The first prayer shawl I reached for wasn't called a prayer shawl. It was an old shawl from my closet.
I first began reaching for it during my cancer journey. When I felt sad or lonely, or when fear threatened to take over, I would pull it around my shoulders. Sometimes I even drew it over my head, almost as though I could shut out the world for a little while.
It didn't change what I was facing. The uncertainty was still there, along with the questions I couldn't answer. But for a moment, I could stop, breathe, and remember that God was holding me even when I couldn't quite feel it.
That was nearly eighteen years ago, and I still find myself reaching for a shawl when life feels particularly heavy. Cancer may have been where the practice began, but it certainly wasn't where it ended. Through the years, there have been other difficult seasons, unexpected disappointments, worries, and days when I simply needed a little extra comfort.
Sometimes I wrap it around my shoulders while I pray. Other times, I don't even know what to pray. I just sit there, wrapped in something familiar, remembering that I don't have to have everything figured out to rest in God's presence.
That is what a prayer shawl means to me.
So, What Is a Prayer Shawl?
In many Christian communities, a prayer shawl is a shawl given with prayer and the hope that it will bring comfort to the person receiving it. Some are knitted or crocheted by people who pray as they work. Others, like the shawls I give, are chosen and prayed over before they are given away.
There is no special kind of fabric required. A shawl doesn't have to be handmade to carry a thoughtful gift. And the shawl itself has no power to fix an illness, take away grief, or make fear disappear. I wish it did.
What it can do is offer someone something soft and tangible to hold onto when the day feels hard.
I think that's why I've continued reaching for mine all these years. There is something comforting about wrapping yourself in something familiar when everything else feels uncertain.
It's not really about the shawl. It's about what the shawl reminds us of.
A Little History Behind Prayer Shawls
The phrase prayer shawl also refers to the tallit, a garment worn in Jewish prayer. Its fringes, called tzitzit, are rooted in the biblical instruction to wear fringes as a reminder of God's commandments (Numbers 15:37–40). The tallit is a specific part of Jewish religious practice, with its own meaning and traditions.
The Christian prayer shawl ministries many of us know today are a more recent practice. Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria Galo began a prayer shawl ministry in 1998, bringing together the making of shawls, prayer, and care for others. Since then, people have given shawls to those facing illness, grief, loss, and other difficult seasons.
I didn't know any of that when I pulled my old shawl out of the closet.
I just knew I needed to feel held.
A Tangible Reminder of God's Presence
One of the Scriptures I return to when life feels uncertain is Isaiah 41:10:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” — Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
I love that God doesn't tell us there will never be anything to fear. Instead, He reminds us that He is with us in the middle of it.
There have been times when I've known that truth in my head but struggled to feel it in my heart. Maybe you've experienced that too. You know God is faithful. You believe His promises. But you're tired, frightened, discouraged, or simply overwhelmed by what life has brought your way.
Sometimes I need a physical reminder of what I already know to be true.
For me, wrapping a shawl around my shoulders has become one of those reminders. It gives me a moment to stop what I'm doing, quiet some of the noise around me, and turn my attention back to God.
The shawl itself doesn't bring His presence any closer. He was already there.
But sometimes I need to be reminded.
Why I Give Prayer Shawls to Others
Since those early days of my cancer journey, I've purchased shawls, prayed over them, and given them to people walking through difficult seasons of their own.
I know a shawl can't answer the questions that come with a diagnosis. It can't fill an empty chair after someone we love has died, change a difficult circumstance, or quiet every frightening thought.
But sometimes the kindest thing we can offer is a reminder:
You are loved. You are being prayed for. You don't have to get through today without comfort.
I think about the person sitting in a chemotherapy chair, the woman grieving someone she loves, or the friend who is carrying something difficult that few people even know about.
We don't always know what to say to someone who is hurting. And even when we do find the words, they can feel terribly inadequate.
A prayer shawl is one way of saying, I see you. I care about what you're going through. And I'm praying for you.
The person receiving it might wear it while praying, take it to an appointment, keep it close on a sleepless night, or simply wrap up in it when they need a little warmth.
There is no right way to use one.
You Don't Have to Buy a Prayer Shawl to Give One
I want to make something clear because I think it's important.
My first prayer shawl was an ordinary shawl I already owned. Nobody purchased it for me, and nobody called it a prayer shawl. It became meaningful because of the comfort I found while wearing it and the reminder of God's presence it offered.
If someone you love is walking through a difficult season, you can do the very same thing.
Choose a soft shawl or wrap, pray for that person by name, and include a handwritten note explaining why you thought of them.
You don't need a special prayer or perfect words. You might simply ask God to bring them peace, strength, and the reassurance that they are not alone.
And if you're the one having a hard day, you're allowed to reach for a little comfort too.
Wrap the shawl around your shoulders. Pull it over your head if you want. Take a breath. Spend a few minutes in prayer, or simply sit quietly when you don't have the words.
God is with you here, even in the middle of this.
A Gift of Comfort and Prayer
At Hope Lives Now, each prayer shawl is chosen with care and prayed over before it is sent. My hope is that when someone wraps it around their shoulders, they'll be reminded that they are loved, remembered, and never walking through their difficult season alone.
Whether you're choosing one for someone you love or need a little comfort yourself, I hope it becomes a tangible reminder of God's presence in the middle of whatever life brings.
You can explore the Hope Lives Now Prayer Shawls in our shop.
And remember, sometimes caring for someone going through a hard thing doesn't require an elaborate gift or knowing exactly what to say.
Sometimes it begins with a shawl, a prayer, and the simple reminder that they are not forgotten.