National Days of Repentance and Prayer

“It’s raining again tonight.”

That could be a typical journal entry for someone living at least in this part of Kansas lately with just a few exceptions.  As I sat on my porch, I remembered a couple of things that some people might not connect but maybe they should be.

First, This year’s theme for the National Day of Prayer, May 7, was “Lord, hear our cry”, based on Solomon’s  dedication prayer for the temple in 1 Kings 8:8. There is another organization that promotes a National Day of Repentance, April 30.  I’ll admit that this is the first year that I heard about this particular group but their aim is to promote prayer and fasting for the week prior to the National Day of Prayer in the US and similar days in other places.

Second, God’s response to Solomon’s prayer was this from 2 Chronicles 7.

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

2 Chronicles 7:12-15 NASB

Admittedly, this nation is far from sinless but maybe, just maybe, God is wanting to see if we are paying attention.  It seems like we have gotten more rain this year than we have the last couple of years, especially since these events.  Maybe their connected, maybe not.