PREVAILING OVER THE STORMS OF LIFE

22 IMMEDIATELY Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
32 AND WHEN THEY GOT INTO THE BOAT, THE WIND CEASED."
Matthew 14:22,32 (NKJV)

"AND I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:19 (NKJV)

• You prevail over the storms or challenges of life, by walking in the light of the Word that proceeds out of the month of the Lord (Matthew 4:4).

• Peter walked on the Word of Jesus Christ, when he walked on the water (Matthew 14:28,29).
• The world is full of darkness, that makes life a battle field (Psalm 74:20).
• Jesus has potentially given us power and victory over the storms, challenges or problems of life: “YOU ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE HE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD” (1 John 4:4 NKJV).

• A number of keys of the Kingdom to overcome the storms of life are shared here:
I. Vision.

• Vision is God's plan for your life and you have to wait on Him to receive it (Habakkuk 2:4).
• If you have no clear vision you can not overcome, prevail, over the challenges of life.
• Vision gives directions and focus.
• Vision gives the ability to endure and prevail over problems of life.

II. Faith

• You must walk in faith to fulfil your vision, without it you cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).
• Vision evolves. Accomplishment of one vision leads to another. You cannot know the details of your vision until you started the pursuit of it
• And for you to accomplish your vision, you had to be a person of faith. As you work on your faith and it grows, you begin to see clearly that which God has in plan for you.
• God has big plans and programmes for some believers but their faith is too shallow or small to embrace the enormous vision that God has for them.
• When God shows you His plan for your future, it has to stretch your faith:
  a. Because one of characteristics of a God-given vision is that the enormity or bigness of the vision has to stun or stupefy your friends when you share it with them.
  b. A God-given vision is always bigger than the visionary, and always outlast the visionary.
• Vision enlarges and stretches your faith. And you should remember that without faith you can not realize your God-given vision.
• Now how does faith come:
  a. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
  b. And faith is activated and built by your obedience to the instructions and commandments of God
• Your faith in God and His Word, which is also known as obedience to God's principles or commands or instructions, makes the vision a reality.

III. Prayer

• Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and what you loose shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).
• You cannot prevail over the storms of life without prayer. And your vision cannot be realized without a fervent and consistent prayer.
• The devil is against success and progress of the children of God. Consequently, If you want to prevail in life, It has to be through the fight of faith, by pressing home your victory which Jesus Christ has given through the redemptive work that was accomplished on the cross.
• You tell the devil, his demons, and the people who are loyal to him, to take their hands off on whatever is your Kingdom right.
• It is surprising that some people still do not believe that the devil is real. For the fact that you do not believe in the existence of the devil does not stop his activities in your life.
• The devil is real and you have to deal with him in prayer, for you to realize your vision and to overcome the storms and challenges of life, as a believer in Christ Jesus.

• Vision, faith, prayer plus . . . .
A. Focus.

• You must focus on your vision for you to fulfil.
• Your faith must be focused or directed on something, the fulfilment of your vision. Some people's faith and prayer are focusless—lack a focus.

B. Consistency.

• Your faith and prayer must be consistent. Do not engage in fire brigade prayers. A fire brigade prayer is the prayer you started praying suddenly when you have a pressing need or problem. Prayer should be an integral part of your life, you pray daily and consistently, as a believer in Christ Jesus.
• You do not pray only when there is a pressing need in your life. Since prayer is a communion or fellowshipping or conversing with God, thus, It has to be in your life daily. In other words, their should be a communion between you and God daily—moment by moment.
• Consequently, prayer should not be a fire brigade pattern of approach to the challenges of life that might come your way. You should not be the type of believer who does not pray daily, they only do when there is a sudden need or problem in their lives. Let prayer be part of your life and system, not only when you have a pressing need!
• Pray that you might not pray! Pray at the time when it is convenient. When you pray enough at the appropriate time, afterwards you begin to reap the fruits of the prayers you had prayed. You sow prayer as a seed which would later germinate and produce fruits for harvest.

C. Perseverance.

• Have a persevering faith. Persevere in your prayer. Be steadfast and unmovable in your faith and conviction.
• Being resilient and dogged; that is, the ability to withstand or adjust to challenges. Being able to accept whatever the challenge as a valuable learning experience.

D. Hope.

• Without hope faith can not work (Hebrews 11:1). It is the marriage of hope and faith that will birth a good report or testimony (Hebrews 11:2).
• Without hope you can not pray a result oriented prayer. Your have to keep your hope alive. When hope is gone, success or blessing or testimony is gone.

• To prevail in the storm of life, you have to know where you are going, that is, the vision.

• Then you have to be ready to stand in faith and prayer to overcome every opposition that may come your way which would not want the vision to be a reality.
• And you must be focused, consistent, persevered, and make hope alive; to make things work for you in the realization of the vision.

• You will prevail over every challenge that may come your way in a bid to fulfil your vision in the mighty name of Jesus.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
• Whatever is not planted in your body that might be working against your health and wellness is cursed and completely uprooted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!