“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” — James 5:16b-18
Utah is experiencing a severe drought. In fact, 88% of our state is under extreme drought conditions. Due to this, back in June, Governor Cox said, “Because there is power in prayer, we are asking all of you and your congregations to join us in a weekend of prayer this coming weekend, June 4-6.” (On a side note, when I mentioned the governor’s prayer request to pastors in other states, they found it remarkable.)
Power in Prayer
And so, our church has been praying for rain since June (with weekly reminders in our ERock newsletter). What has come of our prayers so far? Well, the National Weather Service began tracking Salt Lake City precipitation records in 1874. That means we have around 147 years of statistics. They know July was the 12th wettest July in Utah in 147 years. To add to that, August was the 7th wettest August in SLC in 147 years.
Is the Lord answering our state’s prayers for more rain? Yes! I’d say this passage in James indicates that God withholds and gives rain in response to prayer. There is absolutely power in our prayers. Elijah was a man just like us. And God answered his prayers for less and then more rain. Think about this. Elijah prayed and it didn’t rain for 3.5 years! He prayed again and it started raining. It seems clear from this that God uses the faithful, fervent prayers of His saints to accomplish His will in this world.
Our prayers are working, but the drought is still pressing. With that in mind, please continue to pray for rain.
Praying with you,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor