30 Days of Prayer: The Storm Before the Calm

“One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’” Luke 8:22-25

I love this story in moments like this, because it reminds us that even though Jesus may not always cause the storms we face, he can always use them for our good. He can use them to help us see that we don’t have as much control over things as we think we do. He can use them to help us see our desperate need for him. He can use them to help us see him for who he is – as we read about with the disciples who were in awe at his power over the wind and waves. And he can use them to lead us to cry out to him for rescue.

That’s one of my prayers for people in this unique situation that we’re faced with right now. I’m praying that Jesus will use this to shake our sense of independence and self-sufficiency, that he’ll open our eyes to see him as the powerful rescuing God that he is, and that many people will be led in this time to cry out to Jesus for help. Would you join me in praying for that too?

Prayer:

Jesus, we come before you today, and we acknowledge that we need you. We know that every person in this world needs you. So while we don’t believe you’ve caused all that we’re facing right now, we believe you can use it to draw people to you. Open up eyes to see you and hearts to respond to you. We pray this in your name. Amen.

For Reflection:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” – C.S. Lewis

By Tyler Ward