Rain Down

Matthew is not typical; he is well educated and speaks English well too. He is married with a little boy and a little girl. Unlike most he only wants two children; and unlike most men in this culture, he really helps at home-he cooks and helps taking care of his children. He wants a better life for his family, and he works very hard to give them all he can. He has three different jobs to help provide for the family and sees so much of the corruption; he feels that you can have freedom and a better life if you follow Islam more closely. He believes that the problems in his country are because people are not truly following Islam; however, we have discussed the source of true freedom many times. Please pray for men like Matthew who are seeking freedom and change but are not looking in the right places. Pray that they would turn to the only One who can bring true change and freedom.

James 5:17
Elijah was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years. Once again he prayed, and the sky poured out its rain and the earth produced its crops.

Holy Father, we need rain. Your crops; your people are in need of you. We need your life-giving water. Your young sprouts burn easily. Their roots are weak and immature and they cannot nourish themselves. Your seedlings become entangled with weeds that seemed right and true, but quickly choke and stunt keeping them puny, weak and frail. Tend us. Your crops bearing immature fruit are easily blighted. Worms and bugs burrow and eat at the tender spots still uncovered. We need wizened, hardened bark. Expose these weaknesses; these passions that keep us vulnerable. Lead us with your wisdom. To be healthy, we need to be pruned. Cutting away rotting flesh is never easy, but we submit in obedience to Your Hand.
Thank you Lord Christ. Your mercy is abundant. You lavish love generously and freely. We humbly ask for Holy rain to fall… We humbly ask for mercy and grace to pour forth as a deluge. Let the pitter-patter of heavy drops turn into torrents and sheets of cleansing, healing rain. You are the Master Gardener we look to you and thank you for what you will do. Amen.

Additional Prayers
• We pray for Muslims all around the world who are praying, fasting,
and seeking during Ramadan. Draw us to pray fervently.

• We pray for workers to harvest the fields.

(permission to use this story was obtained from it’s originating author. Names have been changed to protect identities)