How many of you prayed for rain this summer?
How many prayed for just a small break in the heat?
Raise your hands if you did. 
Most of you have your hands up—I suspect.
Now Shout Hallelujah!  What a Savior!
The rains have come and the ground is just barely damp enough for the farmer’s fall planting. 
But the farmers and the ranchers and the underground aquifers still need more rain.
Now raise your hand if you have had enough rain.
Raise your hand if you are troubled because the rain has flooded the church basement, cry room
and started a “sag” in the ceiling of the church nursery.  Cry out to God if the rain has separated
you from electrical service, toppled your trees, flooded an upstairs bedroom, or turned your chicken
feed into moonshine.  If your mood is affected (and not in a good way!) by a lack of sunlight—has God
heard your depressed prayer: 
“Why have you forsaken me?”

Praying is tricky business.  It always has been. 
We see such a small part of the “big picture.” 
One day, as the first disciples were sitting on a hillside with Jesus, resting after lunch—several were
about to nod off—one was checking the amount of wear on the hem of his tunic—another—trimming
his toenails—one was trying to decide whether to buy a new pair of sandals or fix the ones he had—
And one—one was watching Jesus.
Jesus, the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke tells us, was praying.
 
When he finished, one of his disciples said,
“Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
So Jesus said, “When you pray, say,
Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”

In God’s Steadfast Love…Kay