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As most of you know, Governor Rick Perry asked all Texans to pray for rain a couple of weeks ago.  Now look, I’m not naming any names, but apparently, somebody’s not following directions because we have not had one single drop of rain since The Rev. Gov. Perry has started this revival.  I’m not saying it’s you.  I’m just saying that somebody sitting where you’re sitting ain’t holding up their end of this deal.

And I do take small comfort that it ain’t working most everywhere.  In California, they tried praying away crime.

Pray For Newark claims amazing results as its Christian volunteers “prayer walk” the Newark city streets, seeking to pray down crime. As shown in the slickly-produced video (featured in this story) from Harvest Evangelism, the ministry credited with launching the Newark effort, by 2010 the effort had 100% coverage in the city, at least one prayer-walker per city street (Newark has over 1,000 streets) and exults that consequently, by March 2010, Newark had its first murder-free month since 1966.

Then, in late 2010, after a cost-cutting proposal led to a showdown with the local police union, Newark Mayor Corey Booker fired 167 city police officers. The results are unsurprising. By mid 2011, reports CBS, murders were up 71%, shootings up 29%, and auto theft up 39%. The magical results of Pray For Newark’s prayer-based crime fighting effort seemed to suddenly evaporate.

It appears that prayer only works if you’re willing to back it up with a whole mess of cops.

Now either somebody ain’t praying or somebody ain’t listening.  I don’t want to point any fingers at the Big Rainmaker in The Sky, but heads-up, Big Guy!