Give us this day our daily...RAIN

I lead a Wednesday evening class of people who are helping each other establish a praying life.  At the beginning, I ask them to commit to praying 15 minutes a day.  In the 1st week, they find it surprisingly hard to establish even that short period daily.  But within a few weeks, they find themselves praying about everything.  The 15 minute daily assignment becomes a non-issue.

Prayer is not about a daily appointment; it is about an ongoing conversation.

We consider together Paul Miller's book A PRAYING LIFE.  In Part III, he reminds us that we live in a word which has been fragmented.  Since the so-called Enlightenment (or Age of Reason, in the 1700's), God has been asked to step out of the real world and be a Bystander.  Considerations about Him, and dependence upon Him, are regulated to what man feels, rather than what can be understood as fact.  Thus, it is good to pray to Him at church, just don't list prayer as Step #1 in a research assignment for school.  As Miller's daughter explained, "They (the teachers and others who guide the educational process of our kids) wouldn't want us to say that."  God doesn't get to do science with those He's created.

Today, the Governor of Texas has called for prayer for rain.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42705038/ns/weather/#   He has proclaimed a 3 day period, this Friday through Sunday, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the state.  70% of Texas is in extreme and exceptional drought.  God, Governor Perry believes, could help us with our need for daily bread.

Of course, that is what Jesus taught us.  That we should pray for our every day food.  That we should not assume that it will be automatically there.   James remembers that Elijah was a man just like us.  He prayed that it would not rain for 3 1/2 years, and it didn't. He prayed again that it would rain, and it poured.

Fact is, God should never been asked to step aside from involvement in the real world.  It belongs to Him.  Perhaps He will be gracious and step back in, and send some rain.

Lead on, Governor Perry.  Let's pray