Why prayer cloths

Each time the women of the church gathered to work on the blanket, they prayed for me. When I was presented with the prayer blanket, I knew many prayers had been said for me and my family. The blanket did not hold magical healing. The special words the women prayed while creating the blanket helped bring comfort and peace.

The healing from my cancer was given by God. Having a prayer cloth, shawl, blanket, or pocket does not guarantee healing. Christians know healing is from God, whether that healing is here on earth or in heaven with Him.

Scripture shares a memorable story about a woman who had been afflicted with a blood issue for 12 years Matthew The powerful story of this desperate woman coming behind Jesus, and reaching to touch the hem of His garment is powerful.

Can you picture the scene? Crowds of people, dust filling the air from the dry ground, and here was a woman whose faith was so strong, she felt that if she could simply touch the hem of His garment, healing would occur, and her years-long affliction would be gone. Songs have been penned about that story in the Bible.

Jesus instantly knew the woman had touched his garment. He did not become angry. Scripture tells how Jesus turned and saw her and shared how she would be made whole because of her faith.

This woman who believed, trusted, and obeyed, was healed within the hour, according to Scripture. Was the healing truly due to her touching the garment of Jesus? Her strong faith is what brought the healing. God provided healing for that woman.

In the Bible, the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy share that Moses wrote about God telling him to instruct the men to make tassels for their cloaks. Today, some Jews wear prayer shawls or scarves with tassels attached. Some Orthodox Jewish men cover their heads with a shawl while praying.

The Bible shares other times when people who were suffering wanted to travel to wherever Jesus would be visiting so they could simply touch the hem of His garment Matthew Many people believed if they could be closer to Jesus and tell Him about their illness, healing would occur. Today, most Christians do not wear prayer cloths because of remembering the call to worship God, not material items.

Even if those prayer cloths have been anointed with oil, and prayed over, most Christians do not wear them. Christians are not called to wear prayer cloths.

Christians are called to share the love of Christ with others. We are called to love one another as God has commanded John Prayer is the main focus of prayer cloths, shawls, and pockets. Each of these special items can help us to remember the need for prayer and sharing time with God. Who or what had she put her faith in? Not the cloth itself, or Jesus would have corrected her. Something to pin our faith on. This woman put her faith into action. What was the result? We see a similar story played out in a second passage, only on a larger scale.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized [Jesus], they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.

Something like a prayer cloth. The passage below, Acts , is the passage usually cited as the Scriptural basis for using prayer cloths. God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

Who or what was the source of healing in this passage? God chose to work through ordinary handkerchiefs and aprons. What part did they play? We are not told. What can we conclude from these few New Testament passages? These passages provide a description of how God worked, but not a specific instruction to use prayer cloths. Nor does the New Testament prohibit their use. Are prayer cloths Scriptural? I personally believe that based on the principles in these passages, a compelling case could be made for using prayer cloths — but within Scriptural guidelines.

Scripture admonishes us that whatever we do, we should do it in such a way that it brings glory to God 1 Corinthians Some ministries have been accused of using prayer cloths as a money-making scheme to build their ministry. Use caution if a ministry focuses more on finances than on the Lord Jesus Christ. This type of prayer cloth use does not glorify God.

God can work through any kind of prayer cloth — small, large, with or without print. However, there is an additional benefit to having a larger size cloth. Meet the World's Confessional Lutherans. What Is "Progressive Christianity? Roger E. My Book on Fascism Revisited. The Failure of the "Youth Group" Related posts from Christian Crier.

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