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Reply to "Praying for Rain"

Originally Posted by JimiHendrix:
Praying: the least effective thing that you can do.

Really now.  I can remember, vividly, when I was a resident of Georgia, a few years back during a long period of no rain when Governor Sonny Perdue did exactly the same as Governor Perry did and He, as well as many Christians and others encouraged to do for a day of Prayer, Prayed very publicly for Rain to ease the very serious situation.  Lake Lanier and Lake Alatoona were at historic lows and drinking water for Atlanta was in serious jeopardy.  It was this very drought that sparked the controversy between Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia over Georgia claiming land for access to the Tennessee River around Lake Nickajack.  This article was one written about the severe drought that effected Georgia: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3730145&page=1

 

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, a Christian, Prayed, to God, for help from the drought and for rain:  Note the stories from the press nationwide:

 

http://www.wdef.com/news/gover...n_in_georgia/11/2007

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21...y-rain/#.Tm2iJU8vd9s

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3857886

http://articles.latimes.com/20.../14/nation/na-rain14

http://www.npr.org/templates/s...php?storyId=16281915

 

Georgia was the laughing stock of the nation and no rain was predicted or expected.  And the detractors came forth in droves lambasting the Governor and Christians for not praying for an end to hunger or the more weighty needs of the nation and state.

 

The next day/night there was hardly a patch of land in the whole state of Georgia that did not have some amount of rain land on it's soil.  It wasn't a deluge and sure didn't end the worries and troubles with the drought but it definitly rained at a time and on a day that it was not forecast to do so.  

 

http://www.governing.com/blogs...ta-Changes-Mind.html

http://www.wdef.com/video/gove...n_in_georgia/11/2007

 

Many parts of the state, including where my house was, receives copious amounts of rain, yes Rain just as it was prayed for.  It completely covered the State from North to South and East to West.  The critics that were so vocal in their lambasting of the Governor and laughing at the Christians had their answers ready also and lamented how little it was and how it would do no good.  It was not God but just an accident or a fluke but never the less it Rained.

 

Believe what you want, most do anyway, and will never be convinced but in this case it was not, as you say Jimi, "the least effective thing you can do".  

 

Does God answer all prayers?  NO.  God, from my understanding and reading of Scriptures, only guarantees to answer one pray of the sinner and that is for Forgiveness and Salvation.  Many Prayers seemingly go unanswered but are actually answered but not always in our time on our schedules.  Also God does not always answer our prayers with the outcome that we, Christians, ask for and desire but as Christians who keep in fellowship with God and grieve not His Holy Spirit have access to God through His Holy Spirit who takes our needs and request direct to God the Father in terms, not words, that often we do not understand or comprehend.  

 

Romans 8:26-28 (ESV)
{26} Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
{27} And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
{28} And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Many people, unfortunately many Christians, base their belief or feeling about God based upon what they want and ask in Prayer.  Little and few times do we stop to wonder why, sometimes, prayers are not answered as we would like.  

 

Could be we do not ask according to God's Will in mind but ask selfishly and for our own gain or benefit.

Could be we ask at a time when our relationship with God is strained or not there and we have been disobedient and allowed sin to reign in our lives clouding the relationship between God and us and grieving the Holy Spirit.  God seeks our prayer for forgiveness and requirest this first.

Could be we received an answer to our prayer but did not get what we wanted or didn't get it in the time frame that we desired?

Could be we were asking out of sincere desire but actually we or the person asking knew not God as God and Savior but ask God on a wager.  Do this for me and I'll do this for you and are surprised or angry when we don't get the answer we want.   There are many reasons why often Prayers seemingly go unanswered or are not answered in the way we want.  

Then also could be because the person is not one of God's and knows not God nor is God's Holy Spirit active and working within the person at the time of their greatest desire.  The Greatest need of any person is to know God and our Savior Christ Jesus and it is that Prayer, of a sinner, that God hears and is ready to answer.

 

As Christians we should rely upon the Scripture of Romans 8:28 and know that God is in Charge and that His Will be done.  

 

 


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