FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER FOR BREAKING THE DROUGHT
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES: I encourage citizens of New South Wales who are badly affected by the present drought to endorse the National 40 Days of Prayer for Breaking the Drought, which is presently being organised by churches of all denominations. As honourable members know, 90 per cent of our State currently finds itself in drought. Rainfall in the first four months of 2005 was the second lowest since records began in 1910. That has come on the back of what was already one of the worst droughts in living memory. Farming families are crying out for significant rains to penetrate the soil, nourish the crops, and fill the dams. They rejoiced in the recent steady, soaking rains but much more is needed. Since 1788 Australians have struggled to come to terms with the elusive bounty and the perceived capricious promise of a wide, brown land. During the trying drought in 1895 the Governor of New South Wales responded to “the very serious calamities from which the Colony is now suffering” by calling on all of Her Majesty’s subjects:
… to observe such a day of prayer. The earnest hope is that all classes of the community will join with reverence and humility in this solemn appeal to the divine mercy. That would be the key to reviving our land.
Australians are again being called upon to pray for a reversal of our current drought. The nation is about to embark on 40 days of prayer in response to the desperate needs of those in rural and regional Australia. Individuals as well as churches and prayer groups are being encouraged to be involved in this bold prayer initiative. The prayer season will commence and run right through July and August until 1 September. Churches are urged to include special prayers for rain throughout that period. Individuals can find personal quiet times to reflect and pray for those affected by drought. Communities are combining to hold at least one public event in which all can pray in unison together. We can understand that farmers would feel that they need prayer this week, not in six weeks time, but the fact is that many prayers are already being offered across the country. Uniting a nation, as it is our hearts’ desire to do, requires time to prepare.
Last week’s Bulletin magazine reported that in some communities some farmers were so desperate that they went out at midnight and conducted rain dances to invoke rain from the heavens. Despite those dances being attractions for tourists, the heavens did not respond. However, we have faith petitioning God in prayer that He will not disappoint us. The hope is that with a unified response across the nation the rains will come and bring new life to the earth and new hope to our people. One can only imagine the strained domestic relationships and deep depression for some farming families. One school student from Coonamble wrote of the drought:
We have probably been in the beginnings of drought for about 1½ years now. But now it is getting worse by the day and when you watch your parents’ faces tired and exhausted after feeding stock [by hand] all day and their faces weary of looking at death every minute you have to understand [that living in drought] is not the easiest thing in the world.
We will be praying that a reviving spirit will come upon these people. They are of deep concern to all honourable members of this House. I take this opportunity to remind honourable members that, conversely, people in drought-affected communities across our State are continually praying that in debates and discussions parliamentarians will make wise choices that will be in the interests of the people of this State. They are praying that we will be firmly basing our judgments on principles of goodness, justice and love. And we need to pray for them as they go through tough times. We pray that the Divine will look at the decisions that we face and will hear our prayers, and that our people will be refreshed. 21 June 2005.
