Prayer to welcome summer
Written by Lynette Kittle
Bible reading:
“When the leaves begin to bud, you can see with your own eyes that summer is near.” – Luke 21:30
Listen or read below:
After a cold, harsh winter of blizzards and ice storms, followed by a volatile spring of roaring tornadoes and severe weather, summer is usually a welcome season, with calmer skies following the ever-changing weather patterns that often precede it.
Signs of summer are welcome. Daylight hours are getting longer, days and nights are getting warmer, and grass, trees, and bushes are sprouting new leaves and flowers, ushering in the hopeful arrival of summer.
Through prayer, we can accept God’s promises and approach the summer intentionally.
No matter what is going on in the world, God promises summer will come. It’s a word we can hold on to when time, sky, and temperature seem otherwise.
As Genesis 8:22 says, “As long as the earth lasts, neither the sowing time nor the harvest time, nor the cold nor the heat, nor the summer nor the winter, nor the day nor the night, will ever end.”
The benevolent words of Foliot Sandford Pierpoint’s 1864 hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth” invite us to open our hearts to the promise of summer.
“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the sky,
For the love that is around and around us since our birth. ”
Psalm 74:17 says, “You have set all the boundaries of the earth; you have created summer and winter.”
The beginning of summer brings the promise of new growth that will bring fruitfulness to our lives, as Leviticus 26:4 says, “I will cause rain in its season, and the earth will bring forth crops, and the trees will bring forth fruit.”
As we move past the bare ground of winter and the ferocity of spring, we slowly and peacefully promise new growth, watching daily as flowers and buds begin to develop and transform into nutritious fruits and vegetables. As God has declared, “There is a time for every activity under heaven, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Psalm 65:9 explains how God ordained the promise of summer to be fulfilled: “You will be kind to the land, and you will water it and make it abundant. The rivers of God will be filled with water to provide grain for the people, for you have ordained it.”
God’s creation lasts for many years. Everything that God begins will continue despite all adversity and despite the times, whether it be drought, fire, flood, or any kind of natural or man-made disaster. Because God controls the seasons, determines the days and hours, and is forever faithful to His Word.
In Isaiah 55:10-11 we are assured: “For as rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return to heaven without watering the earth and causing it to bud and prosper, bringing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so also my word that proceeds from my mouth will not return to me in vain, but it will accomplish what I will, accomplishing the purpose for which I sent it.”
Let’s pray:
Dear father,
Today we usher in summer, which promises growth and abundance for the coming months.
We praise You for your faithfulness in watering, nurturing, and bringing about growth to the plants, fields, and trees on Earth and in our lives.
Help us each day in the coming months to know how graciously and generously Your hand is meeting and meeting our daily needs. Remind us of your faithful promise ordained for summer blessings.
May your name be praised throughout the world you created and throughout the coming summer months, as we believe you are in control of the seasons.
Lord, fill our hearts with gratitude for You and Your loving care for our land and life.
Bring us closer to your heart and reveal your vision for the coming summer.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Discuss today’s devotion with others in the “Daily Prayer” thread in the Crosswalk Forums.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Mary Spickelmier
Lynette Kittle is married and has four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her work has been published in Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and elsewhere. She holds a master’s degree in communications from Regent University and is an associate producer at Soul Check TV.
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