Daniel C. Okpara
Memory Verse
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” – Mark 11:23-25 (KJV)
Reflection.
When Christ was on earth physically, He did a lot of marvelous works. Now He is in glory, He commands us to continue His works here on earth. And part of the work is to rebuke the winds that rise against our voyage.
Luke tells us an amazing story about rebuking the winds that rise against us from time to time.
22 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.
23 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.
24 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.
25 “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
In the story above, Jesus instructed His followers to get on the boat so they could proceed with their business on the other side. That literally means, “We’ve preached here enough, let’s go to the other towns to continue our preaching, teaching and healing of the world.”
In obedience, the disciples quickly boarded a boat with Christ and they started sailing to the next city. But a mighty windstorm rose and fought against their journey. In the midst of the chaos they called on Jesus, who got up and rebuked the wind and the sea became calm.
There are 3 things to learn from this story…
1. The Devil May Raise Oppositions Against You As a Child of God From Time to Time.
We see here that the disciples were in obedience to God’s instruction and plans for their lives. Yet a mighty storm rose against them. The storm did not even consider that Christ was with them, yet it came.
We may be serving God in truth and in spirit yet face severe opposition and tribulations from time to time. It sometimes seems that as we obtain one victory, another battle confronts us after a little while.
As I’ve said time and again, serving God does not totally prevent challenges of life from coming to you. In fact, sometimes, it does trigger chains of resistances against you. But you can be sure that your victory is guaranteed in Christ Jesus.
We should not always think that we are facing problems because we have sinned or because of generational curses. Neither should we always have the mindset that someone is suffering because he has done evil.
The devil and his demons are doing everything they can to challenge the faith that we profess in Christ. That’s why you may be doing your best, in all honesty, and sincerity, following God’s will for your life, yet facing attacks and unnecessary resistances here and there. Don’t let that bother you. You must continue to remind yourself that your victory is guaranteed.
2. Jesus is Ever With You in Your Crisis Moments.
It is the devil who works very hard to convince people that God has forgotten them, especially when they are going through trials, tribulations, and pains. He will inspire men and women who will tell you that you’re gonna die in that condition. The situation will be so magnified to look like this is the end.
Like the Apostles, they were in the boat with Jesus, the messiah and savior. But the magnitude of the windstorm made them to start thinking they were going to die. They cried, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
“No guys!” Jesus must have said. “You’re not going to drown! I’m right here with you – always. I will never allow you to drown.”
He is telling you the same thing today child of God. “… And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
No matter what you are going through, always remind yourself that God is with you. Never allow the devil play with your mind so much that you accept that God has forgotten you.
He says…
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
3. The Winds Will Continue Unless You Rebuke Them and Stand Your Ground.
In the case of the Apostles above, Jesus had to come to the occasion and rebuked the winds for them. But now He has given us the power to represent Him here on earth and continue His works. That means it is now our responsibility to rebuke the winds that rise against us from time to time in our journey of life. We must get up like Jesus and speak to the issues in question and say, “Seize, in Jesus name.”
Here’s what I want you to do right now…
- Write down any area of your life that seems to be under attack by the devil.
- Locate some scriptures and promises on those areas and read them so much that they sink deep into you.
- Begin and continue to declare these promises both to yourself and address the matter directly.
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23)
You must speak to your mountain and continue to speak and refuse to give up until it obeys God’s Words.
Your triumph is in your tongue. It is the words you speak that moves Heaven to take over your battle
It’s time to start declaring your right in Christ. Speak to the mountain. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. Faith delivers its awesome results through the power of declarations.
Rebuke the winds after your life today and let the power of God calm the situation.
Prayer
“Dear Heavenly Father, I here now reckon and declare that You are with me always. You will never allow me to be drowned and put to shame. As I begin to speak to the winds that rise up against me, I ask that You empower me by the Holy Spirit to stand strong in Your Words and Faith until my change comes. In Jesus name.”
Amen.
Daniel C. Okpara
Daniel C. Okpara is the author of numerous best-selling books, including, What Do You Have in Your House?, Parable of the Serpent, Pillars of Excellence in Life and Business, Take it By Force, Prayer Wave, and Many others. He is the founder of Better Life World Outreach Center, a non-denominational ministry dedicated to global evangelism and equipping of God's people to live a better life. He is also the founder of Breakthrough Prayers Foundation www.breakthroughprayers.org), an online portal leading people all over the world to encounter God and change their lives through prayer. He has authored over 50 books on business, prayer, relationship, and investment.
In response to your article ‘Rebuke the Winds Against Your Journey’s – oh what a timely and appropriate Word. Currently in the middle of project that I know is God approved yet it seems as if God is not with me in it.
Thank you, I rise up and I Rebuke the Winds, till there is calm, Amen.
Seasonal message !so blessed, thank you May God Spirit continue to inspire you!!!!!
Bless you, May God continue to bless you as you inspire, lead and teach. Powerful timely words, oh May God continue to bless you. you truly inspire me. I truly look forward to learning more, thank you so much. i felt like you were speaking to me, and its like you just knew what to say, and i am going to pray and meditate. Amen like Jacob in the bible i will hold on. Thank you this message is so powerful worth memorising.
Thank you! The message is so powerful and inspiring. Most of all, it is so relevant to my situation.
I now know how much power I have to rubuke every wind against my destiny.
He will never leave nor forsake us!!!
Glory be to His name
Thank you for the message which is so encouraging and uplifting. It is so easy to forget that Jesus is with us when we go through rough patches. The Word of God gives us so much assurance of His Love and Protection that we need to take a stand from knowing our inheritance and rebuke the enemy. God be thanked.
The lord will strengthen us to make it at last, for the most important thing is to make heaven at last JOHN