from time to time in our lives.
When we consider the event in Mark 4:37-38, in which the disciples along with Jesus (being fast asleep down in the bow of the ship) encountered a great storm which seemingly overthrew them because of the greatness of the waves, the wind and the rain. The disciples forgot about the power that was given to them from Jesus. They were hit psychologically as well as physically because the greatness of this storm made them to feel powerless.
Fear gripped their hearts and thus controlled them rendering them bound. Storms blind us against seeing and hearing. In this mindset, nothing seemingly works right when it comes to the things of the Spirit. The focus yields everything negative because you're no longer believing by faith but by sight. These things make us feel as though we are powerless, but the Word of God teaches that we speak those things of power through faith, trusting that God will perform what we ask and believe. The Word declares "that before one jot or tittle of God's word passing away the whole world will come to end." (Paraphrase)
In this session I want to look at the book of James chapter 1:1-8 King James Version (KJV):
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
A lot of Christians don't know that their prayer is just as powerful as their confession of Faith. In fact, your prayer is apart of your confession of Faith, but when you doubt what you have been praying, you are allowing the storm (this Goliath) to affect what you are confessing and believing. James talks about your faith being tested by temptations. The temptation is always there to get you to not believe the word of God.
The first feat of temptation is to make you believe that what you are praying in your confession prayer is a myth. The devil wants you to speak against your own prayer by saying, "God did not really intend for my prayer to come to pass". He wants you to believe that your prayer is not a conquering weapon and that it is an impossible thing to bring about.
It is your mindset that will cause you to be either defeated or be victorious. The mind understands facts. Facts seemingly is truth yet, facts are subject to the word of God. Facts will cause you to have a mindset change to stop from believing the word of God. It will get you to complaining about the things that are happening in your life.
The solution is not to complain about these things even though the the storm is real our Creator is more powerful than the storm. The word of God will fix all of the things that created the storm and the damages of it. It will not only change the course of the storm but also change the effects of it. What you and I both need to know is the ability we have in Christ and recognize that we are more than conqueror's in Him. He is in us. That is the Christ man which gives us the ability to affect things with our words, and our words have the ability to affect the world. It's not that we are so great but it's the Christ in us that has made us the sons of God.
It is your mindset that will cause you to be either defeated or be victorious. The mind understands facts. Facts seemingly is truth yet, facts are subject to the word of God. Facts will cause you to have a mindset change to stop from believing the word of God. It will get you to complaining about the things that are happening in your life.
The solution is not to complain about these things even though the the storm is real our Creator is more powerful than the storm. The word of God will fix all of the things that created the storm and the damages of it. It will not only change the course of the storm but also change the effects of it. What you and I both need to know is the ability we have in Christ and recognize that we are more than conqueror's in Him. He is in us. That is the Christ man which gives us the ability to affect things with our words, and our words have the ability to affect the world. It's not that we are so great but it's the Christ in us that has made us the sons of God.
The second and final part of this addresses complaining. When you complain you feed into the doubt the enemy is challenging you with in regard to the storm. Your faith becomes doubt when you begin to believe and say what the devil is showing you as truth. So don't rehearse it! You give the situation the power over your faith which causes you to not receive the power God wants you to use.
You begin to waver in your thinking and that doubt coupled with fear begins to drive, distract and destroy you because now you are reacting to what you see and hear - not in what you believe! Believe what is coming out of your mouth making sure it first and foremost God's word. If He said it - the storm is just that, a storm that will pass over, but you will unaffected by it and with every storm that's run its course - you find peace.
God bless you to really love, learn and lean on the Word of God.
Pastor J
You begin to waver in your thinking and that doubt coupled with fear begins to drive, distract and destroy you because now you are reacting to what you see and hear - not in what you believe! Believe what is coming out of your mouth making sure it first and foremost God's word. If He said it - the storm is just that, a storm that will pass over, but you will unaffected by it and with every storm that's run its course - you find peace.
God bless you to really love, learn and lean on the Word of God.
Pastor J
