For two weeks before Gov. Sonny Perdue's prayer for rain on a November morning outside the state Capitol, nary a drop had dripped.

Rain the rest of that month barely wet the pavement. But as the governor said at the time, "God can make it rain tomorrow. He can make it rain next week or next month."

Rain it has. December was wetter than normal and February was right on track. January has been the only dry month since the prayer. But Atlanta is still about 17 inches in the hole for the past year.

Perdue's spokesman Bert Brantley said he doubted the governor would get into a discussion of whether his prayer worked. "I think it always works, even if there's not the desired outcome," Brantley said.

Recent rain has cut slightly into Atlanta's rainfall deficit. From August to mid-November, when the governor prayed at the Capitol, the shortfall grew more than 4 inches. From mid-November through the end of February, the deficit still grew, but only 1.5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Perdue's prayer garnered national attention and some ridicule. It set off debate about the appropriate place for prayer.

George B. Wirth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, said Friday that praying for rain is "not a bad idea. It's biblical. Elijah prayed for rain . . . so why can't we do the same today?"

 SHANNON PEAVY / Staff
PRAYING FOR RAIN
The drought still has a firm grip on metro Atlanta, but rain since Gov. Sonny Perdue led a prayer service at the Capitol on Nov. 14 has cut into the deficit. Precipitation in Atlanta by month in inches:
Actual for '07-'08
Aug: 3.48
Sept: 2.92
Oct: 2.47
Nov: 0.96
Dec: 4.78
Jan: 3.71
Feb: 4.61

30-year average
Aug: 3.67
Sept: 4.09
Oct: 3.11
Nov: 4.10
Dec: 3.83
Jan: 5.03
Feb: 4.68

Source: National Weather Service