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WATCH God's Hand in the Storm and Shift Your Focus! · GOD

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  Speaker 1: The Bible tells us in Mark 4, verse 35 to 41,
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  Speaker 1: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them,
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  Speaker 1: Let us go across to the other side. And leaving
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  Speaker 1: the crowd, they took him with them in the boat,
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  Speaker 1: just as he was. And other boats were with him.
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  Speaker 1: And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking
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  Speaker 1: into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
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  Speaker 1: But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
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  Speaker 1: And they woke him and said to him, Teacher, do
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  Speaker 1: you not care that we are perishing? And he awoke
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  Speaker 1: and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace,
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  Speaker 1: be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a
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  Speaker 1: great calm, he said to them. Why are you so afraid?
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  Speaker 1: Have you still no faith? And they were filled with
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  Speaker 1: great fear and said to one another, Who then is this,
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  Speaker 1: that even the wind and the sea obey him? So
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  Speaker 1: we see here, where the disciples were in a storm,
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  Speaker 1: and not just any storm, the Bible says, a great windstorm.
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  Speaker 1: They were afraid, and in their fear, they questioned Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: They asked if he cared for them. How often do
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  Speaker 1: we find ourselves in the same position? When we face
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  Speaker 1: the storms of life, the turbulent times that leave us
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  Speaker 1: afraid and doubtful, do we not question? Do we not
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  Speaker 1: ask if God cares about our situation? Well, at least
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  Speaker 1: I know I have. But see what happens next. Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: our Savior, rose and commanded the storm to be still,
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  Speaker 1: and it obeyed. He questioned his disciples, not condemning them,
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  Speaker 1: but to teach them, asking them about their faith. So
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  Speaker 1: let us draw wisdom from what we are seeing here.
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  Speaker 1: Let's understand that no storm is too great for our God.
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  Speaker 1: The winds may howl, the sea may roar, but our
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  Speaker 1: God is mightier when we invite him into our boats,
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  Speaker 1: into our lives. He will calm our storms. Remember the
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  Speaker 1: story of Job in the Old Testament. Job was a
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  Speaker 1: man who faced a tremendous storm. He lost his wealth,
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  Speaker 1: his children, and his health. In the middle of his storm,
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  Speaker 1: his wife told him to curse God and die. His
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  Speaker 1: friends accused him of hidden sin. But what did Job do?
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  Speaker 1: He held on to his faith. Despite his circumstances, he
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  Speaker 1: declared in Job 1 verse 21, The Lord gave, and
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  Speaker 1: the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. Job rode out his storm, maintaining his faith
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  Speaker 1: and integrity. And God came through for him, blessing the
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  Speaker 1: latter part of his life more than the former. As
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  Speaker 1: we often say, Job got double for his trouble. Are
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  Speaker 1: you in a storm right now? Are you facing health issues,
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  Speaker 1: financial problems, family disputes, career issues, or even spiritual issues?
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  Speaker 1: Remember the words of Psalm 46, verses 1 to 3.
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  Speaker 1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help
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  Speaker 1: in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth
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  Speaker 1: gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart
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  Speaker 1: of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though
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  Speaker 1: the mountains tremble at its swelling. Like the disciples in
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  Speaker 1: the boat, call on him. Call on Jesus, like Job
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  Speaker 1: in his afflictions. Trust in him, for our God is
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  Speaker 1: very near. He is a very present help in trouble.
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  Speaker 1: I can't help but reflect on the story of Joseph
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  Speaker 1: once more. Think about Joseph, sold into slavery by his
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  Speaker 1: own brothers, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. He endured
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  Speaker 1: a storm that lasted for years. Yet Joseph held on
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  Speaker 1: to his faith. He held on to the dream God
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  Speaker 1: had given him. He rode out his storm, and when
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  Speaker 1: his time came, God lifted him from the prison to
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  Speaker 1: the palace, making him a ruler in Egypt, second only
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  Speaker 1: to Pharaoh. God came through for Joseph, not in spite
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  Speaker 1: of the storm, but through it. There is so much
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  Speaker 1: for us to learn from the story of Joseph. It's
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  Speaker 1: absolutely inspiring. Also, we could reflect on the story of Daniel,
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  Speaker 1: who was thrown into the lion's den because he refused
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  Speaker 1: to compromise his worship of God. Daniel was in a
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  Speaker 1: literal den of deadly beasts, a storm of fearsome roars.
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  Speaker 1: But Daniel was not harmed. God shut the mouths of
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  Speaker 1: the lions, and Daniel was preserved. He rode out his
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  Speaker 1: storm and emerged unhurt. God will come through for you too.
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  Speaker 1: In the words of Deuteronomy 31 verse 8, It is
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  Speaker 1: the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you.
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  Speaker 1: He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not
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  Speaker 1: fear or be dismayed. I want you to hold on
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  Speaker 1: to this promise. Let it be the anchor for your
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  Speaker 1: soul in the midst of your storms. Remember, the storm
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  Speaker 1: does not define you, but how you respond to the
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  Speaker 1: storm does. Are you going to let the storm overcome you,
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  Speaker 1: or are you going to overcome the storm? With God
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  Speaker 1: on your side, you have the power to overcome any storm.
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  Speaker 1: The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8, verse 37,
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  Speaker 1: that in all these things we are more than conquerors
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  Speaker 1: through him who loved us. Often, the purpose of the
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  Speaker 1: storm is is not to shatter us, but to shape us.
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  Speaker 1: It is not to break us, but to build us.
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  Speaker 1: It is not to stop us, but to set us
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  Speaker 1: up for God's blessing. The storms are not meant to
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  Speaker 1: defeat us, but to develop us. It is not meant
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  Speaker 1: to victimize us, but to victorize us. The storm that
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  Speaker 1: was meant to drown Peter in the sea was the
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  Speaker 1: same storm that brought him to a place of deeper
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  Speaker 1: faith and a greater revelation of Jesus. God does not
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  Speaker 1: promise an absence of storms, but he does promise his
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  Speaker 1: presence in the storm. He does not promise that we
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  Speaker 1: won't be hit by the waves, but he does promise
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  Speaker 1: that we will not be overwhelmed. Isaiah 43 verse 2 says,
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  Speaker 1: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
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  Speaker 1: and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you. When
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  Speaker 1: you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and
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  Speaker 1: the flame shall not consume you. so I encourage you
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  Speaker 1: to ride out your storm. Stand firm in your faith.
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  Speaker 1: Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
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  Speaker 1: your faith. God will come through for you. Remember the
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  Speaker 1: words of 2 Corinthians 4, verses 8 to 9. We
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  Speaker 1: are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed. Perplexed, but
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  Speaker 1: not in despair. Persecuted, but not abandoned. Struck down, but
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  Speaker 1: not destroyed. Remember, the same God that turned back the
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  Speaker 1: Red Sea from Moses, shut the lion's mouths for Daniel,
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  Speaker 1: preserved the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace, and
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  Speaker 1: raised Jesus from the dead, is the same God that
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  Speaker 1: is with you in your storm. I encourage you to
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  Speaker 1: hold on and persevere. Ride out your storm because God
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  Speaker 1: will come through for you. May the peace of God,
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  Speaker 1: which surpasses all understanding, Guard your hearts and your minds
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  Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. Let's remain firm in the conviction that
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  Speaker 1: God is always with us and he will never fail
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  Speaker 1: to come through for us, no matter how great the storm.
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  Speaker 1: To all those within the sound of my voice, let
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  Speaker 1: us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac
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  Speaker 1: and Jacob, the Alpha and the Omega, he who was
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  Speaker 1: and is and is to come, Lord, we come to
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  Speaker 1: you today with hearts... that may be heavy with the
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  Speaker 1: storms that life often brings. We recognize that even in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of the winds and the waves, you are
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  Speaker 1: God and you are good. You are the master of
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  Speaker 1: the winds, the ruler of the waves, and no storm
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  Speaker 1: is too great for you. Lord, we thank you for
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  Speaker 1: your constant presence in our lives. Even when we can't
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  Speaker 1: see past the dark clouds, we trust that you are
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  Speaker 1: with us, guiding and comforting us. We thank you that
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  Speaker 1: your word promises us that you will never leave us
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  Speaker 1: nor forsake us, and that you are our refuge and
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  Speaker 1: strength and ever-present help in trouble. Father, we bring before
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  Speaker 1: you the storms we are facing. Each one of us
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  Speaker 1: carries different burdens. Some may be battling illness and mental challenges.
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  Speaker 1: Some may be dealing with financial problems. Some may be
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  Speaker 1: wrestling with broken relationships. Some may be struggling with employment issues.
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  Speaker 1: and some may be going through spiritual issues. We present
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  Speaker 1: these storms to you, Father. We ask for your divine intervention,
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  Speaker 1: and we surrender to your will. Lord, just as Jesus
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  Speaker 1: stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee, we ask
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  Speaker 1: that you would bring peace and calm to our situations.
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  Speaker 1: But even if the storm does not cease immediately, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. Increase
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  Speaker 1: our faith, strengthen our spirits, and give us the grace
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  Speaker 1: to ride out the storms. Lord, we remember the examples
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  Speaker 1: of Job, Joseph, and Daniel. They faced great trials, but
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  Speaker 1: they remained steadfast in their faith, and you brought them through.
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  Speaker 1: We pray for the same strength and perseverance. Help us
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  Speaker 1: to stand firm, holding on to the truth of your
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  Speaker 1: word and the hope of your promises. Even in the storm,
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  Speaker 1: help us to say what Job said, The Lord gave,
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  Speaker 1: and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord. We ask for your guidance, Lord. As
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  Speaker 1: we navigate the stormy waters, let your word be the
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  Speaker 1: lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path.
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  Speaker 1: Grant us wisdom to make the right decisions and courage
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  Speaker 1: to take the right actions. Remind us that we are
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  Speaker 1: not alone, that you are the captain of our ship
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  Speaker 1: and you will steer us safely to shore. Father, we
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  Speaker 1: also pray for others who are going through their own storms.
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  Speaker 1: May they find comfort and hope in you. May they
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  Speaker 1: experience your peace that surpasses all understanding. May they come
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  Speaker 1: to know you as their rock and their fortress, their
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  Speaker 1: deliverer in whom they can trust. As we look forward
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  Speaker 1: to the future. we trust that you will come through
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  Speaker 1: for us. We hold onto your promise in Romans 8
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  Speaker 1: verse 28 that you work all things together for good
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  Speaker 1: for those who love you and are called according to
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  Speaker 1: your purpose. Lord, we thank you for the testimony that
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  Speaker 1: will come out of these storms. We thank you that
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  Speaker 1: one day we will look back and see how you
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  Speaker 1: brought us through, how you turned our mourning into dancing,
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  Speaker 1: our sorrow into joy. Until that day, we will continue
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  Speaker 1: to trust you to ride out our storm, knowing that
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  Speaker 1: you will come through for us. In the precious name
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus, we pray, Amen. Now claim this powerful prayer
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  Speaker 1: by typing the word AMEN. in the comment section below.
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  Speaker 1: May the Lord bless you abundantly and powerfully. I declare
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  Speaker 1: that all the blessings of this prayer are now upon you.
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  Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus, Amen.