It has been dry here for the last few months. Very dry.

It's been good for the farmers who are trying to get the harvest in, but for the rest of us it's a pain. The land looks dry. Gardens need daily watering.

Our rainwater tank  which we mainly use for drinking has been barely above empty for three months.

One night last week I was unable to sleep. At 2 am the Lord woke me up from my dozing with these words "You must contend for the rain."

I've been praying for the rain for some time. It seems I must pray more intensely, more passionately. I got up immediately and prayed passionately for an hour, for rain as well as for knowledge of how to pray and how I am to contend.

In the past, at God's direction, I have  commanded the rain to fall, and it has.

But I think there is more. Perhaps fasting. Perhaps I need to learn the kind of birthing prayer that Elijah engaged in at the end of the drought (see 1 Kings 18:42).

I looked up the phrase "contend for the rain" on Google and found just one hit. The New Philadelphia church is an English-speaking church in Korea. They use the phrase as a spiritual term. The rain is seen as a general outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

Now, going back to the rain, one thing our team was contending for this trip was for the Holy Spirit to fall upon the Nepali people that they will be ministered to without us laying hands. We wanted to see everyone be touched by the Spirit being poured like rain, not just the ones we are able to personally pray for and minister to. This was our team leader John-Michael’s personal desire for North Korea as well, that when we minister to thousands of orphans we won’t need to do healing and deliverance with each child, but the power of the Holy Spirit will come like the rain and set them free instantly! So our Nepal team strongly contended for God to show a glimpse of that during the trip.

 I would like to see that also! Just imagine people being healed in worship with no special prayers, or people receiving Jesus and instantly set free from all of their bondages.

First the natural then the spiritual.

So I am seeking God for what He means by contending for the rain. I am praying more often and for longer, seeking for the rain to come.

 I will contend!