Yellowstone, closed. Houses flooded.
Roads washed away in raging rivers.
Texas and the Southwest in Drought.
Can we pray for rain or sunshine?
When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.
"Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them."
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Prayer
Tradition, Bravery, Hope, Miracles, Endurance, Overcoming, Strength, Optimism. Joy.
The Latin phrase, ‘Lex Orandi Lex Credendi’
‘The Law of Praying is the Law of Believing!"
What does your history tell you about wild weather?
In 1975,6,7 we lived through winter storms in Pennsylvania for months in historic 150 year weather of snow and temperatures at 20' below zero in a Blizzard.
I've lived through two summers in 1978 and 1979 in Dallas, Texas when temperatures topped 112' for over 15 days and that winter was black ice storms.
We've lived through a child dying, stillborn, in Hurricane Ike 2008. And Hurricane, various brownouts, for a few weeks.
A historic tri-county Texas fire in 2011, bringing volunteers from Alaska, Washington and California as well as Georgia.
2018 sudden wind shear, toppling a larger Magnolia, on a sunny day.
Snowvid Texas 2020 with 11', no electricity for 4 days. That was the worst weather, to think and, later, dream, you'd die from cold.
Never having lived through stuck in a Hurricane due to bridge closure, or sudden Tornado.
The law of praying is the law of believing!
In the 1662 English Book of Common Prayer, a prayer petition:
“Send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and thy honor.”
1978 An Australian Prayer Book, and the petition read:
“Look in mercy on your people and hear our prayer for those whose lives and livelihood are threatened by drought .”
And this:
“Send us, we pray, in this time of need, rain to water the earth, that we may receive its produce to strengthen and sustain us .”
Lutherans record this prayer:
Creator God, bless us with water poured down from the sky. As surely as your word stands forever, so let the rain fall. Bring to life the water courses needed and surrounding terrain.1999
Catholic prayer:
O God, in Whom we live move and have our being, grant us sufficient rain, and sun, so that, being supplied with what sustains us in this present life, we may seek more confidently what sustains us for eternity.
Jewish Prayer:
"We praise You, Eternal God -- God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel. You are the Eternal God, who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall -- for a blessing and not for a curse, for life and not for death, for plenty and not for scarcity. That as important as it is to pray for rain, it is also important to learn the lesson God has given us this summer: We need to learn to use our water resources intelligently, knowing that God really does provide enough water for us to thrive."
We say Amen to that and here present the rich outpouring from diverse traditions for answered our request for prayers for rain.
Baptist Prayer:
Our Lord, we are worried about the effects of this extended drought and flood. We come to You because You are bountiful and merciful to Your creation. We realize the limitations of our own technology and acknowledge that You are all-powerful. You are able to provide rain in abundance. You teach us in Your Word that the fervent prayers of righteous people prevail with You, so we ask that You forgive us of our disregard of Your laws and earnestly pray in the Highest Name of Jesus Christ that You would intervene. Amen.
Orthodox Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We know your word is true.
You promised you would not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, so in spite of the lack, or flood, of moisture on our earth, we know you will provide.
You also admonished us to be thankful in all things. While we are not thankful for the drought, or flood, we are thankful for your many other bountiful blessings.
We are thankful that you will give us the strength and wisdom to be wise in our use of the water supply we have until the heavens open and satisfy the thirst of our dry land.
Thank you, Father, Amen.
Mennonite Prayer:
Our God and God of our ancestors:
Remember Abraham, his heart poured out to You like water.
You blessed him, as a tree planted near water;
You saved him when he went through fire and water.
For Abraham's sake, do not withhold water.
Remember Isaac, his birth foretold while angels drank cool water.
At Moriah his blood was almost spilled like water;
In the desert he dug deep to find springs of water.
For Isaac's sake, grant the gift of water.
Remember Jacob, who with his staff forded Jordan's water.
Gallantly he showed his love beside a well of water;
He struggled, victoriously, with a creature of fire and water.
For Jacob's sake, do not withhold water.
Remember Moses, whose basket rocked in reeds and water,
In Midian he gave his sheep ample grass and water;
He struck the rock, and then the tribes drank sweet water.
For Moses' sake, grant the gift of water.
Remember Israel's tribes; You brought them through water.
For their sake brackish marsh became sweet water;
Their descendants' blood was spilled for You like water.
For the people of Israel's sake, grant the gift of water.
You are the Lord our God
who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.
For a blessing, not for a curse.
For life, not for death.
For abundance, not for famine.
We ask in the Highest Name of Jesus, Your Love and Mercy. Amen.
Methodist Prayer:
Prayer for rain:
In your name, we pray, Amen
Dear Lord, please rain down fresh water upon us, our water ways and our crops. Send a cleansing rain down upon us and help end this drought. Loving Lord and Heavenly Father, You alone are good and You alone richly provide for us.
Thank You for Your steadfast love and gracious provision to us and to all Your creation.
You faithfully provide us richly, so many blessings to enjoy. But Lord, we come to You now, in this time of drought in this lovely Country, and we ask You to send gentle and abundant rain and sunshine to the earth, which has become dry, thirsty and in need of the nourishing waters from heaven. Look with tenderness and mercy down upon our plight, we pray. Lord, send us rain. Open the windows of heaven and send to your creation the sweet rainfall that we so desperately need...and nourish and revive our land, and the animals and the plants which you created. Lord, help us take care of this beautiful world through gentle, abundant rain and Light. We will give You all the praise and glory due to Your Holy Name, Jesus, Amen.
1 Corinthians 12
“Jesus is Lord” is said in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service,
but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities,
but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom,
and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit,
to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy,
to another the ability to distinguish between spirits,
to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit,
who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Abba, Father,
Your Nature is God of Love. God of Encouragement. God of Hope.
God wants to save the world in Jesus Christ.
Dwell in those we Love.
Help us always to seek You First.
In Jesus Christ, we will finish well.
Asking Your Help and Blessing
on Marriages and Families.
Your Beloved, pray for Ukraine, times are difficult and hopeful.
We pray the violence and financial need will stop here and in Your Good Creation.
In Jesus Christ, We pray the horrible heat waves and floods will end.
We ask for the return of good weather.
And ask Your Love and Mercy on the
many difficult challenges of healing from the Pandemic.
And we pray the end of clickbait on
weird topics and
conversations.
Father, we lift up the Pandemic prayers we all know
in our lives. Your Mercy.
We receive everything You desire for us this day. And the days to come.In Jesus. Amen.
To You be the Glory.
Amen in Jesus, Amen.