Central Texans Pray for Rain Amid Severe Drought: A group of Christians in Central Texas are praying for rain in the midst of a terrible drought, inspired by the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
Much of Central Texas is experiencing “exceptional drought,” the highest severe level on the scale, with “exceptional and widespread crop loss” and “extreme sensitivity to fire danger,” while “most wildlife species’ health and population are suffering,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Jimmy Darnell, a pastor from Hays County, led a group of believers in prayer on Monday and told KXAN-TV that they will be praying daily for the next week.
We’ve got farmers, ranchers, and all kinds of folks here, and we’re just asking the Lord to send us rain,” he told the local news station. “Our aquifers are at historic lows. Our rivers are drying up. So we’ve got to have some divine help from heaven.”
The motivation behind the week-long prayer effort, the pastor explained, comes from 1 Kings 18:41–46, where it’s written that the prophet Elijah prayed seven days in a row for the Lord to bring rain to the land:
Darnell said he is seeking God with the same kind of trust.
Hays County saw light rainfall Tuesday. While encouraging, the pastor said he and his fellow community members are praying for a lot more.
“We’re praying for drought-busting rains,” said Darnell. “By New Year’s Eve, we’d like to have 40 inches of rain.”
The county was met with a similar drought in 2009, when Darnell and other Christians petitioned the Lord in the same way. At that time, they had seen 39 inches of rain by year’s end. The pastor is confident they’ll see it happen again.
“When you see different churches and people who don’t even go to church coming out here to pray because they know the need,” he said. “There’s a sense of unity that’s really beautiful.”