Indiana Academy students are praying for rainy days. No, they don't want precipitation, but the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. This school year, Student Association (S.A.) officers initiated a weekly Bible study, following the Operation Global Rain (OGR) Bible study guides. Some of the S.A. officers participated in an OGR Bible study group at Timber Ridge Camp last summer, led by Elisha Beam. Seeing the impact on the camp staff, the S.A. officers desired the same for the Indiana Academy student body.

OGR is a world-wide movement which began in the summer of 2007 to prepare hearts and to pray for the Holy Spirit to fall. It started when a few churches in Central California decided to hold a ten-day prayer event following the early church's model described in Acts 2. According to the website (www.operationglobalrain.com), church members participated voluntarily for ten nights. There were no keynote speakers, just men, women and children pleading for the outpouring of the latter rain. Each night for one hour a theme sheet with Bible verses and Spirit of Prophecy quotes were presented. These were read privately and then the members prayed, sometimes silently, other times in groups of two, or as a congregation. Those churches who participated "all experienced revival."

So each week, Justin Thurber, S.A. religious vice president at Indiana Academy, downloads a theme sheet from the OGR website and distributes it to the S.A. officers to read and study ahead of time so they can contribute to the group study. Justin prepares questions from the theme sheets, and then leads discussions about forgiveness, stewardship, having a burden for others to know Jesus, confession and repentance, and other topics. Justin said he "hopes that each student will grow spiritually and have a closer walk with God" by the end of the series. Sarah Fruth, S.A. social vice president, said, "I hope the Bible studies set the students on fire and that a passion will grow inside of them [for God]."

The S.A. officers assemble each Wednesday night for the Bible study. The voluntary meetings are held on a rotating basis between the boys' and girls' dorms, where the groups are small enough to generate lively discussions. Freshman Ben Stieren attends the meetings regularly and enjoys participating and going deeper into spiritual issues. "It helps keep our spiritual lives strong," Ben shared.

These young people have decided to set aside extra time for God each week to explore issues from the Word of God, to support and pray for each other, and for the Holy Spirit to fall. "My favorite part is hearing the students pray," Sarah confided. "At first only S.A. officers would pray; now almost everyone prays sincere and heartfelt prayers."

Ellen White writes, "The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it" (Evangelism, p. 701).

As Indiana Academy students pray, we hope they'll say, "It sounds like rain!"

Kara Kerbs is the religious activities coordinator at Indiana Academy.