A Prayer at a Time of Great Flooding and Untimely Rain

By Esaias Heidenreich

Alas, heavenly Father, in accordance with the many various signs and warnings which remind us of Your righteous wrath toward sin, there now also frightens us at this time the gloomy storms with the great masses of rain and rushing forth of water upon the land. And we confess ourselves guilty that we, unfortunately, until now, have come before You with dry eyes and hearts, that is, without true repentance; we have neither properly recognized nor lamented our sin. For this reason, the clouds of Your heavens bring forth their tears in heaps of water to move our hearts to tears. This wet, stormy weather seeks also to damage the seed time in the field, for we have hitherto not heartily thanked You for our daily bread, and we have misused and squandered Your kind blessings. The untimely rain and floods of water poison the air, harming man and livestock, for sin and shame also flood forth among us, one upon another. But we call upon You, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and the only-begotten Son, who poured forth His holy blood plentifully on the wood of the cross for our sins, and we ask that, for the sake of this Mediator, You would show mercy, preserve and bless with favorable weather both man and livestock, together with the fruits of the field, purify the air, dry the ground, accompany all those who travel by land and water with Your holy angels, and guard against evil. Yea, dearest Father, let our hearts daily pour out before You the tears of true repentance, that we may increase in Your kindness in body and soul, here in time and there eternally, through the same, Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, the fountain of all grace, who alone can still Your wrath and heal all shame. Amen.

Esaias Heidenreich, Kirchen und Hausgebetlein (1582)

Georges de La Tour, The Penitent Magdalen (c. 1640)