Almost forgot...

Last Friday I went for a prayer walk. While I was walking and praying, I got just about as far from home as my walk was going to take me. It began to sprinkle, and I figured I would get drenched before I could get home. Not a really big deal, but not one I relished. Suddenly I was reminded of James 5:17 came to mind, "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."James 5:17 (NIV) 

I do not consider myself on par with Elijah, but I believed I should pray for it to stop raining. So, I asked God to stop the rain for a while so I could get home. It kept sprinkling, and I felt as if I should pray more specifically. So, I prayed that God would hold the rain off for 30 minutes so I could get home. I also prayed that He would give me faith to believe. I prayed that He would use the event to strengthen my faith, and I would be able to share my experience to inspire others to have more faith in praying. 

The rain ceased immediately. I continued to walk, and I made it home in 28 minutes. It never rained another drop on me the entire time. I walked into the house, and actually expected it to start raining in about 2 minutes. It didn't though. It waited about 17 minutes before it started. I felt as if God spoke to my heart and said, "You asked for 30 minutes, but I gave you 45 because you were slowing down in your walking." When it began to rain, it began as a downpour and did not let up for at least an hour. 

Sunday morning, I was able to share this story as I began to encourage others to pray more specifically. I am learning more about prayer than ever before. I hope I am encouraging others to grow in their prayer life as well. You don't have to be Elijah for God to make Himself known, you just have to be willing to see it for what it is when He does make Himself known.