Are You Anchored In The Storm Pt2

Part 1 Review

1. When You’re In A Storm, You Cannot Depend On Human Wisdom

Acts 27:18-19 READ

One of the most difficult things to do when you’re going through a storm will be to resist the temptation to handle your storms in the way that you think they should be handled.

2. When You’re In A Storm, You Can Depend On Godly Wisdom

Acts 27:22-25 READ

Whenever you’re in the middle of a storm, you need to remember that God will still be talking to you, you can depend on whatever He tells you and that He will bring you through every storm that you ever face!

3. When You’re In A Storm, You Need To Drop Some Anchors

Acts 27:29 READ

Last Sunday I briefly mentioned four anchors that I believe you need to drop whenever you’re going through a storm and today I want start elaborating on each of those four anchors.

The very first anchor that we should throw out is:

A. The Anchor of Prayer

We must not throw any other anchor until we have thrown this anchor first…

Whenever a storm comes your way, don’t be like these sailors and let prayer be the last thing that you do. Drop to your knees and pray before you try to do anything else!

A couple got the news that they couldn’t have children. On the way home from the doctor’s office they decided to ask their Pastor for prayer. Their Pastor was bi-vocational and ran an auto repair shop so they went by the shop to see him. After they explained the situation, the Pastor grabbed a can of three-in-one oil, anointed them and prayed. About 9 months later they had triplets. When the couple saw the Pastor, the wife gave him a big hug and said, “I’m so glad you didn’t anoint me with WD-40!”

James 5:13-16 says, 13“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Prayer is a powerful force that God will use to bring healing, restoration and forgiveness into your life!

But too often we leave this part out and wonder why relationships are broken. We wonder why the sick are still sick.

We wonder why the church is dying today, why Christianity is being pushed out of America as we speak.

Former President, Jimmy Carter, once said - “God answers all prayers. Sometimes He answers, “Yes,” sometimes He answers, “No,” and sometimes the answer is, “You gotta be kidding Me!”

Psalm 55:4-8 David says, 4“My heart is severely pained within me and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me and horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. 8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest’.”

An overweight businessman decided to shed some pounds. One morning he arrived at work carrying a half-eaten box of donuts. His coworkers scolded him but he said, “Let me explain. I accidentally drove by Krispy Kreme this morning and the “Hot donuts” light was on. I felt that this was no accident, so I prayed, ‘Lord, if you want me to have some donuts, let me have a parking place in front of Krispy Kreme. And sure enough, the eighth time around the block, I saw the parking spot I had prayed for!”

Acts 12:5-7 says, 5“Peter was in prison but [occasional prayer was offered by a few of his closest friends] CONSTANT prayer was offered to God for him by the [WHOLE] church. 6That night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7Now an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the prison and he struck Peter on the side saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands.”

Don’t overlook the fact that your prayers for other folks can miraculously open prison doors for them!

Elvis didn’t sing the first “Jail House Rock”

Acts 16:25, 26 says, 25“At midnight Paul and Silas were [whining and moaning and complaining to God, and all the prisoners were listening to them as they griped.] praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”