Turning On The Light

This excerpt from the new book Covered, by Judy Buch, shows how prayer blankets connect us with others and The Lord, making a difference.

In the autumn of 2009, Dr. Helen Masino Morgan, drove into the parking lot at the Community Nursing Home, walking with crutches, carrying a large package. The woman at the desk pointed down the hall to the community room. When Helen walked in, a 90-year-old woman stood up, coming to greet her, using a walker, smiling like she’d just seen a miracle. She was dressed in a Navy blue dress with a large pink and white corsage. Balloons, streamers and signs that read “90th Birthday,” decorated the room.Mrs. Ludwig opened the box and held up a prayer blanket in front of her that Helen had made. The print motif was sparrows. Words embroidered around the border, read, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

"I came to give you a gift and wish you a happy birthday," Helen said.

They hugged and talked, catching up with each other's lives. 

"This blanket is filled with my prayers for you, Mrs. Ludwig, for those times in the dark night when you might need to reach out and touch the prayers said for you. So many years ago, you were my hope when I had none. You were my light when I was so lost and confused, losing my mother, losing my legs. And you changed the words and sang, ‘His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know He watches you,’. Do you remember?”

She nodded and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.

“Sometimes, Mrs. Ludwig said, “life has a way of losin’ folks, and it’s like they feelin’ they way ‘round a dark room, lookin’ for a way out. And then suddenly, someone turns on the hall light and they can see it shinin’ under the door. And that’s when they know they can find they way. You jest needed someone to turn on the hall light, that’s all that was.”

Denver Prayer Blanket

This prayer blanket was made in Colorado while I was there on staff for the 2011 One Way Street Denver Festival.  Sometimes one prayer blanket triggers a connection with many people in prayer, a powerful support, lifting up the needs of another person. 

 And so this went around the room, with many people intervening on behalf of someone else. 

Whether it is a prayer blanket or a crocheted prayer shawl, prayed for by one person as it is made, and blessed by clergy, or a prayer quilt that is made by many hands then prayed in community and blessed by the pastor, the bases of it all is prayer and intercessory asking God to bless, provide for or heal the recipient. 

What's Your Excuse...Hard To Pray?

Whether you're making a prayer blanket, prayer shawl, or prayer quilt, it might be the praying that's the stumbling block for you.

Praying can be difficult or easy, depending on how you frame it in your mind. If you think prayer is difficult because you’ve heard others pray and you think, I could never pray like that, then praying will be difficult for you.

If you see prayer as simply speaking to someone you love, it will be much easier.

God isn’t interested in fancy words, he’s interested in connecting with you...with whoever's praying.

“... Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”

-The Message, Eugene H. Peterson  -Matthew 6

Prayer Blankets for Twins



Cindy Lewchik Wagner, Realtor http://www.cindywagner.com/

Cindy invited me to give a program for women of St Paul's Church in Kensington, CT who make prayer shawls.  It was a privilege to be there to perform with Daisy, my peoploid and tell about the prayer blanket ministry, especially the stories of miracles. Cindy immediately thought of a young boy in her church who suffered a chronic disease. She made the blanket above for him. And that's Cindy holding it. Cindy is a realtor but she is also an encourager who gives hope through her gifts of prayer blankets.



Cindy made this blanket too.  When she delivered the first blanket to the boy who was sick, his twin brother asked for a blanket as well. So Cindy made a dinosaur blanket for the brother. CINDY YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

To learn how to make prayer blankets, read the previous blog, or follow the directions in the back of the book,  Wrapped in Love by Judy Buch, www.xulonpress.com/bookstore or http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.barnesandnole.com/

Making a Prayer Blanket

Re-Post
Constructing the Prayer Blanket

If you’ve decided to make a prayer blanket for someone by yourself or wish to start a prayer blanket ministry, here are seven easy steps to follow when constructing your blanket. Remember to design your blankets with meaningful and applicable Scripture verses. And try using your imagination to make interesting-shaped pockets.

Step 1. Buy two one-and-a-half-yard pieces of fleece, one piece in a pattern or solid color and another in a complimentary color.

Step 2. Place both pieces of fleece together, right sides out, and line them up. They probably won’t line up perfectly, so trim the edges.

Step 3. Mark a seven-inch border all around the rectangle, using tailor’s chalk. Then cut out seven-inch squares from each corner. You will use one of these for the pocket.

Step 4. Trim down and sew the square on the front of the top fleece (anywhere you’d like) using a blanket stitch with embroidery thread in a second complimentary color. You can use a buttonhole stitch to add interest.

Step 5. Then put the two pieces of fleece back together again, right sides out, so the edges meet. Pin several times across the middle section to hold the blanket still as you cut the edges for fringe. Now cut one-inch widths of fringe on all four sides, cutting up to the tailor’s chalk line you made earlier. Be sure to cut both pieces of fleece at the same time. This gives you a seven-inch-long fringe to knot.

Step 6. Now it’s time to make the knots. I prefer making knots that lay flat and create a border effect around the blanket. To do that, hold your index finger between the bottom and top fringe pieces. Then pick up the bottom fringe and bring it up and around your finger in a counter-clockwise direction, one and a half circles to the tip of your finger. Push the end of the wrapped fringe down through the circle where your finger pokes out and bring it behind the longer fringe. When you tug on the back fringe, the knot tightens. When you tug on the top fringe, you can move the knot up to the top of the fringe. This creates a border around your blanket in the complimentary color.

Step 7. Finally, as you make the knots, pray for the person who will receive this prayer blanket. When you do this in a group, you’ll find that the shared experience of praying together and investing in another person’s life creates a bond with all of those participating in prayer. The Spirit of God is definitely present.