Drought across the region, wildfires burning acreage by the thousands, and flooding in other parts of the country have brought many of us to our knees seeking intervention by a divine power. I’ve prayed for rain to begin for my friends in California, and for the rain to stop for friends who have suffered loss in the flooded areas of Virginia. Different needs in different places. James 5:16 says the “prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” Will God understand my duplicity?
Today I am praying for a three-hour break in an unexpected summer storm across my home state. A young woman I know, who has spent the last several months planning her outdoor wedding in a beautiful garden setting, is facing the possibility of mud splatters on her gown and soggy flowers on the altar. Her outdoor buffet may easily become drenched plates of delicacies on water-soaked tables. Her dream ceremony may end in disaster. How sad. I don’t know how God will answer, but still I ask.
Praying about rain in such extremely different capacities may seem like the words of a double-minded optimist who beseeches the God of the heavens on a whim. But scripture shows us that the loving creator of the universe welcomes our petitions, even when it involves something so personal as a wedding ceremony.
In Luke 11:9 we read: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you.” God tells us to beseech Him.
In Matthew 6:25-27, we’re told: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet our Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” God has everything under control.
In John 14:13-14 God promises us an answer. His response may be yes, no, or wait, but whatever it is, we can be confident that our Heavenly Father has our best interests in mind, helping us to grow to maturity in him.
As I post this, the sun has broken through the clouds, the air is warm, and every possibility for a wonderful nuptial service exists. I can’t say if this will last, but God in his wisdom will provide.