Drought and Rain

Last night was a great night for our youth ministry. I stepped away from the stage last night to observe and worship with my students and God did a great and wonderful thing. God began to impress upon me that there were students who needed healing in their bodies and in their minds. We but our service agenda on hold and prayed for the sick and those that came to youth just because it was the thing to do. God showed up in our worship. He moved in the altar and the gifts of healing were in operation. As I looked across the room, I saw students with arms raised crying out to God with a hunger that we sometimes see only in youth convention and camp services. Then God brought a song to my mind about raining down his presence.

Many of us have prayed "God rain down in this place. Rain down Lord Jesus" or something like that. Youth ministries and individuals alike are experiencing a drought of epic proportion in their spiritual life. As I though about the presence of God raining down, I started thinking about how rain happens. Not to get to scientific on you, but when water is heated up and evaporates and then goes into the atmosphere and forms clouds and then cooling and heating happen in the air eventually the weight gets to be to great and rain falls. There it is right there. Did you see it? It is the link. Let me put it into common language.

We are the instruments of heating and evaporating and sending the vapor to the sky. The spirit inside us is hungry to experience the presence of the creator and our passion (fire/heat) heats the water (Jesus inside of us) and as we speak praise the words turn to vapor aka fragrance to the Lord. The praises form clouds and then the progression of our spirit and worship sends more vapor. Here is the tough part. Many times we just stop after a little bit of praise or just go through the motions of singing songs instead of actively worshipping. Our praises cool and the clouds dissipate and we say wow that was good worship.

What happens then when we continue to offer up praise? What happens when the heavens are full of the clouds of praise. There then comes a tipping point where the condensation happens and the drops of the presence of God fall. As they fall we cannot stop praising. The continual praise causes the clouds to burst and the rain of the presence of God to fall and drench those who are there. It is in the downpour where we become overcome by the presence and our minds are stayed on God and then healings occur and oppression is broken.

To experience the rain of God bigger than we could ever imagine, we must continually lift up the vapor of our praise until the break through happens. What ever you dealing with right now praise God in it. Even if you cannot see a way out, lift up the fragrant praise to the Lord. He will rain down the peace and joy that you are seeking. It is time that the drought in our spirit be flooded with the presence of God. Keep praising Him in good times and bad times. He is the alpha and omega and in Him all things that we are going through He will use for our good.

Be blessed