In the late 1830s, Charles Finney was pastoring the First Congregational Church in Oberlin, Ohio, which was one of the largest congregations in the area. One summer, their community faced a severe drought—a devastating hardship for the farmers who relied on their crops to feed their livestock.

After spending several days in prayer, Pastor Finney woke up one Sunday morning and began praying earnestly for rain. When he arrived at church, he stepped up to the podium, opened the service, and then paused to pray, saying, "Lord, we come before you now to pray for rain. Our crops are dying, and we cannot feed our cattle, so we ask you for rain, Lord, and we ask for it now."

He then continued the service as usual. Halfway through the sermon, the congregation began to hear faint thunder in the distance. By the time Pastor Finney finished preaching, heavy raindrops were falling on the church roof. Soon, the sanctuary was filled with the sound of rain crashing down upon the rooftop. The congregation was overcome with wonder and praise as their Pastor led them in a song of thanksgiving.

But those who were there say the most remarkable part of that day was that, from the moment the congregation first arrived, an umbrella leaned against the pulpit at the very front of the sanctuary.

The lesson is this:

It's one thing to pray for rain. It's quite another to show up carrying an umbrella.