The Daily Prayer podcast has brought listeners together twice a day for short, traditional services of Morning and Evening since March 2021. The Revd Catherine Williams shares her view on what it’s been like to lead the services as the podcast celebrates its 1,000th episode.
The podcast sees a monthly audience of 60,000 listeners and has been streamed over four million times since it was launched.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “Reaching 1,000 episodes of Daily Prayer is an impressive milestone. Being able to participate in Daily Prayer through the app has been of great help and encouragement for many to begin, sustain or develop their life of prayer.
“I often hear of people who have found a rhythm of prayer by using it. I’d like to thank all those involved in bringing the services together each day.”
The Revd Catherine Williams from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, who leads the services, shares her view of being involved in this new initiative:
“It had been the intention of Church House Publishing to add audio to the Daily Prayer and Time to Pray apps for some time. It was during the pandemic that this project was able to be realised. My son Harry and I were approached to begin recording audio services of Morning and Evening Prayer, Prayer During the Day, and Night Prayer in February 2021 – and we went live in April 2021.
“Using various readers from around the country and St Martin’s Voices to provide the music, we began recording material for the Daily Offices – and have continued to do that – having now reached 1,000 recordings, and four million downloads. Credit goes to the technical team of Thomas, James and others at Church House, Westminster, who provide the material, receive the recordings and edit and schedule four services a day. Most of the material is taken from the Scriptures and Common Worship, with music written especially for this project.
“We’ve found that this resource enables those praying the Daily Offices on their own each day – both clergy and lay – to feel part of a praying community and connected to an unending rhythm of prayer. This has enabled people to be faithful in prayer each day, and to be carried by other Christians at those times when life is challenging. People use the podcasts and apps at home, in church, whilst out walking, on the beach, commuting to work and in a wide variety of settings around the world. People often tell me that they have prayed with the apps and how the Daily Offices have come alive for them through the use of audio. I know that the podcast and both apps (Daily Prayer, Time to Pray) are widely used by individuals in the Diocese of Gloucester – and new people are discovering this resource every day.
“It gives me huge joy to think that my leading of worship in this quiet, hidden way enables so many people to meet daily with God, and to pray together with Christians around the world. It’s a very simple aid to prayer, but one which is very effective and much appreciated.”
Have you listened yet? Find out more or download the Daily Prayer app and podcast.
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Recently started listening, love making it start of my day.
Listen every day here in the States. Thank you for all you do for the Anglican Communion.
I find the recordings enormously helpful. They have supported me through illness and early retirement. Thank you for the very special quality they bring to the lives of many. Just wish they were available in Welsh too!
I am really grateful for the recordings which aid my worship enormously. Are there any plans to add Compline in the future?
Just discovered Daily Prayer podcast a few months ago at the recommendation of our new parish priest, and have listened and prayed with it almost every day since. I am a retired priest and I know one of the biggest challenges in my own prayer life was feeling part of a community. When I was in a parish it was fairly easy to get people to join me each morning, but since retirement I had let the habit go. This has renewed my prayer life, for which I’m very grateful. I was diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 years ago, and am getting progressively weaker. This community of prayer strengthens me in many ways. I especially love the music which has been especially written. I have sung in choirs since I was a boy and miss it very much, but this lets me sing with others again. Every blessing to all of those involved in producing this wonderful resource.
Integral part of my day can’t imagine it without it. Thank you for the work you all put in it’s wonderful. I love listening to the readings. God bless you all