The project, recorded and mixed by co-producer R. Walt Vincent, consists of a nine-part contemporary choral symphony in thirteen languages (Hungarian, Mali, Swahili, Dwala, Tibetan, German, French, Urdu, Latin, English, Italian, Hebrew, and Spanish).

The contributing musical artists "used poems [he] wrote as inspiration, interpreting the words in their own way, in many different languages and chants."

The featured vocalists were Alanis Morissette, Salif Keita, Perry Farrell, Richard Bona, Yungchen Lhamo, Liz Constantine, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mah Damba, James Taylor, Ofra Haza, and Linda Ronstadt.

The featured instrumentalists were John Williams (guitar), Martin Tillman (processed cello), and Ethan James (hurdy gurdy).

Music from The Prayer Cycle was featured on the 1999 ABC documentary series called "The Century," which aired in six parts on March 29 and on April 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10.