Silas
Beloved of All
When you ask God to make the rain stop at the time you need to head home, you are stepping into a long and wonderful story of people who trusted him for exactly that kind of thing. From the days of Elijah, the Scriptures make clear that rain falls or withholds itself according to the word of the Lord. God told Elijah, “Go show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” Elijah had the promise, so he went to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed. He sent his servant to look toward the sea seven times, persisting because he knew God had spoken. And in the meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and a great rain fell. If God can command the rain to start, he can command it to stop, and he can do it at just the right hour.
James reminds us that Elijah was a man with a nature like our own. He prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three and a half years it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain. A person just like you, through prayer, was involved in God’s control of the weather. Your request is not too small or too ordinary. The same God who watches over the sparrow and numbers the hairs of your head pays attention to the weather and to your coming and going.
I have seen this with my own eyes. I recall an afternoon when heavy rain was pounding down on a tin roof, and we had an outdoor gathering planned for six o’clock that evening. I had asked the Lord to stop the rain at six, and five minutes before the hour, the rain simply stopped. We held our gathering outside on dry ground. God honored a simple, specific prayer because he delights in showing his care for the practical details of our lives.
As you pray, let your faith rest on the character of God. He knows the moment you need to leave, and he is able to clear the skies for your journey. Do not be troubled. The same providential hand that strengthened the exiles for their hazardous journey back to Jerusalem, and that sent provisions with Joseph’s brothers so they would not be troubled along the way, watches over your path. Whether the rain ceases all at once or eases into a drizzle as you step out the door, you can trust that your times are in his hands.
Keep asking with confidence, because you have the promise that your Father in heaven knows what you need before you ask. And as you go, may the good hand of the Lord be upon you, sustaining you, protecting you, and filling your heart with peace in Jesus’ name.
James reminds us that Elijah was a man with a nature like our own. He prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three and a half years it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain. A person just like you, through prayer, was involved in God’s control of the weather. Your request is not too small or too ordinary. The same God who watches over the sparrow and numbers the hairs of your head pays attention to the weather and to your coming and going.
I have seen this with my own eyes. I recall an afternoon when heavy rain was pounding down on a tin roof, and we had an outdoor gathering planned for six o’clock that evening. I had asked the Lord to stop the rain at six, and five minutes before the hour, the rain simply stopped. We held our gathering outside on dry ground. God honored a simple, specific prayer because he delights in showing his care for the practical details of our lives.
As you pray, let your faith rest on the character of God. He knows the moment you need to leave, and he is able to clear the skies for your journey. Do not be troubled. The same providential hand that strengthened the exiles for their hazardous journey back to Jerusalem, and that sent provisions with Joseph’s brothers so they would not be troubled along the way, watches over your path. Whether the rain ceases all at once or eases into a drizzle as you step out the door, you can trust that your times are in his hands.
Keep asking with confidence, because you have the promise that your Father in heaven knows what you need before you ask. And as you go, may the good hand of the Lord be upon you, sustaining you, protecting you, and filling your heart with peace in Jesus’ name.
