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The prophetic promise that the Bible profoundly reveals is that the Lord is coming to us as the rain—the former and the latter rain in the first month (Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23).
Like the sons of Issachar, we must understand the times and seasons in order to know what we ought to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).
Before we delve into the coming outpouring of the Spirit, we must first consider the principle by which God’s covenant people—the Israelites—spiritually prepared for the physical rain in Bible times.
The guiding truth is this: the natural comes before the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46, NIV).
In Scripture, whenever God sent rain in its appointed season, it resulted in three key outcomes:
An abundant harvest—a prophetic picture of souls being gathered into God’s kingdom.
New wine—symbolising renewed joy and divine restoration.
Oil—representing the empowerment and anointing of the Holy Spirit for service.
These physical blessings foreshadow the spiritual realities God desires to release through the outpouring of His Spirit today. Understanding this divine pattern prepares us to rightly align our hearts for what is to come.
But how did the Israelites prepare themselves spiritually for the rain? What principles governed their alignment with God’s timing and blessing?
The Scriptures reveal several key spiritual postures they adopted—principles that remain vital for us today as we prepare for the spiritual rain. These include:
1. They Shifted Their Trust from Human Strength to Divine Dependence
In Egypt, the Israelites depended on man-made irrigation systems.
But in the Promised Land, they had to look up to heaven for rain. This shift required total dependence on God (Deuteronomy 11:10–12).
2. They Walked in Obedience to God’s Word
God promised to send rain if they loved Him, served Him with all their heart, and obeyed His commandments (Deuteronomy 11:13–14). Rain was a sign of covenantal blessing that came through obedience under the law.
3. They Repented When the Heavens Were Shut
When the people turned away and the heavens were shut, the way back was always through repentance and humility (2 Chronicles 7:13–14).
4. They Prayed for the Rain
Even when rain was promised, they still had to ask for it (Zechariah 10:1). Elijah, knowing the rain was coming, prayed earnestly until the clouds formed (1 Kings 18:1, 41–45).
5. They Honoured God with Thanksgiving When the Rain Came
God instituted feasts—such as the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles—to celebrate the harvest and the rain, and to give Him glory (Psalm 147:7–8).
These lessons reveal a powerful truth: spiritual preparation precedes divine visitation.
In our next teaching session, we will examine how we can prepare for the double-portion outpouring of the Spirit—the former and latter rain coming in the first prophetic month.
GOD’S servant: Peter Collins Obeng
GRACE COVENANT GLORY
