May 29, 2007
Tifton-- It continues to be dry all across Georgia as the extreme drought continues. Some South Georgians are turning to religion for rain. Dozens of people in Tift County spent hours in prayer Tuesday night. They're hoping for some help from above and they have faith the raindrops will fall.
Pastors and congregations from different churches joined together as one at Trinity Worship Center in Tifton. Quoting bible verses from Elijah to Nehemiah, they say we can't depend on nature for rain. So they're doing the next natural thing.
There's no doubt. It's dry.
"It's terrible," said homeowner Debbie Knight. It's so dry that it's wreaked havoc on Debbie Knight's lawn and flowers.
"It's killed everything," said Knight. It's also caused problems with her health.
"I have breathing problems and it's been really bad with the dry weather and the smoke that's been going on," said Knight.
Knight just wishes for some relief. "I'm hoping that we get some rain soon. Real soon," said Knight.
It could happen. At least that's the hope. Right across the street from Knight's home in Tifton, words are heavy.
"Lord the wells are going dry," prayed Pastor Elmer Golden.
People are praying for a change. "Sometimes it takes that to turn some things around and get things going in a better direction," said Golden.
Golden is the pastor of Trinity Worship Center. He says something needs to be done and quickly.
"It has been so dry and I'm just surprised that it's gotten this bad," said Golden. So heads are bowed and knees are bent. Eyes are closed in concentration.
"Prayer changes things. It changes circumstances, situations," said Golden.
"God is showing us something," said Mike Beggs.
It's about faith they say, faith in the unseen. Mike Beggs came to the service with a bible in one hand and an umbrella in the other.
"Because I believe with God anything is possible. He answers the prayers of his children," said Beggs.
People here believe raindrops will fall from heaven, not in the future but... "Now because He's a right now God," said Deborah Hicks.
Right now, Knight says let it pour down. She believes. "I sure do. I believe in prayer," said Knight.
She like many others are depending on divine intervention to turn her brown grasses green. It'll just take some rain, formed from the power of prayer.
Pastor Golden says word of tonight's prayer service has traveled. A concerned pastor from Colorado called. Together, they prayed on the phone for some rain. Also Tuesday night, people gathered for prayer at Frank Primitive Church in Irwin County. They've hosted a weekly rain prayer service for more than a month.
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