AUDIO: An African Prayer Book – By Archbishop Desmond Tutu

An Offering from the Temple of Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Extract from Goole Books: The great Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, shares with us the simple but profound secrets of his extraordinary spiritual strength by unveiling his very own book of prayer. Prayer, our conversation with God, needs no set formulas or flowery phrases.

It often needs no words at all. But for most believers, the words of others can be a wonderful aid to devotion, especially when these words come front faithful fellow pilgrims.

The African Prayer Book is just such an aid, for in this collection all the spiritual riches of the vast and varied continent of Africa are bravely set forth.

Here we may delight in Solomon's splendid encounter with the Queen of Sheba, overhear the simple prayer of a penniless Bushman, and glory in the sensuous sonorities of the mysterious liturgies of the Egyptian Copts.

Here are Jesus' own encounters with Africa, which provided him refuge at the beginning of his life (from the murderous King Herod) and aid at its end (in the person of Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry his cross).

Here are the prayers of some of the greatest among the mothers and fathers of the Church -- Monica, Augustine, Clement of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage -- as well as the prayers from the African diasporas of North America and the Caribbean.

From thunderous multi-invocation litanies to quiet meditations, here are prayers that every heart can speak with strength and confidence. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who is for millions the very soul of Africa, is our guide on this unique spiritual journey.

His introduction is destined to become a classic, his characteristic energy and optimism light our way, and the words of his favourite prayers (many composed by the Archbishop himself) will stay with us forever.

Read More
Show less

List of Prayers

Here is a list of these 29 prayers, read and narrated by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  Listen to each prayer below.

The Archbishops opens this African Prayer Book with an introduction, which outlines the objectives and purpose, of this particular collection of prayers, he is about to present and relay.

He then goes on to recite 29  confessions, homilies incantations, devotions, prayers and praises, from across the African continent, from both Christian and non-Christian African's, spanning over thousands of years, to our modern age.  This provides us with an authentic African spiritual and religious response to God, Christ and Christianity in our modern age, as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu himself states.

The List of Prayers

1              Adam & Eve in the Garden

2              Day of Pentecost

3              African Canticle to God of Africa

4              God the Word

5              The Great Crowd

6              Confessions of St Augustine

7              Great Spirit

8              Great God of Mercy

9              God is King

10           Great Elder

11           Lord of Hosts (Angels)

12           Aten the Giver of Life

13           Strike your Drum for God

14           God, The Word Incarnate

15           God’s Creation

16           Fisherman’s Song of Praise

17           Sing to Amen, the provider

18           A Morning Praise

19           Silence Alive - Poem

20           The Right Hand of God

21           Our End is No End

22           Simon the Cross Bearer

23           A Confession to God

24           Come Wash my Feet

25           There is Balm in Gilead

26           Throwing out the Bird Nest

27           We are Children of God

28           Prayer for Unity in South Africa

29           Confession of Alexandria

Listen to each recital below.

Read More
Show less

An Introduction to An African Prayer Book

Read by Rev. Desmond Tutu

1. Adam & Eve in the Garden

Book of Genesis – Sacred Union & Equality of Sexes - 2:10 mins

2. The Day of Pentecost

The Book of Acts – The Oneness in Spirit - 2:09 mins

3. An African Canticle to God of Africa

African Spirituality – An African Hymn of Praise - 1:21 mins

4. God the Word

The Baka (Pygmies) Traditional African – God is the Word - 0:43 secs

5. The Great Crowd

Book of Revelation 7:9-12 – The Great Throne of God - 1:19 mins

6. Confessions of St Augustine

N. Africa – Great Art Thou & God Set me on Fire - 2:23 mins

7. Great Spirit

Rosary People of S, Africa – Creator of all Things - 1:45 mins

8. Great God of Mercy

South Africa – God’s Love through Christ - 1:51 mins

9. God is King

Zulu People, S. Africa – Adoration to God - 0:40 secs

10. Great Elder

Kikuyu People Kenya – Submitting to God’s Will - 0:43 secs

11. Lord of Hosts (Angels)

Ethiopian Tawehedo Christianity – The Angels Praising God - 1:48 mins

12. Aten the Giver of Life

Pharaoh Akhenaton, Egypt – The Hidden Sun is the Giver of Life - 1:27 mins

13. Strike your Drum for God

Baluba People, Zaire – Give praises to God with Drumming - 0:32 secs

14. God, The Word Incarnate

St Athanasius, Coptic Patriarch – The Mystery of the Incarnation - 2:26 mins

15. God’s Creation

Dinka People, Sudan – The Cycle of Rebirth - 1:00 mins

16. A Fisherman’s Song of Praise

Ghana, W. Africa – The Blessings of the Sea - 1:22 mins

17. Sing to Amen, the provider

Egyptian Spirituality (Author Unknown) – A Song of Praise to the Amen (Christ) - 1:19 mins

18. A Morning Praise

St Macarius, Coptic Egyptian – Praises of Adoration when Awoken - 1:14 mins

19. Silence Alive - Poem

Harry Alfred Wiggot, S. Africa – The Silence of the Holy Spirit - 1:37 mins

20. The Right Hand of God

Caribbean Anthem – God’s Destiny for the Caribbean- 1:56 mins

21. Our End is No End

St Augustine, Prayers – All shall be Amen & Hallelujah - 0:43 secs

22. Simon the Cross Bearer

Bible Book Luke 23:26 – Simon who carried Christ’s Cross - 0:34 secs

23. A Confession to God

Church of St George, S. Africa – Confessing our sins & weaknesses - 1:48 mins

24. Come Wash my Feet

St Origen's Biography, N, Africa – Humility & Devotion - 2:05 mins

25. There is Balm in Gilead

African American Spiritual – Tell the love of Jesus, who died for all - 1:06 mins

26. Throwing out the Bird Nest

Nigerian Man – How evil come in and nest in heart - 0:43 secs

27. We are Children of God

The Dinka People, Sudan – God will turn and Heal Us - 0:29 secs

28. Prayer for Unity in South Africa

Dr Margret Nash – May Anger & Fear turn to Love - 2:26 mins

29. Confession of Alexandria

Conference of All African Churches, Alexandria Egypt – Africa’s deep relationship with Christ - 7:02 mins

This collection and selection of praise and thanksgiving, provided by the Archbishop, also offers, to the listener and investigator, a good insight into the rich and unique heritage, of not only African Christianity, but also fundamentally, traditional African Spirituality, regardless of the African Spiritual System (Religion) that is used, to express it, which is, God is One and God is Love.

This is a most wonderful and beautiful contribution from the Temple of our Brother Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which we provide here, in the Temple of Yahshuah.

Imani Yahshuah

Imani Yahshuah

See author's posts

    More Stories

    Audio Books

    AUDIO: The Birth of M.E – Mitochondrial Eve

    AUDIO: Coptic Agpeya (Prayer Times)