Bracelets are sometimes a part of someone’s daily fashion accessory in their day-to-day lives. Sometimes people go the extra mile though and also use specific kinds of bracelets, called prayer bracelets. I’ve seen these recently and have thought to myself “What are prayer bracelets?
What are Christian prayer bracelets? A prayer bracelet is mainly used for guidance and focus during prayer. It is traditionally used by Eastern Orthodox Christians. They are all made in various colors, materials, and knots. Each part of the prayer bracelet signifies a particular part of Christian beliefs.
Continue reading this post to learn more about prayer bracelets.
How Are Prayer Bracelets Used?
Prayer bracelets act as a sort of guidance for someone’s prayer life. Most prayer bracelets are made with different colored beads. These beads can be made of stone or carved wood. Prayer bracelets have also been used in evangelizing, especially with children.
In recent years, prayer bracelets have been growing in popularity with young people as a daily accessory. Many people give prayer bracelets as a gift to friends and family, especially those in the orthodox culture.
There are all sorts of different types of prayer bracelets that can also represent different areas of life containing Bible verses.
For example, one prayer bracelet may have 1 Peter 2:9 engraved on it.
“`But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.””
1 Peter 2:9
Let’s say someone is wearing a prayer bracelet with this verse printed or engraved on it and is in the middle of the check-out line at the store. Not long after waiting in line, the cashier notices the bracelet and compliments it.
It’s moments like this where prayer bracelets can serve an evangelistic purpose. Verses such as this can be used as the basis of some encouragement or a testimony about all that Jesus has done for someone. It also brings hope to someone else about their own future.
Prayer bracelets are also made with beads. The beads are used for tracking and focusing on prayers.
Most people choose to grab onto a specific bead during the day and recite a prayer while holding on to it. For some, it can be a helpful tool in focusing on prayers.
The Significance Of Prayer Bracelets
The main foundation in our walk with God should always be based on Scripture. We always should turn to Jesus first when praying to God.
However, tools like prayer bracelets can help in reminding people to pray.
Prayer bracelets are most commonly hand-made with a collection of different colored beads stringed on a cord and tied into the form of a bracelet. The main purpose of the bracelet for most is to serve as a reminder to turn towards God with our prayer requests.
They can also be referred to as the “Serenity Bracelet” which in this case is meant to serve as an encouragement or guide when someone is dealing with an obstacle in their life. The term comes from the serenity prayer,
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference,”
Reinhold Niebuhr classroom.synonym.com
Everyone is in different areas in their relationship with God. For some, they use a prayer list to keep track of their prayers and check it off the list as they go. And for others a prayer bracelet is what helps them the most.
Depending on the exact bracelet, it is a reminder to pray to God. Again, the bracelet is meant to be used as a tool for building up one’s faith. The bracelet itself does not hold any power to bring healing or revelation.
Some prayer bracelets are made in a way to symbolize different parts of the Gospel and or a specific verse.
Most prayer bracelets are created with different colored beads. Each color stands for something significant for their faith.
Each colored bead symbolizes something different. Most colors follow this code:
Black means sin
Red means Jesus’ blood
Blue means baptism (by either water or by the Spirit)
White means cleansing or repentance
Green means growth
Yellow means Heaven or Eternal Life
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These colors remind the person wearing it of the gospel. It’s also a great tool for evangelism so that you can share the gospel with unbelievers.
The Origin Of Prayer Bracelets
Prayer bracelets originate from the Eastern Orthodox church which has been around since 1054 CE. One of the stories from this denomination was about Saint Anthony and is about how prayer bracelets came to be.
Every night Saint Anthony would use a single piece of rope to track his prayers. Every time he would say a prayer, he would tie a knot in a piece of the rope.
The devil would come and untie the knots and Saint Anthony would lose place in his counting. Though the enemy tried to stop Saint Anthony from focusing on God, he did not give up. He was able to overcome the trial he faced by tying a special knot signifying the cross.
The concept of prayer bracelets also originates from prayer beads, which are similar to the bracelet. Many people hold onto a prayer bead on the bracelet as a simple reminder to talk to God in the midst of the busyness of life.
The word bead itself originates from the Anglo-Saxon word, “bede” which translates to the English word prayer. In the Middle Ages, the prayer bracelet or prayer bead extended in Europe, and was commonly used in Catholic monasteries.
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Prayer beads are used on other religions as well, such as Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Baha’i Faith.
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The rosary is the most commonly known prayer accessory. The term itself goes all the way back to the 15th century and roots from the Latin word, rosarium. From there, the use of a prayer bead morphed into a bracelet.
Most Catholics believe that prayer to the rosary along with confession and prayers to the Pope bring complete salvation from punishment and condemnation.
justdisciple.com
Though these are traditionally associated with the catholic church, it does differ from Protestant Christians. Catholics use this by praying to the wrong individual, being the Pope. Whereas Protestant Christians, that choose to use the bracelet, use it as a tool to connect with God.
If you feel a pressing on your heart to start using a prayer bracelet, first ask yourself why. What is it about the prayer bracelet that makes you want to use it? As long as the Scripture is at the foundation in your faith in Jesus, prayer bracelets can help in aiding in your prayer time with Him.
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