Prayer for Rain

Sr M Stanley, Cape Town -In this time of severe drought  throughout many parts of our region, which is seriously affecting growth of crops, livestock — and the people of South Africa — there is a call to us for prayer.

Can we unite in daily fervent prayer to Our Heavenly Father to grant us the blessing of rain?

The following prayer by Fr Martin Pender, which is prayed in our parish in the Strand, Cape Town, may unite us all to be of one mind in our earnest intercession:

Dear Lord, Source of all life and Creator of the universe, in your great love for all you have created,

you guide our world by the unfathomable mystery of your Providence.

You never cease to provide for your people, giving us rain in due season,

helping the land to produce abundant food and the trees of the fields their fruit.

In this time of need we humbly turn to you, and like the prophet Elijah,

we pray that you will water the earth with rains from above.

Summon the clouds from the ends of the earth, O Lord, so that the rain may soften our land with showers and bless its growth.

Hear our prayer, O Lord, for we know that abundance flows in your pathways.

We make this prayer through Christ, the Living Water and Well-spring of eternal life. Amen