God, Please Send the Rain

I sat by my window, and listened to the faint pitter patter of rain as it rolled into a thunderous symphony of water beating against the ground. The drops pounded like a tympani drum against the street and on my windows. I touched the windows and it instantly felt ten degrees cooler than it had been moments before. The darker clouds didn't seem scary, but comforting as they hovered above like a shield protecting me from the harsh sun.

The rain stopped. I opened the door to the steel gray sky. I breathed a deep breath. The world smelled like it had washed itself clean of the dirt and odor. I looked around at the wet ground soaking in every ounce it could of the sweet rain. Even though it had only been an hour, the plants and trees seemed more majestic as they stood outside bathed in dew. It seemed that the world had been reset somehow.

That rain was months ago. Yesterday, I was driving with my son Jeremy. He is four. From the back seat I heard him singing, "Rain- rain, go away come again some other day." Jeremy stopped singing and asked, "Momma, where is the rain?" I answered, "I don't know where that rain has been Jeremy, but we need to pray God brings some."

There are several places in the Bible where God stops the rain from falling. One that comes to mind is when Elijah told King Ahab that there would be no more rain until he and the people turn back to God. For three long years there was no rain! Elijah had to hide away, and by the time God told him to go back and confront the king, the king had issued an order to find and kill Elijah!

Elijah had a "showdown" at Mt Carmel! It is one of my favorite reads in the Bible. THE God verses their false god. It is quite the story! ( 1 Kings 18 ) Spoiler alert! The statue doesn't win! One very important note is that  Elijah prayed for God to send the rain. He didn't pray once, but seven times. The man with Elijah looked the seventh time out into the sea, and finally said, "I see a cloud about the size of a man's fist..." That little cloud rolled onto the land, and became a shower that ended a three year drought! It fed the earth and was yet another reminder to the Israelite people that God is in control.

July and August are always the hottest months in Texas. 100 plus days are more than common. However, no rain has made this the worst recorded drought in Texas history! PRAY! The Israelite Nation did not have weather.com three thousand plus years ago. Perhaps it was for the best, because it has not brought any added joy as I look at the extended 30 day forecast and see no end in sight to the hot, dry weather. My only comfort is that God does not follow weather.com, He creates it! In the blink of an eye, God can make the rain come and they would have to scramble to replace that hot dry picture of the sun with the precious icon of a cloud with, let's all say it together, RAIN!

I'm asking you to pray that God sends rain to the entire state of Texas, and to all who need rain. We need to ask God and believe he will answer. Many times I feel the Holy Spirit saying pray for someone or something. Today, God woke me up at 4:55 with prayers on my mind. I was so tired, but the need to pray was stronger than the need to sleep. Rain was on the list. It is a big item that needs your prayers too. As you pray today, add rain in that prayer. Our God is great and can do great things. Pray for refreshing rain!

Psalm 147:8 "He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills." (NIV)