SPEAK TO YOUR STORM DAY 3 OF 21 DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING

 Day 3, January 8^th: SPEAK TO YOUR STORM

Mark 4:37: And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full.

³⁸ And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

³⁹ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

Storms are a fact of life. Over the course of our lives, we will experience many different types of storms. Here in Cameroon some of us have lived through rainstorms, like the experience of those abroad with snowstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other types of storms. Some were more severe than others, but each had its own unique features. The challenge in all cases is to weather the storm can make it through safely or without being adversely affected by the storm.

While there are storms that occur in our world, there are also storms that occur in our lives. These storms are very similar to the ones we experience in our world. They are called storms of life. Like the storms in our world, they are formed naturally.

The storms of life from when the forces of nature or other people exert their power in our lives and wreak havoc in the atmosphere around us. Two or more elements conspire together and act in concert to pummel and saturate our lives. A major problem with the storms of life is that they disturb the atmosphere around us, and when the storm is severe it tends to create dangerous or life-threatening conditions.

The calm and tranquillity that we were experiencing are transformed into tumult and chaos. One thing upsets every other thing. 

A storm by definition is a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere manifesting itself by winds of unusual force and direction. We will know we are in a life storm when the force of changing winds upsets the normal condition of our lives. When the atmosphere around us has been adversely disturbed and we have no idea which way things are going or where they are going to end up, we are probably in the midst of a life storm. When our lives have been turned upside down by illness, financial difficulty, job loss, relational or marital problems, or some other force that upsets the normal condition of our lives, we are facing a life storm.

The Bible says during the height of the storm Jesus did two things He laid down and went to sleep and then He stood up and addressed the storm. Jesus’ actions reveal to us options and approaches to handling the storms of life that we face.

The one great thing that Jesus did was He stood up and took control of the situation. In some cases riding it out may not be the best thing. This is especially the case if we or those around us are getting pummelled our lives are in peril. In situations like these, we need to stand up and take control of the situation.

There are times when we need to be passive observers and there are other times when we need to take charge. Jesus informed the forces and powers that be that the madness has to stop.

Jesus used a two-step process. He confronted the source of the problem directly (the wind) and then He spoke to what was causing the storm. Notice that Jesus did not go to Peter or one of the other disciples asking them to speak to the storm for Him. Jesus also did not speak around or about the storm instead Jesus spoke to the storm. He did not describe what was happening or lament about the damage it was causing. He went directly to what was causing the problem and said this has to stop. If we do not confront the things that are creating problems in our lives directly they will continue to wreak havoc.

Instead of speaking to the storm will want self-pity by telling everybody what we are going through, trying to tell everyone how the storm has damaged our health, our finances, our job, our marriage or again our families and children and ministries. Just like Jesus wake up from that sleep, you have been sleeping for too long. Wake up within these 21st days of prayer and fasting and speak to the storm. Don’t let the storm affect your February to December 2021, No, get up dear one and address that storm.   

When we decide to confront our storms we always need to go to the source. We need to identify whatever is creating or feeding the problem we are facing and cut it off at the source.

If we cut off the air supply of whatever is feeding our storms or problems then we can starve the problem to death and it will die of a lack of oxygen. 

This text provides us with a few lessons:

1. Storms are a fact of life – we are either getting ready to go into a storm, we are in the midst of a storm, or we are coming out of a storm.

2. Regardless of the stage we are at we have choices and the choice we make will determine how much damage we will experience from a storm – we can ride it out and endure whatever the storm throws at us or we can stand up take charge of the situation and speak to our storms directly.

3. The choice we make reflects what we believe   

-        If we choose to ride a storm out, it says we believe we have no better option and are powerless in the matter and we are willing to accept whatever comes for as long as it lasts.

-   If on the other hand we choose to stand up and take charge of the situation, it says we believe that the power of Christ in us is greater than whatever is happening to us or around us. It says we believe that God is a God of order and empowers His people through Christ Jesus to restore order wherever chaos reigns. It says we believe that the madness must end now!

Get up this 3^rd day of the 21 days prayer and fasting and speak to your storm