KEY POINTS:
- Scott Morrison was filmed delivering a private online prayer session to families
- But the prime minister’s heartfelt prayer was soon deleted from a Christian site
- He asked people to ‘pray for Australians’ and asked god to help with COVID-19
- Mr Morrison is an evangelical Christian who attends Horizon church in the Shire
- He said his faith was giving him support, and even compared himself to Moses
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Scott Morrison has asked for ‘prayers for Australians’ in a leaked video posted on a Christian website in which he appears to compare himself to Moses.
The Prime Minister, an evangelical Christian, led a heartfelt prayer for the nation, saying Australia could ‘rely on and trust in God’ during the coronavirus pandemic.
As he began reciting verses from the Bible, Mr Morrison discussed the story of Moses as he compared it to trying to steer the government through the crisis.
Speaking about national cabinet meetings, he said: ‘There are decisions we’re taking now, which is to extends the borders as far and wide as we can. We have to get it right, it has to work.
‘It is a moment like when Moses walked down to the sea and held up his staff, and on they went. There are moments of great faith in all of this.’
In the Bible, Moses led the embattled Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea to safety.
Mr Morrison explained that having a strong faith was giving him ‘enormous encouragement’ in his own decision-making skills.
He is known to attend the Horizon Church in his home area of Sutherland Shire with his wife Jenny, 52, and two daughters Abbey, 12, and Lily, 10.
The private prayer session was filmed on a viewer’s phone and uploaded to YouTube.
It briefly appeared on Christian website Eternity News but was deleted.
‘As a Prime Minister I have to take my decisions on the basis of very strong advice and exercise the best judgement I possibly can,’ he said in the six-minute clip.
‘And my faith gives me an enormous encouragement in how I can make those decisions and try and do that the best way I can.’
Mr Morrison, who has been attending emergency meetings with ministers and state premiers daily during the crisis, admitted that the ‘world is largely in trauma’.
He went on to ask for prayers for those suffering with ‘the deepest of heartache and the deepest of shock’.
As of Wednesday evening, there were 4,862 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 21 deaths in Australia.
The video begins with the prime minister saying how people can ‘always just trust in God, and rely on him for the strength they needed’.
He then said: ‘I would ask that people pray. Thank you for your prayers, pray for all Australians everywhere, everyone affected by this.
‘People are going through the deepest of heartache, the deepest of shock.
‘The world is largely in trauma at the moment, with the scale and pace of what is unfolding.
‘It’s incomprehensible, even just a month ago, what we’re now seeing today. It’s so important that we just remain focused going forward.’
After the unprecedented shutting of thousands of businesses across Australia, Mr Morrison also extended his prayers to those who have lost their livelihoods.
Economists fear the country could be plunged into a recession, with thousands out of work and the queues at Centrelink growing by the day.
‘I pray that we will restore our streets with people in them,’ he went on.
‘Businesses open again, Australians going about their lives again – returning to their jobs, returning to their livelihoods.What precautions should we take amid the coronavirus pandemic?Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00PreviousPlaySkipMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time2:08FullscreenNeed Text
‘Returning to normal times in our schools for our children, so they can learn and get to the other side of this.’
CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 4,862
New South Wales: 2,182
Victoria: 968
Queensland: 781
Western Australia: 392
South Australia: 367
Australian Capital Territory: 84
Tasmania: 69
Northern Territory: 19
TOTAL CASES: 4,862
RECOVERED: 416
In tough new coronavirus restrictions introduced over the weekend, only two people are allowed to gather in public spaces.
The limit doesn’t apply to workplaces, schools or households, but has left many businesses with no option but to close their doors.
In the video, he spent some time discussing the hardships Australians were facing, as well as asking for prayers for his fellow politicians, before leading his own prayer.
But he said that even having a strong religious faith doesn’t change the everyday difficulties people are facing – but that a ‘fellowship with God’ can help.
‘It doesn’t change what you face every day,’ he said.
‘That’s real, every day, but to have that confidence, to have that assurance, to have that encouragement – not just through that direct fellow with god but the broad fellowship with Christians around the world.’
He then quotes from two verses of scripture, one from Psalm 34:17-19, which talks about god ‘delivering the righteous from all their troubles’.
But the prime minister is quick to remind viewers that ‘none of us are righteous’ – saying there’s ‘nothing worthy amongst any of us’.
‘The righteous person may have many troubles but the lord delivers him from them all,’ he read.
‘But we know none of us are righteous, we all know that.
‘We all know that we fall into the open arms of the grace of god.
‘There’s nothing particularly worthy amongst any of us. It is his grace which sustains us.’
SCOTT MORRISON’S CORONAVIRUS PRAYER FOR AUSTRALIA
‘Heavenly father, we commit our nation to you.
‘In this terrible time of great need and suffering for so many people.
‘And we do this also for the entire world, places far from this country there are people suffering even more, going through tremendous hardship, crying out, we pray you’ll hear their voice.
‘Pray you’ll deliver them, that you’ll send them peace and that you’ll send them comfort and you’ll send them strength in this time of great, great need.
‘Father, give us strength here in this country. Give us wisdom, give us judgement, give us encouragement.
‘Let your peace reign, let your love shower this nation in this time.
‘And let your people, let those you trust in you, Lord, be instruments for your love, for your compassion, for your justice, for your mercy, for your grace.
‘Let us be lights, Lord, in a time of great darkness.
‘May you lift us up in this time, may you strengthen us and encourage us and in all things, Lord, may you shine upon all of us at this time as we seek your grace, we seek your strength and we seek your favour.
‘We pray this in Jesus’ name. We pray also for our leaders, my colleagues in parliamentary roles, doesn’t matter what party they’re from.
‘I pray particularly for my colleagues in the cabinet, ministers making difficult decisions each and every day.
‘And I especially pray for my colleagues in the national cabinet, premiers and chief ministers, faced with terrible challenges that were unthinkable only a few days ago as they become realities.
‘We pray that you’ll keep the national cabinet strong and united and that we may be able to face each day and each challenge with unity and purpose.
‘I pray all of these things, Lord, as we praise you always.
‘May your kingdom come, may your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in heaven and bring peace to our world and to our nation.
‘In Jesus’ name we pray.’
