About NeedlePrayer

What is NeedlePrayer?

In 1999, when my father had brain surgery, I spent hours watching at his bedside.  I used needlepoint to stay calm and focused on him.

Recently, I’ve found that my needlepoint helps focus my prayer time.  I find that I have a hard time praying intensively for someone.  Once I’ve prayed for a little while, my mind will wander.  But if I have a handwork project to work on, I can focus for longer.  This is especially true if I’m making something specifically for the person I am praying for.  Prayer focuses me on the person and the work, and the work brings my mind back to the person and the prayers.  So when I want to pray intensively for someone, I pick up a project to make for them.

How Does It Work?

I begin a NeedlePrayer session by selecting the person, and thus the project, I want to work on.  I get out the project and assess where I am in the work.  I offer up a preliminary prayer for the session, including any special thanksgivings and requests.  Then I begin to work on the project, keeping the person I am praying for and their needs in my mind.  Finally, I end with a closing prayer of thanksgiving for the time I have enjoyed in craft and prayer.  I find that working in this way enhances my prayer time, and results in a gift for the person I am praying for, too!

Dad’s NeedlePrayer Piece, a photo by Carmen CS on Flickr.

My art form is needlepoint design and stitching, but the process can work equally well for any handicraft.  If you don’t do design,you can pick up a pre-designed project in your favorite craft and dedicate the working to whomever needs your prayer.  There are plenty of lovely designs available which are suitable for this kind of project.