Pastor Charles continued the series on "Praying Effectively"
His sermon "Pray Through Storms" applied collectively
Verses 23-27 of Matthew chapter eight
Tell of the disciples and a storm that would not abate
In the midst of the storm Jesus acted with aplomb
He woke up, rebuked the winds, and all was calm
Pastor rightly said that we cannot have storm-free lives
But we can be prepared when such a storm arrives
He started by asking "why do we pray?"
Since God knows everything every day
It may seem kind of strange
But prayer is a "vehicle of divine exchange"
Prayer is indicative of our relationship
About prayer Jesus gave us more than one tip
Pray daily, per Mark 1 verse 35
The flow, per Matthew 6 from verse 5
With his disciples, this knowledge Jesus did share
Because important decisions require prayer
Pastor then asked "why don't we pray about something only once?"
Especially since God remembers what we say, for he is no dunce
The key is that prayer changes us as well
God will answer our payers, Pastor did tell
So into our lives don't let storms cast any doubts
Beware for this is one of the enemy's favorite routes
As long as prayer comes from the heart it is good
To communicate with God, it is understood
And from James 5 verse sixteen
Pastor told us what fervent does mean
Our prayers should be "heated until boiling point"
And we know God's power will not disappoint
To Philippians 4: 6 Pastor then referred
"Do not be anxious" says the Word
And "the peace of God", the next verse starts
Will guard our minds and our hearts
In referring to storms whether seen or unseen
Pastor then turned to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all things"
That is "in" not "for" the trouble that life brings
Pastor asked "how do we pray through the storms of life?"
Psalm 91 talks of God's cover through the strife
Matthew 7:24 says to build our house upon the Rock
Per Proverbs 12:7, the house of the righteous is of firm stock
Pastor went on to say we should not walk alone
We need the prayers of others when into storms we are thrown
We should not wait until the storm to develop a life of prayer
God will always hear us, because He doth care
But we will find it easier to hear
If we also pray in times of cheer
There is one final thought in our mind to keep
Jesus is in our boat and He is not asleep
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