This USB stick was promoted as JOYFUL – the first prayer to listen to was a dull thanksgiving from a group of dementia sufferers for a trip to the zoo. It was so audience specific I cannot imagine ever being able to apply it to my prayer needs. There are a few bible passages and general short prayers that could be applied to most people’s lives, but only about 10 of them. The other prayers were all said sombrely – NOT JOYFULLY – and there is terrible background noise like torrential rain on a tent or tin roof throughout most of the prayers – some have background music playing which covers the rain sound (the organ music is nice), but some of the music is excellently played violin which unfortunately sounds very mournful. I think it must have been recorded live in a big top. It feels like there should be speeches or music or something in between the prayers – very odd. They could never be played to help inspire prayer in a group or privately.
The prayer music I was looking forward to – some JOYFUL background music to play at prayer meetings; STIRRING music to help us feel the bible passages we read. To inspire us. However this has the same soporific effect as the prayer recordings – it is also sombre and slowly played – even some songs we play quite lively at church, like Lord of all Hopefulness! We could not use this as background music to sing to and it would only be suitable for quiet meditation, as it is all sombre and sleep inducing.
The prayer books – I was looking forward to some prayers of joy and thanksgiving I could use with the children’s groups at church – wrong again. They seem like old prayers full of complicated notions; difficult to memorise and decipher into common language. I was hoping for some commentary / bible passages or insights as to when to use them but no luck.
I am sorry to say this USB stick, with so much potential to encourage a young generation to pray with a joyful heart was a bitter disappointment which I was glad I never installed on my PC. I really don’t want it and would never pass it on to anyone because of the potentially depressing nature of the contents!
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