Mark 4:35-41 NIRV

When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?” “Yes, I care. I gave you the authority to take care of it.” He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?” They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 3:13-15 (NIRV)

Jesus went up on a mountainside. He called for certain people to come to him, and they came. He appointed 12 of them so that they would be with him. He would also send them out to preach. And he gave them authority to drive out demons.

Could this have been a test for the disciples? An opportunity to flex their authority? Jesus selected 12 to go out to preach and gave them authority to cast out demons.

38… “Yes, I care. I gave you the authority to take care of it.”  - to resist opposing circumstances

Ephesians 6:10-12 CEV

10 Let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.

Revelation 12 - War In Heaven - authority from God

Genesis 3 - The Fall Of Mankind - authority God gave to man

Matthew 4:1-11 - Temptation of Jesus - authority from Jesus

Revelation 12:12b - “But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

3 Steps To Resisting Opposing Circumstances

1. Pray As You Align Your Thoughts (With Heaven)

37 A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. 38 Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”

Our circumstances show up and that’s all we see - emotions - see truth

Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Mark 11:22-24 CEV

esus told his disciples: Have faith in God!   If you have faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.

• Post on Psycology Today, “...some sources suggest that the average person makes an eye-popping 35,000 choices per day. Assuming that most people spend around seven hours per day sleeping and thus blissfully choice-free, that makes roughly 2,000 decisions per hour or one decision every two seconds.

2. Pray As You Respond And Move

38… “Yes, I care. I gave you the authority to take care of it.”  

• Israel was delivered - they saw their circumstance - panicked - Moses reminds them:

Exodus 14:14-18 CEV

he Lord will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing.” The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward. Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground.

James 2:26 CEV

“Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!”

• Hebrews 11:2- Faith chapter (Noah, Gideon, Rahab, etc.) “It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.”

3. Pray As You Declare God’s Truth

Mark 4:39, “He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.”

Genesis 1:27 NIRV

“So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself.”

• Quote from Randy Clark, Authority From God, How and Why You Can Kick the Devil Out of Your Life, “When God speaks a word of command He also supplies the power to accomplish what He said to do.” 

• Psalm 119:89 NKJV, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” Settled has the Hebrew meaning as when an army takes land or territory and sets guards to protect it.

• Matthew 18:18 CEV, “I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don't allow.”

“We're gonna see the strongholds bow. We're gonna see the things of Heaven here, right now”

“Light of the world, Lamb that was slain. Lion who roars, mighty to save. The fullness of God won’t be kept in a grave. Darkness, your hour is over.”

“This is our hope; the cross it has spoken. Death is no more, Christ is the Lord, this is our hope.”

Ephesians 6:10 NLT

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”