COMMANDING PEACE IN YOUR STORM 8

Song.

That wonderful name, Jesus, that wonderful….
There is no other name I know…

Prayer.

Genesis 8:16-17 NKJV[16] “Go out of the ark, you and your…family [17]……and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”

God said to Noah to come out of lock down and be fruitful and multiply.
God’s children must not focus on recessions or famine after lockdown. You cannot come out of a dry season to enter another dry season. No. A change for the better is coming.
We must see fruitfulness and multiplication post lockdown.

Father, as the world comes out of lock down, give my family a new season of fruitfulness and multiplication, spiritually, physically, mentally, materially in the name of Jesus.

COMMANDING PEACE IN YOUR STORM PART 8.

PART ONE. STOP THAT STORM BEFORE IT STOPS YOU.

PART TWO.
SEVERE STORMS, SIMPLE SOLUTIONS.

PART THREE. SILENCING THE STRONGMAN IN YOUR STORM.

PART FOUR.

THE SAVIOUR IN YOUR STORM

PART FIVE.

SPEAK TO YOUR STORM.

PART SIX.

SEE BEYOND YOUR STORM.

PART SEVEN

SINGING IN YOUR STORM.

PART EIGHT

SOARING IN YOUR STORM.

TEXTS

Mark 4:39-41 NKJV[39] Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. [40] But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” [41] And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Isaiah 40:31 NIV[31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

ILL.

I read that a turkey and an eagle react differently to an approaching storm. The turkey react by running under the barn to hide, hoping the storm will go away.

The eagle, on the other hand, leaves the nest, spreads it’s wings and rides the air currents of the storm, knowing that the storm will carry it higher than it could ever soar on its own.

Eagles stand out from all other birds in the midst of storm.

Jesus Christ initiated the journey to the other side. He knew there will be storm on the way. But he wanted his disciples to be eagles as a result of storm. Unfortunately, when he woke up, he saw a bunch of turkeys on the boat.

Father, I refuse to be a turkey in my life. Make me an eagle in the midst of my storms.

WHO HAS EVER EATEN AN EAGLE FOR FOOD. RARE BECAUSE THE EAGLE IS NOT AN EASY PREY.

WHO HAS EATEN TURKEY. MANY STILL EAT IT THIS MONTH. BECAUSE THE TURKEY IS AN EASY PREY.

FATHER, I REFUSE TO BE AN EASY PREY IN THE HAND OF THE ENEMY.

GOD AND THE EAGLE

God had a lot to say about the eagle when addressing His people.The eagle is a phenomenal bird different from all others.
One of the references to the Eagle is found in ISA.40.

Israel was facing storms. The Babylonian captivity and the enemy siege was too much for them to bear. They began to complain to God, accusing him of not intervening. Then God replied them.

Isaiah 40:27-31 NIV[27] Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? [28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. [29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. [30] Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; [31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

WHAT GOD SAID

1. My people, stop complaining, lamenting and displaying frustration and distress because of your storms.
2. I am all powerful and able to give you strength and power to overcome your storm.
3. I expect you to hope in me and not faint, fall and falter in the storm.
4. You need to have the eagle approach to your storms or troubles, and not the turkey approach.

HOW DO EAGLES APPROACH STORMS?

The eagle does not run away from storms.
The eagle flies to some high sport and waits for the wind-storm to come.
When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.

While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher.

The eagle welcomes the challenges of storms.

She sees an opportunity to rest her wings as the storm lifts her up and by resting or waiting on the storm, she becomes stronger and better.

Storms are not meant to batter eagles, but better them. Storms don’t scare eagles, they strengthen them.

God was telling Israel, why don’t you be like the eagle. Why don’t you begin to see opportunities wrapped in your challenges rather than complaining. Eagles don’t see storms as frightening, they see storms as facilitators of speed and success at reaching their destinations.

EAGLES IN THE BIBLE.

1. DAVID was an eagle. 1Sam.17. The storm of Goliath of Gath confronted Israel. All the Israeli soldiers led by King Saul, behaved like turkeys, they all ran, afraid of Goliath. But David dared to soar in the storm. He saw Goliath as the wind that will help him soar to the palace.

What an opportunity to become the king’s son in law and become tax free forever.

What a chance to finally enter the palace and realise the purpose of the anointing service that just took place in his father’s house.
DAVID SOARED IN HIS STORM.

2. Daniel and his friends were eagles and not turkeys.
When Nebuchadnezer issued the decree to kill all the wise men including Daniel and his friends because none could tell him his dream and interprete it. It was a storm. Daniel and his friends did not fear or fret. They sought for time to WAIT ON THE LORD. Their strength was renewed. They got divine revelation and were catapulted to the top in a foreign land. Read Dan.2.1-46.

WHEN THERE IS A STORM, YOU EITHER RESPOND LIKE A TURKEY OR LIKE AN EAGLE. THE CHOICE IS YOURS, NO ONE CAN MAKE IT FOR YOU. HOWEVER, GOD DESIRES WE RESPOND LIKE AN EAGLE TO OUR STORMS.

God describing the eagle to Job said in

Job 39:27-30 NIV[27] Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? [28] It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold. [29] From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar. [30] Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.”

God said to the children of Israel.,…

Exodus 19:4 GNT[4] “You saw what I, the LORD, did to the Egyptians and how I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to me.

I PRAY THE LORD WILL CARRY YOU TO SAFETY IN STORMY TIMES LIKE THE MOTHER EAGLE DOES TO HER CHILDREN in the name of Jesus.

HOW TO SOAR IN YOUR STORM

1. Hope and trust in the Lord as your source and your strength.
ISA.40:31. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

Ps.147:11. The Lord delights in those…..who put their hope in his unfailing love.

You cannot do this successfully without surrendering your life to Jesus.

Col.1:27. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

2. Know your purpose and determine to fulfil it. When you don’t know the use of a thing, abuse is inevitable. Joseph knew his purpose, so he was not moved by the storms.
The Eagle knows her purpose was not to live and die like a chicken or turkey so she will not fear and fret like them.
STORY OF THE FARMER WHO TOOK AN EAGLE EGG AND PLACED IT IN HIS HEN’S NEST.

I OMMAND EVERY CAGE THAT HAS KEPT THE EAGLE IN YOU TO BREAK BY FIRE. YOU WILL SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND SOAR HIGH in the name of Jesus. Stereotype,

3. Expect storms in your journey of life. Welcome them with faith and courage not with fear and cowardice. There is always an opportunity in the opposition they bring.

Acts 20:22-23. Paul was on a journey to Jerusalem and expected trials and tribulations on this journey. But he declared that he was not moved by them as he will soar through them to fulfil his purpose on earth.

4. Let your dreams be bigger than the storms. The eagle has a powerful vision. She dreams of how stronger and better she will become by taking a ride through the storm. Her dreams are bigger than the storm.

Esther 4:16 NKJV[16] “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

THERE IS STORM RAGING IN THE WORLD NOW BUT CAN YOU PLEASE START DREAMING OF HOW YOU WILL TURN THIS STORM TO SUCCESS STORY.

DONT PLAY THROUGH THE STORM, PLAN THROUGH IT.

You can write a book.
You can launch a ministry or business.
You can solve some problems.
You can start a charity organisation.
You can invent something beneficial to mankind.

A man probably dreamt that there will be lockdown one day. He created a conference system called Zoom in 2011.
Betweeen March and May of this season of lockdown, his company made 4 billion dollars.

5. Pray your way out of the storm. Eagles fly alone at very high altitude. Waiting on the Lord involves spending time alone with God in prayer, praise and fasting.

In Matt.14:22-25. When Jesus told the disciples to get on the boat and proceed to the other side, he himself went up on a mountain to pray. He was there alone for many hours. By the time he came down, the disciples were facing storms on the sea and Jesus was walking on the water.

PRAY BEFORE YOUR STORM, PRAY DURING YOUR STORM, PRAY AFTER YOUR STORM. PRAY ALWAYS WITHOUT CEASING. 1Thes.5:17.
Eph.6:18; Col.1:3.

6. Focus on Christ. The Eagle can look straight at the sun and flies in its direction like no other bird or human being. Jesus is the Son of God and the SUN of Righteousness. Mal.4:2.

In Matt. 4:22:28-30. When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he could walk on water but immediately storm came he focused on the storm and took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.

A waiter focuses on the person he is waiting on to get the best of his attention.
Heb.12:2. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

7. Feed on the fresh milk of the word of God. Eagles feed only on fresh prey, never eating dead animals.

Be careful what you feed your ears and eyes with especially in stormy times. Be careful of your news and reports intake in these days of social media bombardments.

1 Peter 2:2 NKJV[2] as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

THUS SAITH THE LORD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THUS SAITH THE WORLD.

CONCLUSION

When God says we should hope in him and soar like the eagle in our storms, he is saying to us..

1. We must realise that storms have hidden opportunities for us to grow better, stronger mentally, spiritually and all round.
2. We must understand that meeting and solving problems is what gives our lives meaning and purpose.
3. We must know that wise people learn not to fear problems but welcome the pain of problems knowing that no pain no gains. No risks, no riches.

ALTAR CALL.

I invite you to surrender your life to Jesus today, the master of storms and the Everlasting arms that will help you through every storm. Matt.11:28-30

TESTIMONY.
A woman could no longer bear the severe storms she was passing through. She was about to commit suicide. Her born again friend who has been praying for her invited her to meet her pastor. The pastor preached to her and she gave her life to Christ. She started attending church and growing daily in the Lord.
This same woman, who had had abortions, a failed marriage, hooked on drugs and depressed soared in her storms and became the author of many best selling books like The power of a praying parents, The power of a praying wife, The power of a praying husband, the power of praying together. She is Stormie Omartian, a wife, mother and grandchildren.

YOU TOO CAN BECOME A STORMIE BY SOARING IN YOUR STORM

LORD JESUS, I SURRENDER MY LIFE TO YOU. I CONFESS MY SINS. I ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS. COME INTO MY LIFE AND BEGIN TO USE ME MIGHTILY FOR YOUR GLORY.

PRAYERS

1. FATHER, I renounce the mentality of the turkey, the chicken and the vulture. I receive the anointing of the eagle to soar above situations and circumstances in the name of Jesus.

2. Powers assigned to clip my wings and truncate my destiny, you are liars, you will not prosper in the name of Jesus.

3. Father, give me the eyes of the eagles, help me to see opportunities where others see oppositions, help me to see chances where others see challenges, help me to see success where others see storms in the name of Jesus.

4. Thank you Father for making me an eagle saint and empowering me to soar above my storms in the name of Jesus.

CLOSING.

I PRAY FOR YOU THAT YOU WILL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE THE EAGLE.

YOU WILL SOAR ABOVE YOUR STORMS

YOU WILL FIND HEALING IN ALL YOUR HURTS.

YOU WILL FIND PURPOSE IN ALL YOUR PAINS.

YOU WILL FIND PROMOTION IN YOUR PROBLEMS.

YOU WILL FIND DIRECTION IN ALL YOUR DISTRACTIONS

YOU WILL FIND BREAKTHROUGHS IN ALL THAT THE ENEMY MEANT FOR YOUR BREAKDOWN in the name OF THE FATHER….