The other day, when I was talking about our responsibility to pray, from our positions of detached comfort, over disasters and people affected by them, I wrote in fairly general terms.
I do that often. I don’t want to tie God’s hands by telling Him what I think a situation needs, because what I think is right and good may be at cross-purposes with His will.
But there are times when it’s pretty doggone obvious what the situation needs, and you pray for it, glorifying God in any event.
I’m thinking in particular of the fires in Australia. They need rain. Extended, drenching rain, to squelch the fires. The fireys* need the respite – they are exhausted, in spite of being supplemented by colleagues from all over the world. On the prayer list at Hillsong churches on Australia, “rain” is #1.
So if you want something specific, there you go: command, in Jesus’ Name, for rain to fall on the bushfire areas of Australia.
You don’t have to be a super-charged person of God to do it, either.
The effective, fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
– James 5:16b-17
Jesus’ half-brother goes on to say that Elijah prayed again, and it didn’t stop raining for ages.
If the rain doesn’t come immediately, some might slack off and say, “I suppose God has His reasons …” and give up praying. But that would be one of God’s reasons: to get us to keep praying and not let up, and to encourage others to draw closer to Him. His arm is not shortened: nothing is too big for our God; while the Fireys might be running out of strength, resources and water, He’s just getting started.
“Fireys”: Aussie slang for firefighters.
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