Have you heard the saying that when it rains, it pours? Well how do you handle your life when it’s one storm after another? In partnership with Jd & Dee Fomby Ministries, in this 5-Day Devo, Wynika will share with you how she endured the worst storms of her life and strategies on how to remain anchored in the storm.
JD and Dee Fomby Ministries
Day 1
Scriptures: Hebrews 6:19, Mark 4:39
Anchored in the Storm
Every year, from June 1st to November 30th, we brace ourselves for hurricane season in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sometimes, they predict significant storms like Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out the city of New Orleans in 2005; other times, they may warn us about minor storms like Hurricane Rita. Since the major storm has hit our city, we do not take warnings for granted, and my husband ensures our family is safe, secure, and prepared with generators, food, and all the essentials to survive. After experiencing Hurricane Katrina, it’s crucial to remain anchored and prepared.
Anchored is defined as secure firmly in position. Another definition is to provide a firm basis for foundation.
There will be major and minor storms along the way. But remember, God allows storms in our lives to grow our faith, strengthen our hope, deepen our love, and anchor us in Him. His love, protection, and security offer a firm foundation when things feel unsteady and uncertain. You can always run to Him for safety. He promises to be a very present help in times of trouble and never to leave or forsake you.
The storms of life may be raging against you, but you will not drown. I encourage you to run to Him, for He truly cares for you. The more you immerse yourself in the word, the safer you will feel, and you’ll be able to command the storms in your life to be still. You can weather any storm when you are anchored in the LORD.
Say this prayer with me: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for being my anchor. When the storms of life are raging, I know I am safe and secure in you. I am grateful that the storms are growing my faith, strengthening my hope, and deepening my love. You have given me hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding my soul to you. I know the storms are meant to build me, not break me, and grow me closer to you. For that, I praise your name in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: Matthew 11:28-30, John 10:10
Rest in the Storm
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, Come to me all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Rest means relief or freedom. Even in a storm, if you keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of your faith, there is where you will find rest.
During a difficult period in my life, I struggled to find peace and rest from God while dealing with the overwhelming grief of losing my mother and son within one month of each other. Despite sleeping 12 hours a day, I still felt restless, weary, and heavily burdened. My mind was constantly plagued with anxiety, fear, and worry, and I couldn’t find peace no matter how much I slept. My soul was weary.
The definition of weary means feeling or showing tiredness, especially due to excessive exertion.
One of the synonyms for the word weary is dead. When you think about the word dead, it can mean a natural or a spiritual death. The enemy takes advantage of your situation by draining you of time, vision, dreams, and desires to press into His presence, thus causing weariness. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. The more I slept, the more the enemy was stealing, killing, and destroying my life, and I lacked the time to rest in His presence.
Proper rest and peace come from spending time with God to experience life in its fullness, even in the midst of a storm. You can’t sleep all day and expect to receive rest in the presence of the Almighty God. Resting in God allows you to be renewed, revived, restored, and refreshed in His presence.
To obtain rest, dedicate time to reading the scriptures, listening to music that encourages or edifies the soul, journaling to clear your mind, taking a walk in the park, or simply sitting still and meditating on all He has done for you. While everyone expects you to break down, you’ve learned to be anchored in God and rest in the storm.
Say this prayer with me: Father, your word says to come to you all who are weary and heavily burdened, and you will give them rest. God, I’m tired and restless; I need you like never before. My mind is anxious, and the storms of life have beat me down. Come into my heart and take up residence here. I command the spirit of restlessness, worry, fear, and doubt to leave me now in the name of Jesus. Father, thank you for replenishing me and giving me rest for my weary soul. In Jesus name, Amen!
Day 3
Scriptures: John 8:36, Psalms 18:17, Matthew 18:[11]
Rescued in the Storm
People assumed that I knew God just because I attended church occasionally. The truth is, I didn’t know God at all. I was lost, not only in a spiritual sense but also to the storm of addiction. For ten long years, my storm was drugs. I remember telling myself that if I didn’t get help, I would die in the storm of addiction.
After reaching a breaking point, I decided to seek help and admitted myself to a rehab clinic. The treatment involved taking a pill to gradually reduce my reliance on opioids. Initially, this approach seemed promising, but I learned about the drawbacks. The pills would make me ill, and the cost of the treatment was around $20,000, which I couldn’t afford alongside my other expenses. Therefore, I decided to leave the clinic and move on from that option.
I felt defeated and hopeless, as if the storm had won. It seemed more powerful than me, but I knew that it was not more powerful than the Almighty GOD, who was well able and capable of rescuing me. And He did just that!
I started fasting and seeking the Lord with all my heart and soul. One weekend, when my husband was out of town, I was completely immersed in God’s presence. I hated being an addict, and I knew it didn’t want to let me go. But I had to starve it out. I fasted and sought the Lord for three days and three nights, and He heard my prayer. He saved me from the storm of addiction right there on my living room floor—no medication or treatment facility was necessary.
I’ve been clean for seven years. All Glory belongs to God. Your addiction may not be drugs, but any habit that you give yourself more to than you give to GOD is an addiction. And I want to assure you that there is hope and freedom available to you no matter your struggle. When I finally got tired of being trapped in the storm and realized I needed help, I allowed God to work on my behalf. GOD has helped me, and I have done my part to maintain my deliverance by renewing my mind daily with the word of God, creating boundaries in relationships, being mindful of my environment, and constantly tearing down every thought that tries to exalt itself against the true knowledge of God.
I was the lost sheep that the shepherd left ninety-nine to rescue me. Trust and believe that the same God that rescued me from the storm of addiction can do the same thing for you.
Say this prayer with me: Father, in the name of Jesus, I surrender this addiction to you. I realize that I need your help to break me free from the chains of addiction. I bind and break the power of the spirit of addiction, and I lose the power of God and freedom in the name of Jesus. Father, thank you for giving your son Jesus so I can be free and made whole. I declare who the son sets free is free indeed, and I declare today I am free in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Day 4
Scriptures: Matthew 8:24-27, 2 Timothy 1:7
Silent in the Storm
It’s important to stop allowing the enemy to keep you silent in the storm. Your voice is a powerful tool against the enemy. When you speak up and speak out against the kingdom of darkness, you will dismantle the enemy’s influence and come out victorious in Jesus’ name.
For years, I allowed the devil to silence me in situations when I should have spoken up for myself. I remained quiet through instances of abuse, sexual assault, and depression for far too long. I believed the lies that speaking out would label me as difficult or dramatic or that the person harming me would hurt me even more. These were all lies from the pit of hell.
Can I be honest with you? The devil knows exactly what to use to keep you silent. He knows how to use condemnation, rejection, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence to make you feel your voice doesn’t matter.
For me, it was fear. Fear of man, fear of not being believed, fear of rejection, fear of more trauma. I allowed fear to silence me.
Fear will try to creep in to silence you, but you must dismantle the spirit of fear and speak to your storm.
When you speak to your storm, it has to cease! When you open your mouth, you destroy the stronghold that has held you captive. This is the reason why the enemy wants you to be quiet because there is power and authority in the name of Jesus. Every knee has to bow to the name of Jesus, and every time you speak to your storm, it has to cease!
Even Jesus himself rebuked the winds and the sea with his words. What would have happened if Jesus had never spoken to the storm? Could it be possible that the storm would still be raging?
Job 22:28 says that if you decree (speak) and declare a thing, it will be established unto you. Open your mouth and speak to the storms raging in your life and establish the promises of GOD over and over again until you see the storm become silent. You won’t be silent, but we command the storms to be quiet in Jesus’ name!
Say this prayer with me. Father, in Jesus’s name, your word says that you have not given me the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. I dismantle the spirit of fear that has tried to muzzle me in Jesus’ name. Thank you, Father, for giving me power and authority in Jesus’ name, so I activate my faith by opening my mouth to speak and declare a ceasefire to every storm in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Day 5
Scriptures: 2 Kings 20:1-6, Psalms 100:4
Worship in the Storm
My marriage was in turmoil, and to make matters worse, I experienced heartbreak when my mother and son passed away within 35 days of each other. I’ve faced many difficulties in my life, but nothing compared to the pain I experienced during this time.
Losing my mother to a stroke at the age of sixty and my son in a tragic car accident at the age of 21 was an attack from the enemy.
Even though I knew it wasn’t God’s fault, I still found myself angry at Him for not saving my family. Due to the level of betrayal I was feeling, I ran away from God and fell into a deep depression, and I couldn’t see my way out.
Early one Sunday morning, I heard the Lord tell me that I needed to worship my way through the storm, angry and all. I decided to get dressed and go to church. When I arrived, the worship team began to sing “Firm Foundation” by Maverick City. The chorus goes something like this: “Rain came, wind blew, my house was built on you, I’m safe with you, I’m going to make it through. Christ is my firm foundation.”
I found myself lost in worship and began to weep in God’s presence. I started declaring that He is my firm foundation and that I would make it through. The song came alive and pulled me out of the worst season of my life.
Worship is one of the greatest warfare tactics against the enemy. It causes things to shift.
The devil’s job is to get you so consumed with the storm that you never press to get to the presence of God. When storms come in your life, do you worry or worship? Worrying is a form of worship to the devil. It’s telling God that your storm is greater than He is, which is a lie from the pits of hell. God is greater than any storm you may face.
When you enter the presence of an Almighty God, every storm has to cease. When you begin to worship, you take your eyes off the storm and focus on God.
In 2 Kings 20, the Bible tells how the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah to inform him that he would die. Upon hearing this news, King Hezekiah prayed and wept before the Lord. Before the prophet could leave the inner court, the Lord sent him back to tell King Hezekiah that He had seen his tears and heard his prayers; as a result, he would be healed and granted an additional 15 years of life.
King Hezekiah’s sincere worship moved God’s heart, demonstrating the power of worship during the storm. Worship can change the results and move God’s hand. You have the key inside you, and those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth. Will you testify that you worshipped in the storm?
Say this prayer with me: Lord, I bless you, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. There’s no one or nothing that deserves my worship but you. Father, I repent for the times when I exalted the storms of life over my worship of you. Your word says that if I come near to you, you will come near to me. Thank you, Father, for your everlasting love and being greater than any storm I may face. In Jesus name, Amen!