27. PRAYER FOR A TIME OF DROUGHT.

     O faithful, true, and righteous God, Thou hast told us in Thy Word in a manner most comforting that an earnest, fervant, faithful, and persevering prayer penetrates the heavens and not only comes before thy face without fail, but is effectual and availeth much.  Therefore, upon Thy comforting direction, we, Thy needy children, have come into the presence of Thine exalted, devine majesty in this period of unusual and exceedingly protracted heat and drought with our confident, hearty, and most earnest petitions, humbly praying Thee that Thou wouldst graciously hear us according to Thy promise, mercifully turn Thy great wrath from us, and give the parched earth again the moisture it needs by having the quickening rain descend in drops and showers, so that the soil may again bring forth and yield the fruits necessary for the substance of our lives, as intended by Thy fatherly care at the time of creation.  And even as in days of old Thou didst, upon the earnest prayer of Thy faithful servant and prophet Elias, open the closed heaven and cause it to rain upon the thirsty earth, so do we now trust that Thou wilt deal mecifully with us in this time of great heat and drought, granting us this our earnest prayer because of Thy fatherly care for us; through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son our only Redeemer and Savior.  Amen.