A prayer of repentance in time of drought

 God our Heavenly Father,
we come before you in humility.
We confess our lack of trust in you,
the giver of all good things.

We have mistreated your good creation,
and have wasted the resources of the earth.

Our land suffers under the burden of drought,
and now we realise the blessings we have taken for granted.

Father, forgive our lack of trust in you,
our wastefulness and greed,
and the fruits of faith which we haven’t borne.

Hear our prayer, forgive us our sins,
release us and our land from your judgement,

through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A prayer in time of drought

 God our Heavenly Father,
in a dry and thirsty land,
our soul thirsts for you.

Look down with mercy upon us.
Hear our prayers of concern for our land,
for our people in distress,
for our industries that suffer,
for all who are affected by the drought.

Send rain to replenish our parched land,
and bring life and hope to your creation.

In you alone we trust;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

In Time of Drought

 O Almighty and Righteous God, we poor sinners appear before Thy most holy majesty, and acknowledge with penitent hearts that, besides many other public and private afflictions wherewith Thou didst threaten Thy people, we have also justly deserved this distressing drought. Thou hast made the heavens as iron, and the earth as brass. Our strength has been spent in vain; our land does not yield its increase. We realise that Thou dost not threaten in vain. Thou hast shut up the heaven according to Thy Word, and there is no rain, and the earth is stayed from its fruit. Thou hast called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon that which the ground brings forth. Thou does make the rain of our land powder and dust. Men mourn, and the beasts do languish, for they are destitute of daily food.

O Merciful Father, we acknowledge and confess that we have richly deserved this visitation by our manifold sins, which we pray Thee to forgive us for Jesus Christ’s sake. Thou art righteous, O Lord, thou dost smite us with drought, because we are trees with but little fruit. The ground is hard, because we too have hard and merciless hearts. but be gracious, O Lord, unto Thy people, and rebuke us not in Thy wrath, neither chasten us in Thy hot displeasure. We cry unto Thee with our voice, we pour out our complaint before Thee, that Thou wouldst give us rain again, showers that water the earth, whereby plants, fruit trees, and flowers may be refreshed. Thou art able to command the clouds above, and to open the flood gates of heaven. Thou canst cover the heavens with clouds, and prepare rain for the earth, and make grass to grow upon the fields and mountains. O Lord, Who in time past hast been favourable unto Thy land, forgiven the iniquity of Thy people, covered all their sin, take away all Thy wrath, and turned Thyself from the fierceness of Thine anger, we beseech Thee, comfort and gladden us again, and cause Thine anger toward us to cease. Then will we offer to Thee a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and, in true faith and sincere repentance, laud and magnify Thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Church Liturgy for Evangelical Lutheran Congregations in Australia, Hochkirch, Vic, The Lutheran Publishing Company Ltd: 1914