Governor Sonny Perdue Prays For Rain in Georgia


Submitted by WDEF on November 14, 2007 - 2:05 am.

Governor Sonny Perdue lead a public prayer service today for rain in Georgia.
Several hundred people attended the service outside the state Capitol. Although it was announced as an interfaith event, only three protestant ministers joined the governor. And 20 protestors demonstrated outside.

Gov. Perdue: "GOD WE NEED YOU. WE NEED RAIN."

Sonny Purdue, Georgia's Governor, today became the state's chief pastor. He led a prayer for rain, right on the front lawn of the State House. Lake Lanier, North Georgia's main source of drinking water, dropped more than 17 feet below normal. So low, boaters walk way out to get in. This year the lake's had barely HALF its typical rainfall.

In a very public way, Purdue looked to the sky for answers.

GOV. Sonny Purdue - (R) Georgia: "WE DO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES. WE DO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE MIRACLE CREATOR."

Bruckner: "IT'S A PUBLIC DISGRACE."

Ed Bruckner wants rain, too. But like these protestors, mostly atheists and agnostics, Bruckner sees a clear church-state violation. A public prayer on state property led by Georgia's top executive.

Ed Buckner - Protestor: " MY PUBLIC LEADER IS MAKING A FOOL OF HIMSELF AND ACTING AS THOUGH ALL THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA AGREE WITH THIS FOOLISHNESS."

In desperate droughts, praying for rain goes back thousands of years, from this African tribal group to Indian rain dancers.

And Georgia's tried everything else.

In a growing crisis, the state's tried water bans. Water cops. With thousand dollar fines for violators. And now the power of prayer.

Gov. Purdue: "THANK YOU LORD, FOR THE RAIN TO COME."

Mark Strassmann reporting:
"GEORGIANS CAN DEBATE WHETHER POLITICIAL LEADERS SHOULD CHAMPION RELIGIOUS SOLUTIONS. BUT NO ONE ARGUES ABOUT THIS STATE'S NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT RAIN. AND SO FAR, IT'S ONE PRAYER THAT GOES UNANSWERED.
MARK STRASSMANN CBS NEWS, ATLANTA."

If you'd like to contact: Sonny Perdue


"All we can do now is pray" - why is that such a commonly heard statement? We should be ashamed to say such a thing. God is our last resort. How that must crush Him to hear those words from us.
You know, a while back, I had shared with you all one of my all-time favorite songs I had been blessed enough to 'stumble upon' - by Nichole Nordeman. It is called "Gratitude".

It begins with this:

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
‘Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade

Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid

But, maybe not today
Maybe You’ll provide in other ways
And if that’s the case…

We’ll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If you never send us rain

How hard do these words hit home right now with all of us Georgians? I just keep going back to these great verses and all the controversy that Governor Perdue has stirred about in our whole nation thinking... They just don't get it. The whole point of prayer.

You know, Anderson Cooper had on a couple of 'prayer experts' last night... oddly enough, neither one a self-proclaimed Christian and all they kept trying to determine was whether or not prayer actually 'serves' US. Is it actually worth our precious time and energy? Like God is just some big Genie that we should be able to run to and request endless things from. Then go on our merry way and do as we please. They just don't get it. They just don't see how great a blessing can actually come from not even getting what we ask for sometimes.

How much more have we appreciated such a simple, yet precious thing as water in the last couple of months?

And at LAST, we have a controversy worthy of discussion: "Is it really appropriate for a state official to actually PRAY (gasp!) for RAIN" (something actually out of our control!) (gasp! gasp!!) as opposed to: "I don't know... do you think Paris is in fact 'reformed'?" or "Can you believe Britney lost custody... again!?"... "I wonder if Lindsay will ever get her act together??"

What non-believers do not understand and what we as believers often forget is very well stated by David J. Wolpe ~ "Prayer is less about changing the world than it is about changing ourselves."

God is more interested in changing us than our circumstances! In tendering our hearts and bending our knees! In acknowledging Him and bringing us into His loving arms!

Not so long ago, we were the nation who instituted a day called "Thanksgiving". But now, we have sadly become a society who just feels we deserve and are even owed anything and everything our hearts desire. But, if we desire everything in the world but Him... then what are we here for?

Think back to the last time every church had every pew filled on a 'regular' non-holiday Sunday. I guarantee it was September 16, 2001. The Sunday following the greatest assault this nation has ever experienced.

I feel that we are programmed with a deeply planted seed that desires to know our Maker. Some of us are blessed enough to have that seed nourished and 'fed' throughout our lives. Others never even seem to realize the seed is there.

Until tragedy strikes. Then, suddenly more people seem to recognize God's hand in our lives. Whether thankful or angry with Him, they acknowledge Him.

Perhaps this drought of ours is just that. A plea for us to recognize Him once more in our lives. Thank God for a governor who withstood a lot of 'heat' to recognize Him publicly. Now, whether or not we get the answer to his prayer is still in God's hands.

But, how awesome it is, to be a believer and know that even if the rain never comes, we've got all we need in Him - the never-ending Living Water.

And maybe one day... they'll get it, too.
We can 'only' pray that they do.