The story of the prayer nut

I have an inquisitive nature; I want to know and understand. That makes me something of a pilgrim. It’s not about reaching a destination, but the journey itself is a great adventure… I want to apply what I learn to my work, art, relationships and the way I live my life.

I was 16 or 17 years old, and we were gathered together with a few peers in Groningen. It was the time of the Jesus Movement. A boy sitting next to me spoke to me very firmly and said: “God wants to say something to you”. Just like that, out of the blue, a connection was established – with God. “God is going to give you a treasure, and it will point to Him. It will honour Him and it will spread all over the world.” For 10 years I didn’t give it a second thought, and then something began to stir quietly in my memory, or my (sub)consciousness. The ‘Prayer nut’. Many questions were on my mind: What is that? Who will tell me about it? Where can I find such a thing? Eventually, I read a psalm by David, which was headed: ‘A treasure (michtan) of David’. A michtan is a precious object, possibly made of gold. Could it have something to do with jewellery? I signed up for a course in jewellery-making. My mind was made up; I was going to make beautiful things.

But I still didn’t know what a prayer nut was…

After much prayer and listening, I felt led to go to Amsterdam, to the Rijksmuseum.

At the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, someone drew my attention to an object from the Middle Ages: a palm-wood sphere. It was divided into two halves. Both halves were very finely carved, revealing clear scenes. I remember the birth and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The shepherds and the wise men, men from the East. The two halves were joined together and could hinge open like a little box. The whole thing was housed in a copper sphere, which in turn was contained within a small leather pouch. The entire Gospel in a nutshell. It was clear that this had been made to be taken on journeys.

After some years, I came up with the idea of bringing this prayer nut back to life in a different way. Now it is flat and blank, and users can write their own prayer need in the nut with a pen, using a name, a date or a symbol. The nut is easy to keep, so you always carry your prayer with you. When your prayer has been answered, or you feel it has been in there long enough, take a piece of sandpaper and there is room for something new again.

Around the year 1500, craftsmen and artists were active, particularly in the Southern Netherlands, who, often on commission, were engaged in the production of prayer nuts. In the Netherlands, one such craftsman was Adam Dirksz. Various examples of this woodcarver’s prayer nuts can be found in Dutch museums, including in Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) and Utrecht (Catharijneconvent). Prayer nuts can be found in Bad Bentheim (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Moscow (Russia), Toronto, New York, etc.

After my visit to the Rijksmuseum in 1983, I designed a ‘new’ prayer nut. It is simple in design and intended for everyday use.

Various stories have been shared following the purchase of the prayer nut. Often, these were preceded by periods of (personal) distress. There were also stories of adventures that arose after a particular topic was included in the note. For example, a young woman wrote ‘New life’ in her note. A year later, God blessed her with a beautiful son. Her life has literally been renewed.

A girl of about eleven came over to my table with prayer nuts and some artwork. She really wanted to buy a pair of prayer nuts but didn’t have enough money with her. When I asked her why she wanted a pair of prayer nuts so much, she replied: “That way I can remember better who I want to pray for”. I asked her: ‘Do you believe that prayer can change things?’ She was convinced it could. I suggested she trust God to provide a solution to her financial situation. She agreed wholeheartedly. As we chatted, we felt God’s presence. She skipped off, only to return a few hours later with a smile on her face. Her pockets were bulging with small change. Astonished, I asked how she’d got hold of all that money. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘after I left, I had the idea of selling stickers, which were on offer everywhere during the event. Thanks to all those coins, I now have enough to buy the prayer nut.’

This is a wonderful example of simple faith, prayer and action. Of course, I could have just given her a nut, but then we wouldn’t have had this lovely adventure. God, our Father, is so close and so involved in everything that happens in our lives or that we hope to experience. God wants to be known and challenged through our prayers. Whether young or old, even when we doubt and aren’t quite sure – especially then!

Someone received ‘bad news’ about an illness. She ordered 14 little prayer nuts and shared them among her friends, asking them to pray for her healing. A few years later I was in touch with her again, and she told me that the illness had disappeared.