‘He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth.’ (Ps 72:6)
God has been speaking to me about rain over the last few weeks. I believe He is calling us to look expectantly to Him, to observe where He is at work, and to position for what He is doing.
Observe the ‘Front’ where God is at Work
Recently, my husband Malcolm and I were walking along a beach, enjoying the last of the evening sun. Suddenly, we noticed that the sun was about to descend behind a curtain of thick black cloud. It was a front of heavy rain, heading our way.
Sure enough, within 2 hours, there was a downpour.
Change is in the Air: The Rain is Coming
A weather front is the boundary line between two distinctly different atmospheric conditions. It could be described as a ‘change zone.’ And I believe this speaks to us today of a shift taking place in the spiritual atmosphere over our lives, churches, communities, nations—and even globally.
As prophetic people, we can be ‘front-watchers.’ Let’s be like ‘the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.’ (1 Chron 12:32)
What is the Prophetic Meaning of Rain?
The Holy Spirit and Rain
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring (Isaiah 44:3)
Rain is one of many symbols in the Bible used to describe the Holy Spirit. By its nature, released from the skies above, rain speaks of the Holy Spirit outpoured from heaven. God’s purposes for this include:
- Refreshment (Ps 68:7-9, Acts 3:19)
- Empowerment (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:17-18)
- Restoration (Joel 2:23-25, Hosea 6:2-3)
- A Harvest of souls won to faith in God (Isaiah 44:3-5)
Rain and the Season of Harvest
In the Biblical context, rain was related to seasons and to crops. There is mention of the early (autumn) rains, and the latter (spring) rains. The spring rains brought the fullness of the harvest.
‘Latter rains’ refer to a great outpouring of the Spirit—one that will result in an End Time harvest of people to God’s Kingdom. (Acts 2:16-17, James 5:7)
Regardless of opinions about timing, this IS the ‘End Times’ for the generations alive on the earth today. Billions will never have another opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond to God—and we will never have another opportunity to share it with them.
But the Lord of the Harvest has a plan (Luke 10:2), and the rain clouds are forming.
Rain Reminds us of God’s Sovereignty
There is nothing humanity can do to create rain. Recently we had many years of drought in our State of Victoria, Australia. This resulted in expensive projects to draw from alternative water sources—including a desalination plant constructed to utilise seawater. And then, it started to rain again. And rain. Our water storage levels, down to 33% a few years ago, are now at 81%.
Likewise, it is not human effort that is going to bring a change in the spiritual atmosphere and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That is why we call it a ‘move of God.’
Religious performance says that we need to do the ‘rain dance.’ The idea is, that if we do the right steps for long enough, God will send the rain. But it is not about works; it is all about His grace and timing.
The balance of this is that God does require our cooperation with His Spirit to fully enter into and receive His purposes. For example, the Holy Spirit may lead us into prayer (Zech 10:1) or repentance. (Hosea 6:1, Hosea 10:12, Acts 3:19)
Repentance is not only the breaking up of hardness of heart and repentance from sin. Repentance also involves fully embracing and entering into who we are in Christ.
Before Rain Comes Turbulence
There is often turmoil and unstable weather around a weather front, where two air masses of different temperatures and densities converge.
We can expect that a shift in the spiritual atmosphere will result in some turbulence.
- The move of God does not come the way some expect
- What God is doing does not necessarily fit with human priorities, vision and values
- There may be immaturity in some of those who embrace and participate in what God is doing
- Opposition or misunderstandings arise
At this stage, we have a choice—allow the turbulence to put us off, or to look beyond this to Father’s intended purpose. As we embrace what is of God, and persevere through the trials, we are positioned to receive what He has promised.
Anticipate Your Father’s Generosity as You Seek for Rain
God loves to visit His children with seasons of visitation.
So, let’s check our hearts, that we are not seeking the moving of God’s Spirit out of a sense of poverty, or as spiritual orphans, deprived of the Father’s Presence.
- We are sons and daughters, and we can joyfully anticipate our Father’s generosity.
The rain is coming. It is time to stop focusing on our needs on the ground, and to lift our faces to the ‘front’ where the Holy Spirit is moving.
For at this time, God is moving personally, locally and globally—and we can bless and rejoice in it and the anticipation of what is to come.
Related Posts:
What is the Prophetic Meaning of New Wine?
This Can Be A Year of Visitation from God
Prophetic Dream: It’s Time to be Immersed in the Spirit
© Helen Calder: Enliven Ministries
In the David McCracken Ministries Family
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
Well for me a fellow Nigerian in the east, in Calabar the Capital of Cross River where Mary Slessor lived and laboured for the souls of Twins; I just want to share my own thought of what Revival to us mean. The Gospel came to us in the Colonial days and later on was mixed with Tradition and Culture of the land. The Church has evolved from
Protestant/Orthodox to Pentecostal. We seen great and mighty things in time past and even now. The present day Church has gone worldly and the world around us has gone churchy, there is a strong influence of Cultisim and Occultism around us, corruption has eaten the fabrics of our minds, the strong influence of Politics and Power has crippled the future leaders (our youths), the poor utilisation of public funds and lack of concern for the poor has left many a christian beggarly and weak in the mind. Several of our christian brothers and sisters who seem to represent us in the state and federal executive arms of government don’t even understand why they are there. I may wish to stop lamenting but I just want you to have a feel of what is the nature of our environment. When we say we are seeking for revival, it is a holistic thing for us because the average christian knows the existence of God but without a deep experience of God n his or her life. Many are around us who have not even had the first encounter of Salvation. We have a generation of people who are very shallow n the knowledge of God; most of our congregation only see the church as a means of gain and not service to God and humanity. I may wish to continue later but please stand in with us in prayers because for the past three years heaven has brought us to the place of prayers for Revival- the only solution to our plight.
I’ve previously read your blog because of insights I’ve had (discernment of spirits is my gift as well and your blog posts on that helped me in a time when I was very fearful of the things I was seeing and hearing and your reminder that this was a GIFT FROM GOD put it in perspective for me, so thanks!).
I had a dream last night in which I was lying in bed asleep and was awakened by the sound of rain (it was so real I had to text my husband this morning who gets up early for work to ask if it rained last night). I woke up in my dream and it was my bedroom, nighttime, and I opened the shutters and saw that it was a summer day but it was raining (summer storms like this are not unheard of in Texas). Suddenly the walls/room fell away and I was outside standing in the showers and keenly aware it was summer (in Texas that is hot, dry and 100+ days of 100+ temperatures–my tomatoes are dying!! LOL) but everything around me was green and flowers blooming and fruit trees everywhere. And when I woke this morning I came to Scripture to remind myself of rain meaning blessing and promises fulfilled and after, came to your blog and that’s when I saw your line stating “God is calling us to wait EXPECTANTLY for Him.”
This is significant because I believe it is a confirmation of something I said yesterday in a Bible study meeting (we are going through Priscilla Shirer’s “Discerning the Voice of God”)– I need to be poised for the Holy Spirit to work in my life, cooperate with Him, and then EXPECT that God’s blessings and faithfulness will be revealed; I need to EXPECT He will speak with me, work through me, work through others of influence in my life and work in my circumstances to bring about my good and His glory.
I am so excited to have read this as it serves as a third confirmation (I seem to receive confirmations in 3s) of how God will show His faithfulness to me personally! My hope is also that it might be (on a grander scale than just pertaining to me and my family), possibly that in these end-times, a prophecy that the Great Harvest is upon us. Come Lord, Jesus!!!
Not sure what it meant but in worship in church a couple of weeks ago in the Spirit I could feel a light pleasant misty rain falling on me. Now this your post has really got me thinking…..
I am so blessed to be led to this blog by God’s Spirit. Truly what I needed and insightful…This year in August I journaled about requesting the rain but did not quite finish it. This information is very helpful…
Please confirm if this is recent, I mean July, August 2022
Lately I have been hear rain like it’s pouring outside and surprise when out side there was not cloud in the sky it was crystal clear anyway I kept this sound of round pouring down
I look out the window it was not raining it was dry and not a cloud to be seen then weeks later same experience happened with my 12 year old daughter.