Soaking in the Latter Rain: How to Position Yourself for God's Coming Flood of Blessing

Soaking in the Latter Rain: How to Position Yourself for God's Coming Flood of Blessing

The Parched Land and the Promise of Rain

The old farmer rubbed his calloused hands together as he surveyed the cracked earth. Three years of drought had turned his once-fertile fields into a wasteland. His children's hungry eyes haunted him. Then one evening, as he knelt in desperate prayer, he felt it - a cool breeze carrying the unmistakable scent of rain. Not just a passing shower, but the latter rain - the seasonal downpour that would bring his harvest to fullness.

This is the picture God paints for us in Hosea 6:3 (NKJV):
"He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth."

In ancient Israel, agricultural survival depended on two rainy seasons:

• The former rain (Yoreh, Oct-Nov) softened the hard, sun-baked soil for planting.

• The latter rain (Malqosh, Mar-Apr) swelled the grain to maturity before harvest.

Without these rains, famine came. But with them? The land flowed with milk and honey. The Hebrew word for "latter rain" (malqosh) comes from the root "to be rich, prosperous" - hinting at the abundant nature of this blessing.

Modern-Day Parable: The Rain Dream That Changed Everything

Sarah traced her fingers over the disconnected notice on her apartment door, the paper rough like the ache in her heart. Six months without work. Six months of counting pennies like grains of sand. That night, as she curled beneath thin blankets, she dreamed of rain—not just a sprinkle, but a drenching, soaking downpour that turned cracked earth into pools of water.

She woke with the taste of hope in her mouth.

"God," she whispered into the morning stillness, "send Your latter rain." The words from Joel 2:23 floated through her mind like the first hint of a coming storm.

The phone rang before she'd finished her coffee. An old employer—one she hadn't spoken to in years. "We've created a new position," he said. "And honestly, Sarah, we can't imagine anyone else filling it." The salary? Higher than before.

But the rain didn't stop there.

Unexpected checks appeared like puddles after a summer storm. Medical bills were paid by unseen hands. Then one Sunday, her pastor handed her an envelope—a love offering from the congregation that covered every penny of back rent.

Sarah would tell you she didn't just receive provision that season. She received a revelation: The same God who sends rain on parched ground sends grace to weary souls. And when He opens the windows of heaven? The blessings leave you drenched.

"He will come to us like the rain, like the latter rain that waters the earth." (Hosea 6:3)

The drought had broken. And so had Sarah's understanding of her Father's care.

The Famine Ended Here: Stories of Sudden Breakthrough

Elijah's showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) gives us a blueprint for releasing the latter rain. After three years of drought, the prophet declared: "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain" (v.41).

Yet the sky remained brutally clear.

Notice what happened next:

1. Posture of Expectation - Elijah "bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees" (v.42). This Hebrew prayer posture (kerev) implies intimacy - getting face-to-face with God.

2. Persistent Watching - His servant checked seven times before seeing "a cloud, as small as a man's hand" (v.44). Seven represents completion in Scripture.

3. Powerful Declaration - Elijah didn't just pray quietly - he ran before Ahab's chariot declaring the coming downpour (v.46).

Modern Miracle: The Small Cloud That Became a Monsoon

Pastor Chen's knees knew the contours of the cold floor beneath his prayer bench better than most. Fifteen years of praying. Fifteen years of sowing gospel seeds into what felt like hardened soil. Year after year, he'd watch the faces in his tiny house church—the same faithful few—wondering if heaven heard his cries for revival.

Then came an ordinary Wednesday in 2018.

Three teenagers slouched in the back row during Bible study, more out of obligation than passion. But when Pastor Chen read from Joel 2:28—"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh"—something unexpected happened. The air grew thick with presence. One teen began weeping uncontrollably. Another fell to his knees, crying out to God. The third sat trembling, hands raised like a drowning man reaching for rescue.

That was the cloud.

Not the raging revival Pastor Chen had imagined for fifteen years—just three tender hearts softened by the Spirit. But oh, how that small cloud grew.

The next week, thirty came. Then three hundred. By summer's end, thousands were streaming into underground house churches across the province. Today, the harvest continues—over 50,000 souls annually—like grain spilling over the edges of a bursting barn.

Pastor Chen would tell you the secret isn't in the storm, but in recognizing the cloud when it's no bigger than a man's hand. For fifteen years, he'd prayed for a monsoon. God sent three trembling teenagers first.

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." (Zechariah 4:10)

The drought-breaker often comes disguised as a dew drop. But to those with eyes to see? That drop carries the promise of the flood.

Four Keys to Releasing the Latter Rain

1. Believe in the God of More Than Enough

Many Christians live like the impoverished widow in 2 Kings 4 - surviving on last drops of oil when God wants to fill every available vessel.

• Zechariah 10:1 (NKJV): "Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain." The verb "ask" (sha'al) implies bold, expectant petition.

• Malachi 3:10 (NKJV): "Bring all the tithes... And try Me now... If I will not open for you the windows of heaven." The Hebrew for "windows" (arubbah) refers to floodgates - not a trickle but a deluge.

Financial Breakthrough Testimony: When the 2008 recession hit, businessman Mark felt led to increase his giving despite declining sales. Within months, a forgotten patent generated royalties that exceeded his previous annual income. "It was like the story of Isaac reaping a hundredfold in famine," he says (Genesis 26:12).

2. Speak the Rain Into Your Life

Elijah's prayer in James 5:17-18 wasn't tentative - it was authoritative declaration.

• Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." The Hebrew "tongue" (lashon) implies both speech and the creative force behind it.

• Joel 2:23 (NKJV): "He will cause the rain to come down for you." The verb "cause" (natan) means to give as an enduring gift.

Healing Miracle: Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, grandmother Lois began declaring Psalm 103:3 daily: "Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." Six months later, scans showed no trace of cancer. Her oncologist called it "spontaneous remission." Her pastor called it the latter rain.

3. Prepare Your Vessels

The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 had to gather empty jars before the oil could flow (v.3-4).

• 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NKJV): "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly." The Greek "sparingly" (pheidomenōs) implies stinginess rooted in fear.

• Luke 6:38 (NKJV): "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together." These were terms used in grain markets for maximum capacity.

Ministry Breakthrough: When small-town pastor Miguel felt led to start a food pantry with just $200, his board objected. He obeyed anyway. Today, that pantry feeds 800 families weekly and has become the largest gateway for salvations in their county.

4. Recognize the Cloud When It's Small

Many miss their latter rain season because they're waiting for a monsoon when God starts with a mist.

• 1 Kings 18:44 (NKJV): "A cloud, as small as a man's hand." The Hebrew "hand" (kaph) also means "palm" - symbolizing what we can hold in faith.

• Zechariah 4:10 (NKJV): "Do not despise the day of small beginnings." The latter rain often starts as subtle promptings.

  
  

Business Turnaround: The Cupcake That Started a Flood

Julie wiped flour-streaked hands on her apron and stared at the nearly empty cash register. Another day, another handful of customers. Her dream bakery—the one she'd poured her savings into—was crumbling like day-old pastry. That afternoon, the "Order Received" notification on her computer might as well have been a taunt. One cupcake. A single $4 order from someone named "M. Thompson."

Her finger hovered over the "Cancel Order" button.

What's the point? she thought. The oven needed repairs. Rent was due. Yet something—or Someone—whispered: Make this one.

So she did. With care usually reserved for wedding cakes, Julie crafted that lone red velvet cupcake, piping perfect swirls of cream cheese frosting, dusting it with love and a pinch of desperate hope.

M. Thompson turned out to be Megan Thompson—food blogger with half a million followers. Her post the next day stopped Julie's heart: "Found heaven in a cupcake! This hidden gem deserves lines out the door!"

By noon, Julie's phone buzzed nonstop with orders. Within weeks, she hired two bakers. Within months, she opened a second location.

"That cupcake?" Julie laughs now, wiping sugar from her cheek. "That was my cloud the size of a man's hand. God sent a single order when I needed a flood."

"Who dares despise the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10)

The miracle often comes disguised as ordinary. A crumb becomes a feast. A drop becomes a downpour. And sometimes? A $4 cupcake carries the sweet taste of latter rain.

The Latter Rain and the Coming Harvest

Joel's prophecy connects the latter rain with end-time revival:

"Be glad then, you children of Zion... He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain" (Joel 2:23).

This isn't just about personal blessing—it's about global harvest:

• Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV): "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh." The Greek "pour out" (ekcheō) means to gush forth violently.

• Zechariah 10:8 (NKJV): "I will whistle for them and gather them." This depicts God summoning His people like a shepherd calls sheep.

When Chapel Wouldn't End: The Unstoppable Outpouring at Asbury

The bulletin said it would be just another Wednesday chapel service. February 8, 2019. Students shuffled into Hughes Auditorium with the usual mix of sleepy-eyed obligation and mild expectation. The speaker gave a simple message from Romans 12 about offering our lives to God. Then something unexpected happened when the benediction should have come.

No one left.

A handful of students stayed to pray. Then dozens. Then hundreds. The worship team kept playing. Hour after hour, day after day, the presence of God hung thick in the air like the scent of coming rain. What began as a routine service became a six-day continuous worship gathering that would ignite campuses across the world.

Broken relationships mended right there in the pews. Addictions broke like chains cut with heavenly shears. Hundreds surrendered to ministry callings. A professor watching the scene whispered to a colleague: "This...this is the latter rain."

The world took notice when CNN reported on the phenomenon. But those who were there will tell you—the miracle wasn't in the spectacle. It was in the quiet moments. The football player weeping as he forgave his father. The sorority sisters reconciling a years-long feud. The atheist sophomore who fell to his knees saying, "I don't believe...but something is here."

Like the cloud over Elijah's parched land, it started small—just a few students lingering after service. But when heaven opens the floodgates, even routine moments become holy ground.

"You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up." (Isaiah 45:8)

Sometimes revival looks like a raging river. Sometimes it starts as a trickle of tears on a college chapel floor.

Final Thought:
That faint scent of rain you detect? It's the advance warning of your coming flood. That small cloud on the horizon? It's the first sign of your tsunami of blessing.

"The farmer waits for the precious rain—patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient" (James 5:7-8).

A Prayer to Release the Latter Rain

"Father, I come boldly to Your throne of grace! Just as Elijah heard the sound of abundance of rain, I declare my drought is ending today. Open the windows of heaven over my life, family, and ministry. Let Your latter rain fall on every parched area—finances, health, relationships, and spiritual growth. I prepare my vessels in faith, ready to receive every drop of Your blessing. Send Your rain, Lord, until every barren place becomes a pool of blessing and every desert blossoms like a rose (Isaiah 35:1). In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!"

Declaration: "I am a latter rain receiver! My dry season is over! Every area of my life will experience God's overflowing abundance!"