What I saw in a Messianic Synagogue changed me. After praise and worship, the rabbi called for corporate prayer. All the fathers stood wearing their prayer shawls and spread their arms out wide. Moms and children, all the family, cuddled up under the father’s wings for prayer. Widows and singles in the congregation gathered with another family under the father’s prayer shawl. Then the prayers and blessings began. Incredible.
A prayer shawl is called a tallit and the corners are called wings. Fringe is found at the edge with blue and white tassels on the corners. When the father stretches out his arms, he makes room for the family to draw together. It is a close, safe and intimate place. Gathering under the tallit means you belong.
I tried to imagine the size of our heavenly Father’s tallit. It must be enormous. He has quite a large family to cover, but I’m sure He has room for all of us.
Covenant Clothes
The tallit is a sign of covenant between God and the Jewish people. He commanded them to wear the tallit, in Numbers 15:37-40, to remember, obey and do His word. As Christians, from the nations, we are not obligated to wear the tallit, but many do, including me.
When I wear my prayer shawl, I remind myself that I have been grafted in, to God’s great family, through the blood of Jesus. I remind myself I am a daughter, not illegitimate, but a true daughter of the Living God. I can call Him, Abba Father and there is a place reserved for me, under my Father’s wings.
Little Tents
The Hebrew word tallit means little tent, a place to meet with God. In the days of wandering in the desert, Moses met with God at the Tent of Meeting and God faithfully filled the place with His presence.
And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle,
that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle,
and the Lord talked with Moses.
Exodus 33:9 NKJV
Our prayer shawls are like little tents of meeting and God delights to meet us there. I find that when I am just going through the motions in prayer, it just feels like a dusty old tent. But when I set my heart to meet with my heavenly Father, He fills the place with His wonderful presence and my perspective changes.
Our Father wants to meet with us. We are family and His desire is to draw us close when we draw near to Him.
Protected Under Our Father’s Wings
I have lived through many a dark day, and I am sure you have as well. Whether it’s a sudden loss or the ongoing depths of silent depression, our Father is our refuge.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
until these calamities have passed by.
Psalm 57:1 NKJV
I remember times in my life when I felt so blanked out by sadness. As I passed through the dry desert of healing, I couldn’t feel much. I had to remind myself that although I could not sense Him, my Father was covering me, and I could lean into that fact and trust.
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
Psalm 61:3-4 NKJV
He Will Hide You Under His Wings
Maybe you are experiencing pain or challenges in your life. So much is going on in this dark aggressive world. You may feel exhausted trying to hold it all together. Can I encourage you to remember the picture of the Father with the prayer shawl. When you hide under the shadow of His wings, you hide under His outstretched arms. You are His child, the apple of His eye. Under our Father’s wings, you are safe, no matter what the circumstances say.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
Psalm 17:8-9 NKJV
Healing in His Wings
Do you remember the story of the sick woman who bled for 12 years? She was dying and desperate for healing. Because of the blood, under the law she was considered unclean, an outcast. Rejected.
But this woman heard wonderful stories about Jesus of Nazareth. She heard He possessed the power to heal and believed the reports that He must be the promised Messiah.
And here is the lovely promise of the prayer shawl. Fringes hang from the corners of the tallit called tzitzit. They represent the good works to be done for God, one of which is caring for and healing the sick. The Tzitzit of the Messiah’s tallit had the power to heal.
But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
Malachi 4:2a NKJV
The Miracle
This precious woman determined in her mind to believe the promise of the Messiah’s prayer shawl and find Jesus.
Just then a woman, losing blood for twelve years, came from behind
and touched the tzitzit of His garment.
For she kept saying to herself, “If only I touch His garment, I will be healed.”
Matthew 9:20-21 TLV
Instantly, as she touched the fringe, the blood flow stopped. Jesus felt the healing power leave Him and turned to find out who had touched him.
Then seeing that she did not escape notice, the woman came trembling
and fell prostrate before Him.
In the presence of all the people, she confessed why she had touched Him
and how she had been healed immediately.
Luke 8:47 TLV
I am sure this unclean woman trembled thinking they would beat her for touching a rabbi and stealing a healing. But the true miracle was not the healing, the miracle was the response of Jesus.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in shalom.”
Luke 8:48 TLV
Jesus called her – daughter. He spread His arms out wide and beckoned her to come under His prayer shawl. He did not see her as unclean and rejected. Jesus saw her as a daughter, part of the family to gather together under His wings.
Rejoicing Under Our Father’s Tallit
Some of us may find it difficult to think of Jesus in such an intimate way. Are we really allowed to get that close? Are we truly worthy of being loved and protected by a Father? As a child, I never really experienced being protected as a daughter, I survived a lot on my own. The idea of being worthy to be covered isn’t easy for me to grasp.
I lived many years happy to be God’s servant, serving and serving, but never going under the tallit. Not a daughter, just a servant. Sometimes we feel safer as the keeper of the door, just peeking in from time to time, instead of confidently going into our Father’s presence.
But Jesus spreads His arms out wide, calling for you and me to come close as children, loved and protected.
I’ve been practicing being a daughter for some years now, and sometimes I still struggle. But I remember there’s a place for me under His wings and there I am safe.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
Psalm 63:7 NKJV