We Need Rain

Devotional

Day 1: Torn Veil, Open Arms

Jesus gasped His final breath as soldiers gambled for His clothes. At that moment, the temple curtain—woven thicker than a man’s fist—ripped top to bottom. Priests froze. For centuries, only one person entered the Holy of Holies once a year. Now dust swirled where God’s presence met human failure head-on. [56:40]

This torn veil wasn’t destruction—it was invitation. Jesus’ death demolished the barrier between God’s holiness and our brokenness. No more intermediaries. No more fear. The same God who warned Moses “you cannot see My face” now says, “Come close.”

You approach God through Jesus’ shredded flesh, not your performance. What prayer have you avoided because you felt unworthy? When will you stop standing at a distance and rush into His presence?

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”
(Matthew 27:51, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus aloud for tearing every barrier between you and the Father.
Challenge: Physically kneel when you pray today—posture your body to remember your access.

Day 2: Bouncy Ball Lessons

Disciples wrestled strangers for rubber spheres while sweat dripped onto the church carpet. Youth Pastor Jonathan watched teenagers claw and tackle—until he revealed the secret: “Just ask, and I’ll give it.” No one had. James 4:2 hung in the air: You do not have because you do not ask. [42:42]

We exhaust ourselves striving for blessings God longs to hand us. The disciples forgot their position as children; we forget ours as heirs. Jesus didn’t say “fight” but “seek, ask, knock.” Your Father withholds no good thing from those who come in His Son’s name.

What problem are you muscle-ing through instead of presenting to God? Where have you substituted hustle for humble request?

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.”
(James 4:2, ESV)

Prayer: Name one specific need you’ve tried to solve alone. Ask God for it plainly.
Challenge: Text a friend: “I’m praying for ______ today. How can I ask God for you?”

Day 3: Grandmaster Pass Access

Ludacris’ bass thumped as Jonathan stood ten feet from the stage, VIP lanyard swinging. Thousands pressed behind barricades, but his pass granted front-row entry. No merit earned it—sponsorship did. Similarly, our prayers don’t rely on our righteousness but Christ’s. [52:16]

James says Elijah’s effective prayers came from his humanity, not superhero faith. You share the same access: not because you’re good, but because Jesus’ blood sponsors you. Stop begging Grandma to pray “harder”—you’re equally qualified through the cross.

What prayer request have you muted because you felt unspiritual? How would praying in Jesus’ name shift your confidence?

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah…was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently.”
(James 5:16-17, ESV)

Prayer: Begin three sentences with “Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask…”
Challenge: Write “ACCESS GRANTED” on your mirror with a dry-erase marker.

Day 4: Seven-Cloud Persistence

Elijah crouched on Mount Carmel, servant scanning the horizon. “Nothing.” The prophet kept praying. “Go again.” Six times: empty sky. On the seventh, a cloud no bigger than a fist appeared. Elijah didn’t stop at first silence—he pressed until heaven’s floodgates opened. [01:19:30]

God’s delays aren’t denials. Elijah’s story teaches us to outlast discouragement. Your “seventh prayer” might birth the miracle. Don’t quit when the diagnosis lingers, the child strays, or the bank account dwindles. Each “no” or “not yet” trains your trust.

What prayer have you abandoned that God wants you to keep bringing?

“And he said, ‘Go again,’ seven times…a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
(1 Kings 18:43-44, ESV)

Prayer: Revisit one unanswered request. Pray it again with fresh conviction.
Challenge: Set a phone reminder at 7:00 AM/PM to pray for your “seventh cloud” need.

Day 5: Bike Tears, Check Joy

The boy wailed over his twisted bicycle, blind to the $100,000 check in his hand. We fixate on broken dreams while God holds eternal blessings. Juliet’s healing reminded Jonathan: one “yes” proves God’s power to fulfill every promise. Your present pain isn’t His final word. [01:15:24]

Jesus guaranteed: “Ask…seek…knock.” His answers align with His good purposes, not our shortsighted wants. The child’s bike matters, but the Father’s lavish love matters more. Our tears water faith that He’ll redeem all losses in glory.

What temporary disappointment distracts you from eternal abundance?

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
(Luke 11:9, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “checks” (blessings) you’ve received while waiting for a “bike.”
Challenge: Write “ETERNITY > RIGHT NOW” on your wrist as a perspective reset.

Sermon Summary

James 5 stands up and says prayer is not a last-ditch move but a first strategy. Elijah is held up as proof that a regular human, “a man with a nature like ours,” can pray and heaven responds. The text insists the effective prayer belongs to the righteous, which pushes the question of access and name. The veil in the temple answers it. When Jesus dies, the curtain tears from top to bottom, and God’s presence is no longer a back-row experience. The veil opens the Holy of Holies so that the church can “come boldly” and call God Abba, daddy. That access is not earned. That access is given in Jesus.

The veil speaks and says stop praying in your own name. The name of Jesus carries the credentials. Praying “in Jesus’ name” is not a slogan tagged on the end. It is the ground of righteousness that makes a sinner’s prayer powerful and effective. The text exposes the bad habit of coming to God with a résumé. That habit only keeps the church in the outer court. Jesus is the priest, the sacrifice, and the intercessor. His finished work hands over the grandmaster pass.

The name also steers desire. James 4 calls out prayers that chase pleasure with no aim at God’s glory. The coach’s warning about wearing the team name lands here. If the church is going to wear the name, the church cannot ask for what contradicts the name. Requests must fit his will, his reign, his goodness breaking in on people and places.

Jesus’ promise to ask, seek, and knock widens the timeline without weakening the yes. Provision is sure, but the how and when belong to God. The story about the kid and the $100,000 check exposes how easily short-term loss blinds the heart to long-term mercy. Future glory has to preach to present ache.

Elijah’s cloud the size of a man’s hand trains the soul to “go again.” The childlike run to the Father stays put until the hug is over. Trauma and delay do not cancel access. The church keeps asking, because the torn veil still hangs open. Testimony strengthens this muscle. A healed daughter down the street becomes a receipt for the deeper yes God has already promised in Christ. The access is real. The name is enough. So pray it again.

Key Takeaways

1. The torn veil gives access [59:29] The veil says the holy God can now be called Abba by those in Christ. That access cost blood, so it is sturdy enough to hold real sorrow and real hope at the same time. Prayer begins at the throne, not the back row. Boldness is not swagger, it is obedience to the invitation Jesus purchased. [59:29]
2. Pray in Jesus’ name only [01:06:31] Righteous prayers are powerful because righteousness is received, not performed. Coming with a résumé keeps the soul outside; coming in the Son’s name opens the door. His name is the credential and the conduit. Drop the merit badge and pick up the Mediator. [66:31]
3. Let his name aim your asks [01:12:23] If a request cannot be traced to God’s glory, James says it is mis-aimed. The name on the jersey shapes the playbook, so desire must learn his routes. Ask for reign and renewal in people and places, not just comfort and toys. Joy lands deepest where glory is the point. [72:23]
4. Trust the yes, not the schedule [01:14:41] Ask, seek, and knock promises provision, but not immediacy. God often answers with a check the heart mistakes for loss because timing and form are different. Let future glory preach to present lack until gratitude outruns grumbling. The waiting room can still be holy ground. [74:41]
5. Keep asking, go again [01:19:30] Elijah’s seventh look births a storm. Persistence is not noise; it is faith that remembers access and refuses to back away from the Father’s feet. When results seem smaller, faith may be growing larger. If nothing moves, go again. [79:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:16] - Children run to a good father
[36:28] - New series on prayer
[38:50] - James 5 is read aloud
[40:09] - Title: You have access
[41:36] - Bouncy ball and not asking
[43:31] - You have not because you ask not
[45:21] - Soul trauma and unanswered prayer
[53:20] - Temple courts and distance from God
[56:25] - The veil is torn
[61:29] - Abba: from Yahweh to daddy
[62:45] - Pray in Jesus’ name, not yours
[67:52] - Equal access is not grandma’s hotline
[70:07] - His name directs what to pursue
[72:23] - Wrong motives and Maserati prayers
[74:11] - Ask, seek, knock and trust
[75:24] - The bike and the bigger check
[77:34] - So use it, again and again
[78:45] - Mount Carmel and fire from heaven
[79:30] - Go again until the cloud
[82:01] - Journal and a timely text
[83:24] - Praying and fasting for Juliet
[86:54] - Cartwheels and rejoicing
[89:25] - The deeper yes behind the miracle
[93:00] - Closing prayer and blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
James 5:13-18 (ESV)
Matthew 27:51 (ESV)
Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)

Observation questions

In James 5:17, Elijah is described as "a man with a nature like ours." What specific example does the text give to show the power of his prayers?
What happened to the temple veil when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51), and what does this symbolize about our access to God?
According to Luke 11:9-10, what three actions are linked to receiving God’s response? How does the sermon connect this to persistent prayer? [01:19:30]
The sermon mentions Elijah praying seven times for rain. What detail does the text highlight about the result of his persistence?

Interpretation questions

Why does James emphasize Elijah’s humanity ("a man with a nature like ours") when discussing prayer? How might this contrast with common misconceptions about who can pray effectively?
The torn veil (Matthew 27:51) allowed direct access to God’s presence. How does this redefine what it means to pray "boldly," as mentioned in the sermon? [59:29]
The sermon warns against praying with "wrong motives" (James 4:3). What makes a request aligned with God’s glory versus self-centered desires? How does Jesus’ name shape this distinction? [01:12:23]
Luke 11:9-10 promises God’s provision but doesn’t specify timing. How does the sermon’s illustration of the $100,000 check versus the bike help explain this tension? [01:15:24]

Application questions

When have you treated prayer as a "last-ditch effort" instead of a first response? What practical step could help you prioritize prayer in moments of stress or decision-making?
Praying "in Jesus’ name" is about relying on His righteousness, not our own. How might your prayers change if you fully embraced this truth instead of leaning on your "résumé" of good works? [01:06:31]
The sermon challenges believers to ask, "Can this request be traced to God’s glory?" What is one desire you’re currently praying about that might need re-framing to align with His purposes?
Persistent prayer requires trusting God’s "yes" even when His timing or methods confuse us. Where in your life do you need to "go again" like Elijah, and what would it look like to keep asking this week? [01:19:30]
The torn veil means we can call God "Abba" (daddy). How would approaching God with this kind of relational confidence—rather than formality—reshape your prayer life?
The sermon compares unanswered prayers to a child fixated on a broken bike while ignoring a $100,000 check. What "bike" are you clinging to that might be blinding you to God’s greater provision?

Sermon Clips

54s

“Y'all still missing it. When Jesus died, the veil was torn. Which means I can walk straight up in the Holy of Holies. I can walk straight up into the presence of god. Yes. And not die. Even so he says, come boldly to the throne of god. Why? Because of my righteousness? Because of what I did? No. Because when Jesus died, he was the sacrifice. Yes. He was the priest. Yes. He was the intercessor. He said, y'all's group project, y'all messing it up. I'm taking it all. Yes.”

44s

“The power comes with the responsibility that you ask for something in God's will. So your question is, what is God's will? God's will is anything that brings his reign and rule to this earth, into his people, into places, into things. That means that in simple terms, it doesn't bring God's goodness wherever you are. It's what you're asking for. Can you connect it to god being glorified? Come on now. If you cannot connect what you're asking for in prayer to god being glorified, don't pray it. If you if you can't make, if you can't even make the connection, god's like, so you don't know. You don't know how this connects to my glory? So, why are you asking for it?”

50s

“He was the intercessor. He said, y'all's group project, y'all messing it up. I'm taking it all. Yes. I'll be the priest. I'll be the intercessor, and I'll be the sacrifice. That's why you don't need a priest to intercess for your prayers. You don't need a sacrifice to forgive you of your sins. You don't need somebody to intermediate between the two because Jesus is your intermediator. So you can boldly come to the throne of grace because of what he's done. Y'all getting shook up by the ground shaking. I'm getting shook up by the veil being torn. Let me calm down.”

48s

“God may not satisfy your needs immediately but he will satisfy your needs ultimately. Because when we read Luke eleven nine, it seems as if god's gonna grant your desire which is true, your ultimate desire, which sometimes shows up in a temporary thing. But if you're praying in his name, in his power, asking for things in his will, the answer is yes. But it's when and how, which means I need to trust how he does it. But you don't like it because we can't comprehend it.”

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We Need Rain

Devotional

Day 1: Torn Veil, Open Arms

Day 2: Bouncy Ball Lessons

Day 3: Grandmaster Pass Access

Day 4: Seven-Cloud Persistence

Day 5: Bike Tears, Check Joy

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

We Need Rain

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