Current Prayer initiatives
Prayer for Rain 2009
Documents regarding this call to pray
Three specific areas for which we appeal to God for
rain
Ideas for Observing this Day of Prayer and Fasting
Repentance and Rain
Documents regarding this call to pray
The Lubbock County Commissioners
Court has issued a proclamation to make Sunday, May
3, 2009 a day of prayer and fasting for rain.
Read the
Lubbock County
Commissioners Court Proclamation.
Read a
letter from the Lubbock County Judge, Lubbock Mayor
and the Director of Pray Lubbock, urging
congregations to participate on May 3rd and
throughout 2009.
Three specific areas for which we appeal to God for
rain
1. Moisture
on the South Plains for our land
2. Rainfall
within Lake Meredith's Canadian River watershed
Check our
resources for understanding and praying for Lake
Meredith
3. Texas,
especially exceptional drought areas of San Antonio
and Austin
Check the current status of drought in Texas at the
U. S. Drought Monitor
Ideas for Observing this Day of Prayer and Fasting
We are asking the
citizens of the South Plains to set apart Sunday,
May 3, 2009 as a day of prayer and fasting for
rain. Congregations may participate in a variety of
ways:
-
Include our
need for rain in the morning prayer
-
Have
agricultural workers stand and pray for them as
you pray for rain
-
Hold a special
afternoon or evening prayer service for rain
-
Organize the
entire service around the our need for rain
-
Encourage
congregational members to fast in some way on
the 3rd i.e. fast for one meal, fast
until sundown,
-
Replace the
coffee urns and boxes of donuts on May 3rd
with signs reminding people to fast and pray for
rain.
You may pray
without fasting and contribute to this effort.
However if you choose to fast, in addition to
praying, there are a variety of ways that
individuals can fast and pray for rain. Fasting can
be applied to other areas besides eating; you can
choose to fast from certain activities which you
normally participate: sports, TV, other forms of
valued recreation. Here are some ideas of duration:
-
Begin a
seven-day fast on Monday, April 27
-
Begin a
three-day fast on Friday, May 1
-
Observe an
all-day fast on Sunday, May 3
-
Observe a
24-hour fast beginning after the evening meal on
Saturday, May 2 and break the fast with the
evening meal on Sunday, May 3.
-
Fast for one
meal on May 3
You may also
observe an “Isaiah 58” fast: help in a soup kitchen,
help a neighbor with some needed assistance, honor
your family with your time and devotion, visit a
nursing home, show some act of kindness for someone
in the agriculture business
Encourage members
to participate in whatever ways they can. Some may
have already made dinner plans and other
circumstances may prevent them from participating in
the fast. They can still contribute greatly by
praying for rain throughout the day. We are not
approaching this day legalistically; rather we are
simply attempting to gather a corporate plea to God
in prayer from the body of Christ in Lubbock and
Lubbock County.
Repentance and Rain
Consider this connection between
repentance and praying for rain: (King
Solomon's prayer to God at the dedication of the
Temple of the Lord.) "When the heavens are
shut up and there is no rain because Your people
have sinned against You, and when they pray toward
this place and confess Your name and turn from their
sin because You have afflicted them, then hear from
heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your
people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and
send rain on the land you gave Your people for an
inheritance. II Chronicles 6:26-27 |