Prayer’s Conundrum: Does God Hold Off The Rain So Our Party Can Be A Success?

I’m looking forward to hosting something called the K-Club this Monday through Wednesday.

The K-Club is made up of Evangelical Free Church pastors from around the nation who lead churches that have 1,000 or more in attendance – so all of them are truly gifted leaders in their own right.

This of course makes leading the discussions a real challenge – a lot like herding cats (or better yet, lions). By end of our time together I’m always wrung out.

But right now, the big issue I’m thinking about is a dinner party that Nancy and I always host on the opening Monday night. It’s a sit-down dinner in our backyard. We’re supposed to have 50 or more show up this year. It’s a big deal for Nancy – she works hard to pull it off. And the weather report says it’s supposed to rain. So of course we are praying that the rain holds off at least until late Monday night.

Which raises a deep theological question: Does God stop the rain for everyone else when we pray that our party – or picnic – or wedding goes off as planned? And what if someone else is praying for the rain to hit Monday night so their Tuesday morning event goes off well? Does the most spiritual one win?