Pray Lubbock

Update: 15 September 2006 - FYI - World Net Daily reports what God is doing here in their news service. Click here to see that article "Grateful Lubbock Calls Day of Prayer.".

Update: 14 September 2006 - The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports the action of the City Council and County Commissioners regarding declaring September 17 a day of Prayer and Thanksgiving. Read this article here. To date, United Press International has not picked up on this article as they did the Lubbock A-J article of July 24 which announced the day of prayer and fasting for rain. UPI put that former article in their "Quirks" category.

Update: 13 September 2006 - NOAA ISSUES UNSCHEDULED EL NIÑO ADVISORY! Click here to see this advisory and note that the changes have taken place over the last few weeks! Also note the projected affects upon our rainfall.

Update: 12 September 2006 - Click here for a news report from NewsChannel 11.

Update: 7 September 2006 - Click here to see an article from Texas Tech's newspaper The Daily Toreador - "Pray for Rain".

Update: 6 September 2006 - Lubbock’s prayers for rain and the results were reported by Paul Harvey on Wednesday of this week. That broadcast is no longer available on line, but with his trademark sense of humor, he reported that after our weekend of rain in Lubbock, someone must have forgotten to tell God when to stop!

Also, here are some headlines from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal regarding the rainfall with effects on agriculture, wildlife, reservoirs and municipalities:

"Farmers Soak Up Needed Relief"

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/090606/loc_090606034.shtml

"Rain Helps Panhandle Wildlife Recover from Fires"

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/090606/sta_090606062.shtml

Heavy Rains Weaken but Fail to Break Drought's Grip on Area

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/090606/loc_090606033.shtml

Update: 4 September 2006 - Click here to check out a September 4 World Net Daily report.

Update: 3 September 2006 - Sunday, September 3, 2006 was a remarkable day of rain: The rain on September 3 as set a record for this date in history of total rainfall. I also was the wettest single day since June 2000. Since records have been kept (1911) it is the 60th wettest single day on record in Lubbock. For daily climate report for Lubbock go to: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/diag/.test/test_awips_func1.php?pil=CLI&sid=LBB&max=25

Update: 1 September 2006 - Monthly precipitation totals are now available for August, the first month of the season of prayer for rain for the South Plains. You can see the numbers for yourself at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/climate/agodata.html. The South Plains area reporting stations, on average, received .99 of an inch above normal during the month of August! This is an average of 40 stations. To put this in comparison with the first 7 months of this year, only in March did the South Plains receive above average rainfall (.66 of an inch). For the period Jan-July, the South Plains received on average .69 of an inch below average each month. June, alone, was 1.80 below average and July was 1.07 below average. So, for August to be almost 1 inch above average, taking into account 40 reporting stations across the South Plains - what some call a "coincidence" we call an answer to prayer! By another measure, August 2006 average rainfall across the South Plains exceeded the average rainfall of August 2004, the year that became the second wettest year on record in Lubbock! What a turn-around! Praise God!

Update 12 August 2006 Click here to surf through rainfall totals on the South Plains. This National Weather Service Website allows you to select the community, select the month and it will give you the daily totals and monthly totals for rainfall. Our prayers have not been just for Lubbock, but for West Texas.

Update 9 August 2006 - Rain has fallen somewhere on the South Plains each day since two days before our "official" day of prayer and fasting for rain. In Lubbock, rain has been received on 4 or 5 of these days. Other areas on the South Plains have received up to 2 inches in those showers. In reading the comments of bloggers across the country regarding this prayer initiative, (Google: prayer rain Lubbock) I am reminded of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Religion Editor, Beth Pratt's wise observation about God's answer to prayer in 2004: "Believers believe and scoffers scoff." We are thankful to God's provision of rain in His timing. We continue to pray for rain on the South Plains.

Click here to read a letter from David Miller, Tom Head and Steve Doles urging leaders to take every opportunity to promote this prayer initiative

Click here for the Mayor and City Council Proclamation (Word Document)

Click here for suggestions for how you and your congregation can participate.

Click here to see the Avalanche-Journal article on Monday, July 24.

Click here to see what God did in 2004!

Click here to see the impact of prayer in 2004 on our cotton crop.

Click here to see the UPI Article and some reader comments.

Visiting the Pray Lubbock Website? Send your comments to steve@praylubbock.com.

That day has passed, but the need for prayer has not.

On Monday, July 24, 2006, the County Judge Tom Head and the Lubbock County Commissioners Court signed a proclamation encouraging the county to participate in this day of pray and fasting for rain on the South Plains.

On Tuesday, July 25, 2005, the Mayor David Miller and the Lubbock City Council made a similar proclamation declaring our utter dependence upon God for rain in our area.

Lubbock's City Council, the Lubbock County Commissioners Court and Pray Lubbock encouraged our community and region to distinguish Sunday, July 30, as a day of prayer and fasting for rain.

Here are some suggestions for prayer:

Thanks to God for the answer to prayer for rain in 2004. (Remember: 2004 was the second wettest year on record - remarkable considering 2003 was the second driest year on record!

Pray for rain on the South Plains including the area around Lake Meredith. Immediate needs to quench the dry lands and to replenish the reservoirs and aquifer.

Effective water conservation practices by our citizens.

Wisdom in developing a 100-year water strategy.

Here are some ideas about how to observe this day:

· Organize the entire worship service around prayer for rain

· Include this emphasis in the pastor’s prayer

· Hold a special afternoon or evening prayer service for rain

· Encourage congregational members to fast in some way on the 30^th i.e. fast for one meal, fast until sundown, fast from TV, etc.

· Replace the coffee urns and boxes of donuts with signs reminding people to fast and pray for rain.

Insights from Intercessors on the subject:

God answered our prayers in 2004 with abundant rainfall - the 2nd wettest year on record. 2005 and 2006 have not seen the rainfall we need, yet many are still praying. Is God holding us accountable for the way we "used" His blessing of rain in 2004? Have we lavished praise upon Him? Have we ascribed to the Lord all the credit for the rain we received? Have we lived our livers in deeper appreciation, deeper consecration, and greater obedience because we have experienced His blessings? Or have we tipped our hat and gone on with our business... Our prayers for rain need to include humble confession that we are not worthy of the blessing we are asking for and humble submission and dedication to give Him praise in words and actions for the rain He will bring. In other words, is this request self-centered or Kingdom-centered.

Scriptures to consider:

“When I hear your cry, I will look upon your distress, I will remember my covenant for your sake, and I will relent according to the greatness of My Loving kindness.” (Psalm 106:44-45)

“Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in You.” (Jeremiah 14:22)

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit." (Leviticus 26:3,4)