Stop the Rain and Raise the Dead

The first time God would bless me by showing his favor and power in my life, is when I had a job to do far away. Being a refrigeration technician, I was sent to a job on the other side of Massachusetts. It was a two and a half, to three-hour drive, and then I would get lost for an hour and a half to make it worse. All together I would spend half the day on the road, just to find the place.

When I left the shop in Providence R.I., the skies were clear, but the longer I drove the darker they got. By the time I arrived at the job site the skies were black as coal, the street lights were on, and it was a torrential rain storm. It was pouring so hard that cars were stopped in the road because you couldn't see out your window to drive.

There was no way I would be able to go on the roof where the refrigeration system was, and work on it. I knew that I would have to turn around and go back to the shop, where my boss would be furious for having wasted an entire day.

Sitting in my van, I didn't even want to go into the building to let the owner know I was there because I would get soaked to the skin just trying to get to the door. Have you ever been in rain like that, where you just sit there and say I'm not getting out in this?

Then a voice inside me said loud and clear, WHY DON’T YOU STOP THE RAIN? What, I thought? Why don't you stop the rain, the voice said again? Yeah right. Who me?

Well, as I sat there thinking this has to be my mind the voice would say again, get out of your van and command the rain to stop. Without reasoning, I said OK. Then I found myself opening the door of the van and jumping out into this ungodly rain storm that a moment ago I wouldn't step into.

Raising my arms to God I said thank You Lord for all the things You've shown me and for the power You've given me in Jesus' name, and with a loud voice I exclaimed, "IN THE NAME OF JESUS I COMMAND THE RAIN TO STOP!"

Then quickly I turned and drenched to the skin began to open the door to my truck when I heard "the noise" tsssssip, and before I could get into the van, the rain had stopped. Rain coming down hard sounds like steaks being put in a red hot pan, it sizzles; and when it ceases suddenly you hear that sizzling end.

There I stood, the same pitch black skies, cars at a dead stop from the flooded road, water streaming off me, but no rain. Instantly I knew what God just made me do. As I got into my van to try and dry my face and hair, I praised and thanked Him for doing this so my job could get done. Then I went to the back door of the building where I had parked, and went inside.

As I entered the owner came up to me and laughed because I was soaked, and leaving a puddle on his floor. It's really pouring out there he touted, there's no way you can work on the roof this way. So I opened the door and said, it was raining. Looking out at the black sky he replied that's strange, you better hurry up before it starts raining again. He didn't know how strange, and I wasn't going to tell him.

I did my work, it took about an hour or so, then put the ladder on the roof rack and got into my van. After writing out the slip I went back inside and the owner signed it. He told me how lucky I was to have come all that way and have the rain stop. I said your right I am lucky, but knew luck had nothing to do with it. I left the building, got into my van, and started the engine. Then as I put it in reverse a voice spoke to me saying, you must release the rain. I what? You must release the rain! Immediately I thought ok Lord, so I put the van back in park, shut the key off and jumped out of my van.

Raising my arms over my head again, I thanked Him for the glorious thing He had done for me by giving me power to stop the rain. Then in a loud voice announced "I COMMAND THE RAIN TO START IN THE NAME OF JESUS.”

What a mistake! It seemed as though all the rain that was held back came down at once. Instantly it was like getting hit with a bathtub of water, and I was drenched again, baptized by God through submersion. It was coming down so hard I had a hard time finding the door handle of my van. As I sat there in shock for being drenched that fast, I saw the cars stop dead from the force of the rain.

Sitting in my van praising Him I joked with the Lord as I said, You could have let me get in my van. But thank You for Your awesome power, and for showing me this was possible to do. I sat there about fifteen minutes until the rain slowed to just a severe downpour, and even then had to creep down the roads from the force of the storm.