INTRO: In response to the current flooding weather disaster that has hit my home city of Brisbane and Southeast Queensland and New South Wales this past week and the war in Ukraine, I have recorded prayers from The Anglican Church of Australia A Prayer Book for Australia. I have not been personally impacted by the flood, nor do I live close to the affected suburbs, but I have been listening continually throughout the day to news updates and praying for the people impacted by these traumatic events.
I find myself speechless and saddened, often not knowing how to pray for these innocent people. This is when I go to my prayer book for guidance. I have recorded these prayers as well that you can download to your phone and listen to at any time of the day or night. I often wake up in the early hours of the morning and listen to a sermon or a Bible passage, but I have long wanted to have the Anglican prayers available on my phone.
Some people shun scripted prayers arguing that we should be spontaneous in our prayers. I know many Christians who are fluent spontaneous pray-ers and I love to listen to them pray. I am not one of them. With all the Christian poems that I have written over the years and all the Bible studies that I have undertaken to write those poems; I still cannot recite one of them from memory. The words just don’t come fluently forward from my memory bank. When I pray, in private or in public, I am stuck for words.
If you asked me to recite a poem to you, I could not do it without a script. I often listen to my Christian poems as prayers and contemplation. So, on behalf of all the Christians out there who face similar memory challenges as I do, I offer these recordings. Our Lord Jesus Christ is gracious, and He knows the shortcomings and challenges we face in our efforts to worship and talk to Him. Beverley Joy.
Jesus said that we will experience disasters from nature and war in Luke 21:9-11, 25-26 and that we are to pray for peace in this world in John 16:33 Paul tells us to pray for our cities and the world in 1 Timothy Chapter 2 verses 1 to 5 and Jeremiah 29:7.
PODCAST – A Prayer for These Troubled Times
Pray for Peace
God of the nations, whose sovereign rule brings justice and peace,
Have mercy on our broken and divided world
Shed abroad your peace in the hearts of all
And banish from them the spirit that makes for war,
That all races and peoples may learn to live as members of one family and in obedience to your laws.
In times of national/international tension
Almighty God, ruler of all, in whose kingdom peace and righteousness abound
We pray for those who are in conflict
Take away prejudice, cruelty, and revenge
Grant that barriers which divide may crumble
Suspicions disappear and hatreds cease.
In times of drought, flood, or bushfire
All things look to you O Lord,
To give them their food in due season:
Look in mercy on your people
And hear our prayer for those whose lives and possessions are threatened or have been destroyed, by drought, flood, or fire.
In your mercy restore your creation and heal our land.
So, guide and bless your people,
that we may enjoy the fruits of the earth
And give you thanks with grateful hearts,
The poor and neglected
God of mercy and pity,
Remember the homeless, the destitute, the sick, the aged,
and all who have none to care for them.
Heal those who are broken in body or spirit,
And turn their sorrow into joy.
Help us to minister to their needs,
For the love of your Son,
Who for our sake became poor.
Government
Most gracious God, ruler of the nations,
We pray for the government of this country
Its members and officers
Direct their work and influence their decisions
to the advancement of your glory,
And the safety and welfare of this country
So that peace and happiness, truth, and justice,
May be established among us.
Loving God, we thank you for hearing our prayers,
Feeding us with your word,
And encouraging us in our meeting together.
Take us and use us to love and serve you and all people,
In the power of your Spirit and in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Recorded by Beverley Joy of Simply Story Poetry
Exert from: A prayer book for Australia Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation 2010, Broughton Publishing 1995
You may also find my prayer poem Lord Hear Our Prayer helpful.
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms here
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Simply Story Poetry 
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