Preface | Prayer Book for Our Planet

This book began as a personal meditation, taken from a random prayer template on the Internet. It was basic but satisfying, and each morning I gave thanks for all that surrounded me. I observed from my living room a nearby lake with fountains, a variety of beautiful trees and enjoyed the sound and feel of birds and ocean breezes. I felt my prayer gave me a direct line to God.

I began adding sections about relationships, forgiveness, integrity, and social issues I observed in the world. These concepts were important to me, and praying about them had a positive effect on my life. I began to experience a deeper relationship with God, with greater spiritual awareness. I had taught healing principles as a nurse and incorporated them into my prayer. Reciting it gave me a sense of accomplishment, as it covered the growing issues I wanted to pray about. I could feel that God was listening to me, and positive changes continued to occur in my life.

One afternoon I was prompted to turn on the television. This was unusual, as I didn’t watch TV in the daytime. What came on my screen was Anderson Cooper’s CNN special, “Planet in Peril.” I sat with focused attention as I observed the terrible conditions that afflicted the earth and realized that I was ignorant about many issues. It became clear that the earth could not sustain such a dire course of neglect and abuse. Neither would many of earth’s creatures survive extinction at the current rate of poaching, hunting, and global warming. I took notes on this CNN special, something I had not done before. These notes formed the basis of “Prayer for Our Planet,” and subsequent prayers evolved in this way. There was subtle prompting from a “quiet little voice” that I have come to recognize as the Holy Spirit. For many months He persisted in advancing His causes. My prayers were a pleasure to write, and my Companion graced its pages with His brand of eloquence.

There was no plan to write this book as I wrote the prayers for my private contemplation. I prayed in earnest for environmental conditions and societal injustices I found disturbing, and the prayer kept growing. When I read it to friends, they suggested that I distinguish one subject from another as I continued writing and praying about issues that concerned me. I envisioned common-sense solutions to them and incorporated these into the prayers. Finally, it was friends who suggested that I compose a book of prayers for the planet. I hope its tenets will serve as a primer for healing our hearts and world and bringing equality and sustainable peace to mankind.