“Small rain” prayer

When it first became clear that what is now referred to as a pandemic needed prayerful attention, I was moved to take a steady, sustained approach to praying about this. Not a flash-in-the-pan prayer, and not just giving Truth a passing glance, but an earnest, steady turning to God. I was reminded of a passage from the Bible’s book of Deuteronomy: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (32:1–4).

It’s helpful to think of God, divine Mind, as a steady, gentle source of ideas we can pray with. And it’s helpful to remember that because each of us is made in God’s image, and God’s imparting is as constant and effective as a “small rain,” our prayers can express a constancy and depth that nourish and heal. 

Rainfall comes in many forms, from a deluge to a mist. Rain that falls in torrents usually ends up rushing over the surface of the soil. The “small rain” soaks the ground and reaches the roots of plants and trees. Similarly, “small rain” prayers may not feel very dramatic, but they have a powerful effect.