HEAVENLY RAINS : ENJOYING THE SHOWERS OF BLESSING IN OUR LIVES
*****************************************************************
OUTLINE
1. RAIN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
2. RAIN OF THE TRUTH
3. RAIN OF THE SPIRIT
4. RAIN OF PROVISION
5. RAIN OF LOVE
6. RAIN OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD
7. RAIN OF ANSWERED PRAYER
THE MESSAGE
HEAVENLY RAINS : ENJOYING THE SHOWERS OF BLESSING IN OUR LIVES
*****************************************************************
1. RAIN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
We need the rain of righteousness in our lives. In a world of unrighteousness and injustice , we must seek the Lord until He showers righteousness on us. When we commit our cause to the Lord , He would thwart the plans of the crafty just as easily as He bestows rain on the earth and grant justice to us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
HOSEA 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
JOB 5:8-12
But if it were I, I would appeal to God;I would lay my cause before him.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside.
The lowly he sets on high,and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
2. RAIN OF THE TRUTH
We need the rain of truth in our lives. The truth and the revelation that we receive from the Lord will bring freedom and deliverance to us. Just as rain causes the crops to grow and yeild a harvest, the word that comes from God will accomplish His purpose in our lives. When we are obedient to the word of God , we will be on a firm foundation and can withstand any storm that we may face.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
DEUTERONOMY 32:1-2
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
ISAIAH 55:10-11
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
JOHN 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
MATTHEW 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
3. RAIN OF THE SPIRIT
We need the rain of the Spirit. The Lord has promised to pour out His Spirit on all people. We must receive this outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of our children so that we can rise and shine for the Lord in this dark world.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
JOEL 2:23-29
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
4. RAIN OF PROVISION
We need the rain of God’s provision in our lives. The Lord rained down manna and meat to the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness and met their needs. When we put the Kingdom of God first in our lives and let God be in control of our lives , He has promised to meet all our needs.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
PSALM 78:24-29
he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
Men ate the bread of angels;he sent them all the food they could eat.
He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power.
He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore.
He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.
They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved.
MATTHEW 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
PHILIPPIANS 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
5. RAIN OF LOVE
We need the rain of God’s love in our hearts. The Lord wants us to love everybody including our enemies and those who harm us. The Lord sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous and He wants us to have the same attitude in our hearts.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
ROMANS 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
MATTHEW 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, ’Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
6. RAIN OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD
We need the rain of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord brings wealth and honor and life and causes us to stay away from evil. We must fear the Lord who sends us rain in season and grants us a harvest.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
1 SAMUEL 11: 6-7
Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.
So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
2 CHRONICLES 17:10
The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat.
PROVERBS 22:4
Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
JEREMIAH 5:24
They do not say to themselves,’Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
7. RAIN OF ANSWERED PRAYER
We need the rain of answered prayer. The Lord answers the prayers of the righteous. When Elijah prayed that it should not rain , God stopped the rain and when he prayed for rain ,God sent rain according to his prayer. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
******************************
JAMES 5:16-18
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
***************************************************************************
