Seed The Clouds Series

Seed the Clouds

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/sermons/

On November 13, 1946, a small aircraft took off from Schenectady County Airport carrying an unusual payload—six pounds of dry ice. Aboard was chemist Vincent Schaefer, a researcher at the General Electric Research Laboratory, who had been conducting groundbreaking experiments on cloud seeding. He discovered that introducing solidified carbon dioxide into a cloud could rapidly cool water droplets, triggering the formation of snow crystals. Determined to test his theory in real conditions, Schaefer flew his single-propeller plane into a towering cumulus cloud and released the dry ice. The results were astonishing—not only did snow crystals form instantly, but the resulting snowfall extended up to forty miles away. This experiment marked the first successful attempt at artificial weather modification and laid the foundation for modern weather control techniques.

While cloud seeding is an impressive scientific breakthrough, the Bible reveals an even greater way to bring rain—not through human ingenuity, but through the power of prayer. After Elijah’s dramatic showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he did something that defied human reasoning—he “bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees” (1 Kings 18:42) and prayed for rain. For three and a half years, the land had suffered under a relentless drought, yet Elijah trusted in the faithfulness of God. Though no sign of change was visible at first, he persisted in prayer, sending his servant to check the horizon. On the seventh time, a tiny cloud appeared, and soon, the sky darkened, the wind howled, and torrents of rain poured upon the parched land (1 Kings 18:45). Elijah didn’t need an aircraft or a scientific formula—he simply seeded the sky with persistent prayer, and God opened the heavens. What kind of seeds are we planting today? The harvest we reap depends on the faith we sow.

Just as Elijah sowed faith through prayer, we are called to plant seeds of obedience, humility, and generosity in the name of Jesus. As Mark Batterson reminds us, humility invites God’s favor, generosity activates divine reciprocity, and faithful obedience today lays the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs. The seeds we plant—through prayer, faith, and righteous living—will determine the harvest we reap in the future. If we want to see God move powerfully in our lives, we must first be faithful in sowing the right seeds today.

In today’s sermon, we will explore how believers can intentionally plant seeds of righteousness within God’s kingdom. Rather than drifting through life, we are called to actively pursue a life that reflects the worthiness of the Gospel. This requires a daily commitment to submitting to God’s Word, seeking His guidance, and walking boldly into the future He has prepared for us. The seeds we sow today determine the harvest we reap tomorrow—so let’s plant them in faith and trust in the God who brings the rain.

Seeding the Clouds by Taking Leaps of Faith

If we are to plant seeds of righteousness in God’s kingdom and accomplish more than we can ask or imagine, we must be willing to take leaps of faith. The story of Esther beautifully illustrates how God uses the ordinary and overlooked to fulfill His divine purposes. Exiled from Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (Esther 2:6) and orphaned at a young age, Esther was adopted by her cousin, Mordecai (2:7). Knowing that revealing her Jewish heritage could put her life in danger, Mordecai advised her to keep it a secret (2:10). But Esther’s life took an unexpected turn when King Xerxes removed Queen Vashti (1:19) and ordered a search for a new queen (2:2). Esther, a humble Jewish girl, was brought before the king, found favor in his eyes, and was crowned queen (2:17). Just when it seemed her story had turned from tragedy to triumph, a crisis arose—Haman, a proud and wicked Agagite, was elevated to a position of honor (3:1), and when Mordecai refused to bow to him, Haman plotted to annihilate all the Jews (3:5-6).

Mordecai urged Esther to take a bold risk and approach the king, reminding her, “And who knows but that you have c ome to your royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14). Before stepping out in faith, Esther called for three days of fasting and prayer (4:16), seeding the clouds of God’s favor before making her courageous move. Because of her faith, she approached the king, exposed Haman’s wicked plot, and ultimately saved her people. Esther’s story reminds us that faith often requires risk. The greatest breakthroughs come when we pray, trust, and step forward in obedience. How many divine opportunities have we missed because we lacked the faith to take a risk and do what God has called us to do?

This is exactly how God chooses to work in and through our lives. He prepares us in advance for great works (Ephesians 2:10), and these works are “seeded” through prayer and fasting. Mark Batterson rightly states, “Prayer without planning is a waste of time, while planning without prayer is a waste of energy. Seeding the clouds is exercising our faith by identifying God-honoring, God-sized goals, then reverse-engineering them into habits.” True faith requires both prayerful dependence on God and intentional action.