FASTING TOGETHER: THE MINNESOTA GRASSHOPPER SWARM
In Minnesota, during the summer of 1876, there was a swarm of grasshoppers destroying the crops. There was a fear that the grasshoppers would return, so Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting on April 26, 1877, urging every man, woman and child to petition God's protection. When the appointed day arrived, schools and businesses were closed as people prayed for Divine intervention.
The next day began a series of days that were unseasonably warm. It was more like summer than spring. The three days of warm weather triggered the hatching of the grasshopper larvae. People wondered why God had not responded to their prayer and fasting.
However, the fourth day brought a sudden dip in temperatures. The entire state of Minnesota was
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