How do you continue the faith walk in the midst of the storm? There are two things that you can do that will bring you through safely.
First, watch what you hear. It’s interesting to note that Jesus cautioned the disciples about this before He got in the boat. Look back at Mark 4:24, “And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.”
Do you want more? Take heed what you hear. Second Chronicles 20:20 reads, “Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so ye will prosper.”
Do you want to be established even when the winds are blowing? Believe in the Lord. Do you want to prosper even in storms of adversity? Believe His prophets.
The world will tell you that you shouldn’t do that. But let me warn you, if you go the world’s way, you’ll participate in recession and depression. Believe God’s prophets, and you’ll prosper in the midst of those things.
A man accused me once, “I suppose you believe the whole Bible?” Guilty as charged. I believe it from Genesis to the maps.
Speak The Word
The second, and most crucial step is to speak the Word of God. Many mornings I get up and talk to myself. “Jesse, come here. Listen, Jesse, you’re a chosen generation. Boy, you’re a royal priesthood. You don’t have bayou water flowing through your veins! You’ve got the Covenant Blood of God!”
I take the Word of God and speak it to myself in the first person. “I am abounding in the work of the Lord. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed to Him against that day.”
“Those scriptures are nice, Brother Jesse, but I’m facing a real storm!”
So were the disciples in that boat and Jesus called them men with no faith.
One of the worst storms I remember happened when I was a little boy. We were attending church at the Venice Full Gospel Temple. It was a little shotgun looking white church with about 35 members gathered there that night. We’d had real bad weather all evening, but suddenly during the service, it sounded like a thousand trains were about to meet in that little building.
Someone looked out the door and saw that a tornado was coming through the woods, heading directly toward us.
“Get on the floor!”
People dropped to the floor and scrambled to get under furniture. The Pastor, my Daddy and a few others went outside. I followed them, and as soon as I stepped through the door, the wind blew me into the yard. I heard Daddy yell, and the next thing I knew he was holding me by my pants while the wind blew me off the ground. I felt my face sting from the pricks of hundreds of bugs hitting me.
I could see the tornado coming. There was no running away from it. It looked like it was going to blow that church apart. I saw trees being ripped up like grass in the wind.
I was waiting for my Daddy and the other men and women to do something. They did. They started talking to that storm.
I thought, “We’re dead!”
“In the name of Jesus!…” The tornado kept getting closer, and they kept talking to it. I could barely hear what they said because of the force of the wind. Finally, they were just hollering Jesus’ name.
I’ll never forget what I saw next. That storm split in half. Right in the middle where the tornado had been, I saw clear sky. Half of the storm went left. Half of the storm went right. It never touched us.
The whole congregation started shouting, dancing and praising God. All except me. I just stood there with my mouth open. All I could say was, “Wow!…” But one thought was forever burned into my mind that night. We beat up a tornado with the name of Jesus!
What made these people stand against odds that no natural force can conquer? Jesus was with them.
They didn’t have time to call a prayer vigil or form a committee. They just went out there and spoke faith-filled words to the storm.
If you’re facing a storm in your life today, I want to encourage you to keep walking in faith. Don’t give up on your healing! Don’t give up on the salvation of your loved ones! Don’t give up on your harvest! Don’t give up on your ministry!
Jesus is with you and will speak faith-filled words to your heart that will deliver you from the storms of life.
“Peace be still!”
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”