wrapped inside,
It is so soft and warm , a place where
You can hide.
It then becomes a prayer itself, this pain
that you endure,
And it rises with love’s incense, sacred ,warm and sure.
So as you wrap the shawl around may you feel my
Presence there.
I may not sit beside you but I am no farther than a prayer.
PEACE AND LOVE
JEAN QUIGLEY
OCTOBER , 2004

Used with permission by the author

From the book: To Dance with Daffodils

On Earth, content, but spiritually rich!
Love and prayers in every stitch!
For you, I made this shawl
To use as through this life you walk –
Your private "closet", as you talk
To God, whose promise sure,
Keeps your secret things secure.
He is God over all.

Written by: Netagene in Birmingham

Age 63, became legally blind at age 59,

but sufficient usable sight to still knit and crochet.

A Knitted *insert name* Comfort

insert name = insert your ministry/group's

Each strand of color and texture

represents the members of *insert name*.

The cast on row represents your

new found strong foundations.

Your empowerment, firmly

holding all together.

Each stitch entwines the color of life

embowed, entwined within just as we are

altogether and connected,

linked forever more.

Each row is another step you take,

higher up than the first.

They represent our arms supporting you.

The last row, the cast off row

represents one of letting go,

releasement.

All these form a massive big

healing hug from all at *insert name*.

May you feel the love for you

as you wrap yourself in this gentle hug.

Now for you, always to keep.

Love from all at *insert name*

Copyright by LittleFeathers2

aka Gloria Currie - UK

27th Jan '07

Prayer to be said while knitting

By: Marti Belknap- Cardiff, CA Fall 2008

Bless this shawl that it may be
filled with healing energy.

_____(name)_____ is in my heart today
as I knit and as I pray.

May each stitch be filled with care,
comfort, strength, and warmth to share.

May the love in every row
help God’s sacred healing flow.

Beginning Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are Alpha and Omega. You know our yesterdays, todays and tomorrows.
Be with us now as we work together to bring your comfort and strength to those who are in need.

We lift up the names of those who have received a shawl.
We lift up the names of those will receive a shawl in progress.
We lift up the names of those who will need a shawl in the future.

Be their tower of strength.
Be by their side.
Be their peace and comfort.
Bless our work as we knit and crochet these tangible gifts that will surround your children with your love.

Amen

Written submitted by Donna Saltzberg
Trinity Presbyterian Church Prayer Shawl Ministry
Shoreline, WA

Intro
We have entered the Season of Advent, known for candle lighting ceremonies & symbolism.

Therefore, I have chosen to begin our gathering with the lighting of five candles,

each symbolic of a significant aspect to shawl ministry.

First Candle
We light this candle for our shawl recipients & their families. Their names are as follows.

Second Candle
We light this candle for potential recipients & those we haven’t yet been

identified …. the sick, the bereaved & the troubled.

Third Candle
We light this candle for shawl ministry around the world & for its founders.

Fourth Candle
We light this candle for Shawls of Hope, our knitters, the work of our

hands & our ongoing ministry.

Fifth Candle
The fifth candle is the Candle of Hope, which we light on the first Sunday of Advent.

The Old Testament prophets were hoping for a Messiah, so their prophesies were

fulfilled in the humble Bethlehem birth. Hope is like a light shining in a dark place.

As we light this candle, we celebrate the hope we have in Jesus Christ. As well,

we celebrate the hope, that shawl ministry inspires in recipients around the world.

Prayer
Loving & generous God, we thank you for the opportunity of sharing in this unique ministry,

for unique opportunities to work & pray together, as well as unique opportunities

to express our love & concern for others. Bless the fellowship we share, the work of our

hands & the lives of those for whom we create. Grant them Your comfort, hope & encouragement. Amen.

Author Vicky Dawson writes; "I was knitting all the positive energy into a prayer shawl

during a Celtic Spirituality retreat and this prayer just flowed into my mind."

God in the clicking of the needles;
God in the yarn,
God in my fingers and hands.
God in the intentions.
God in the Ewe.
God in the weaving, for the sake
of Your Peace.
God's Peace in the making
Christ's Peace in the giving
The Spirit's Peace in the receiving.
Amen, Amen, Amen

With prayers for showers of blessing
from blue skies
and sunshine
and just enough clouds for rosy sunrises.

This poem went with a prayer shawl I crocheted while I was visiting my aging parents. I'd used yellow

and blue and white, my favorite colors, crocheting horizontally so all the colors would be visible to the wearer.

I ran out of white just inches from the end of the row, so I asked Daddy if I might use some yarn from his stock.

He graciously granted permission, and I chose pink. Beth Hoffmann, Waukesha, WI

Bless This Child Dear God......

Loving God, bless this child who was brought into your world.
As her mother wraps her in this shawl may she too
Be enfolded in Your Unconditional embrace.
Protect these two lives that are forever bonded.

Bless the child’s father too…
He is the provider, the protector and guardian.
May his strength endure.
His compassion for his child and her Mother be sustained,
and may he continue to be a role model for her.

Surround this family with love and comfort.
Wrap them in your peace.
Bundle them in security and
cradle them in your hope for the future.

Bless their extended family and show your new little lamb
that love surrounds her.

Thank you Lord for your abiding love.
Amen

Prayer made with love from:
Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Presbyterian Church Goshen, NY 2008

Submitted by: Wendy Paffenroth

Hugs & Kisses Shawl

A Hugs and Kisses Shawl for you,
To comfort & wrap you when you are blue,

Each stitch is made with prayers and love,
A gentle reminder of our God above.

Dear angels please, hear my prayers,
To give you strength and take away fears.

May all these strands embrace your soul,
Surround you with love and make you whole.

God bless you with his healing touch,
We know this is not asking much.

Faith, hope and love are in every stitch there,
Always remember we always will care.

GOD BLESS YOU
XOXOXO (hugs and kisses)

Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Presbyterian Church Goshen, NY 2008

Submitted by: Wendy Paffenroth

Grandmother’s Prayer*

May God’s grace be upon this shawl….
Warming, comforting, enfolding and embracing;
just as a Grandmother has done for all her children and Grandchildren.
May this shawl be a reminder of a safe and secure hug,
and that a Grandmother’s love is sustaining,
just like the Love from the Lord.
This shawl in three colors, or stitches or three,
is a reminder of the Trinity:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
May it also remind us of how we are “knit together” in a family,
and of the love that flows from one generation to the next.
Grandmothers are always there to hold us, guide us,
and walk by our sides, throughout our lives;
taking us down the paths that lead us to our God.

God grant you peace, hope, wisdom, a happy heart, the ability to
comfort, strength, patience, and joy.
As you wear this shawl feel the loving arms of our Lord
around your shoulders.
Grandmothers are very special teachers to the following
generations.
God Bless You.

Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Presbyterian Church Goshen, NY 2008

Submitted by: Wendy Paffenroth

*Adapted from:

Prayer for a Crochet Shawl

By: Irma Landesfeind - Downey, CA

"As I crochet this shawl for you I hold you firmly in my mind and present you to God and ask him to please look at you,

to surround you with his love, with his warmth, with his strength, with his peace and joy.

I let go of you and I see you standing there before him, your being surrounded by his radiance.

I pray that each stitch may forever keep my prayers for you and your well being.

I pray that you may feel all these prayers, that they may touch your soul, whenever you wrap yourself in this shawl.

I pray that you may know God's love, his warmth, his strength, his peace and his joy every day of your life."

Prayer Shawl Dedication Prayer

-- A prayer for both the shawl maker & shawl recipient --

Dear Lord, as we gather together this morning, we thank you for

Your loving hands which have knit the fabric of our life.

On this day, we thank you for <shawl maker's name>'s loving hands

as she made <recipient's name>'s prayer shawl.

We are thankful that You heard and answered <shawl maker's name>'s prayers of comfort

and healing for <recipient's name>'s as she made <recipient's name>'s prayer shawl.

We pray that You will continue to strengthen, comfort and bless

<recipient's name>'s and her family as they travel this road of life.

We dedicate this prayer shawl to Your glory and commitment to <recipient's name>'s as we thank You

for <shawl maker's name>'s loving hands, in Your holy name. Amen.

From: Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church ~ Dearborn, MI