By: Clare Bruce
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken out about the unifying power of prayer at a prayer breakfast in Parliament House.
While leading the prayers at the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship event, Mr Morrison said people on opposite sides of politics are reminded of their frailty, and their common humanity, when they pray together.
“What I like about prayer and what is so important about us coming together in our Parliament and praying, is prayer gives us a reminder of our humility and our vulnerability, and that forms a unity,” he said.
“One thing we all have in common… is our human frailty… our human vulnerability.”
“Because there’s certainly one thing we all have in common, whether we sit in the green or red chairs in this place, or anywhere else, and that is our human frailty. It is our human vulnerability.”
He said religion and faith were often misconstrued as being about piety and spiritual one-upmanship when in fact it is the “complete reverse”.
“Faith, religion, is actually first and foremost an expression of our human frailty and vulnerability, and an understanding that there are things far bigger than each of us,” he said.
“And so when we come together in prayer, we are reminded of that, and we are reminded that the great challenges we face in this world are ones that we need to continue to bring up in prayer… and that is what we do each day as we come together as a Parliament.”
Anthony Albanese, David Hurley Also Attended
Mr Morrison also launched a book about the history of prayer in parliament, and in his speech quoted the American pastor Mark Batterson who he recently met in Washington, saying, “the only prayers that you can be assured are never answered, are the ones that are never prayed”.
Keynote speaker at the prayer breakfast was Governor-General David Hurley – a practising Presbyterian who has in the past spoken about servant leadership as the model of leadership he follows.
The prayer breakfast was also attended by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, who once described himself as a “non-practising Catholic”.
Ahead of the breakfast, Senator Amanda Stoker told Vision FM that peoples’ prayers are vital for members of Parliament to have the wisdom they need for their work.
“Anything that [people] are prepared to do to support the work of the Prime Minister and his team – and indeed the opposition – in prayer is time really well spent,” she said, “because all of the wisdom that can be summoned is needed to help prepare our country for the difficult challenges that present both at home, and as we interact with the rest of the world.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Clare is a digital journalist for the Broadcast Industry.