Storms of Life

By Oyetutu Osibajo

This book demonstrates the awareness of storms and how real storms are based on individual experiences, and Biblical application. Storms of life cannot be prevented except through Gods grace and intervention.
This book makes us realize that there are different types of storms- unexpected storm, instant storm or financial storm to mention a few. Whatever type of storm it may be, it gives no notice before it manifest. Storm is no respecter of any one; it does not care about whom you are or your personality. It does not recognize whether you are prayerful or not, but it will strike. The storm brought us sadness and hurt and some famine; but yet we still rise by His Grace.
The book exposes us to the facts that there will be storms in life. Storms are unpredictable; and we should not allow our faith to be moved during the storm; because there are times we feel like we have lost the battle. However, just as surely as the Lord is in control of our blessings, He is in charge of our storms. When things look the bleakest, God will show up! There is always an entry and exit to every storm. The test always brings testimony if we put Jesus in the middle of the Storm. It is safer in the storm with Jesus.
The book indicates various ways we can deal with storms of life without allowing it to affect our health. During the storm we need to focus on God and take advice from the right people. We should have faith and act to stop the storm. Self-pity cannot help, but a courageous mind that will not accept defeat. The storm is temporary, and you will overcome it by Gods Grace through praying and trusting in the Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532016349

Oyetutu Osibajo

Prophetess Oyetutu Osibajo was born and raised in a Christian home and family. She is the founder and pastor of Church of Light Evangelism Ministry (COLEM). This ministry was set up by the power of God for prophecy, prayer, healing, deliverance, and evangelism. She started her prophetic ministry at a very young age and had prophesied into many lives through the inspiration of God which has brought great testimonies. Prophetess Osibajo was called by God to start COLEM with her prophetic ministry in 2008. At first she acted like Jonah in the Bible, running from God instead of starting the church. Even though she loved God and was still performing the prophetic work and helping other ministries, her obedience was partial. She paid heavy prices for her disobedience until she started the ministry officially in July 2011. Prophetess Osibajo life and experiences are proof that God can use anyone to proclaim His glory, even those who are condemned by people. As it is written in Matthew 21:42(KJV), “Jesus said to them, did you ever read the scripture, the stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner stone; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” She is a woman of truth and she proclaims the love of God. She helps and cares for people which exemplify the focus of her ministerial life. As we read in 1 Samuel 16:7(NASB) “For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Prophetess Osibajo life is a living wonder and testimony to the work of God. The miracle power of God, which sustained the life of those whom, God has chosen to use to proclaim His glory

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Copyright © 2017 Oyetutu Osibajo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV) of God’s Victorious Army Bible Copyright © 1996 and the Prayer Bible copyright ©2006 by Morris Cerullo World Evangelism. Used by permission. New International Version (NIV) ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. New American Standard Bible(NASB)®, copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lock man Foundation. Used by permission. Letter from Joseph Smith to William W. Phelps and others, Aug. 18, 1833, Kirtland, Ohio; Joseph Smith, Collection, Church Archives. Other resources are researches on storms in articles and various sermons. Lyrics of song of master of the tempest by Mary A. Baker (1894)

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-1633-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-1634-9 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 02/15/2017

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Chapter One

What do we mean by storms of Life?

How do you perceive storms?

Who should you trust in your storm?

Grace in the storm

God’s Love during the storm

Chapter Two

Categories of Storms

Storm through Disobedient to God

Storm through Test of Faith

Storms from enemies

Self –Created Storm

Storm of in Submissive

Storm from Envy

Chapter Three

How to deal with the storm

Jesus Rebuke the storm

Praying during storm

Praising God during Storm

Fasting during storm

Power from God to endure during Storm

Chapter Four

How do we react to Storm?

Do you blame God during your storm?

Some suggested positive behaviors

Words of encouragement during storm

Peace during storm

Faith in time of storm

Chapter Five

What are your utterances during Storm?

Words to utter in the storm experience.

Some strategies on how to deal with the storm:

Stopping the storm

What to do in the midst of your storm.

The purposes of Storm

Advice on How to address your storm

Chapter Six

Why do we have a delay in the storm?

Reasons for delayed in Prayers,

Finding Help in Prolonged storm

How you make it through life’s prolonged storm:

Storms are God’s Means of Testimony

Chapter Seven

How do you prepare to handle your storm?

Furious storm will be silent-

Rebuke fear during Storm

Prayer to rebuke fear

Hope in Storm

Chapter Eight

The Storm encountered as believers.

Building Confidence; in God during Storm.

The faithful do not murmur in affliction

Chapter Nine

How to overcome during the Storm.

Chapter Ten

Storm caused by severe loss.

Five things that will help you in the great storm

Attitude to keep during the storm

Chapter Eleven

Time with God during the Storm

How to Build Our Lives on Jesus in the Duration of the Storm

Chapter Twelve

The Importance of Prayer in a Storm

Chapter Thirteen

Standing Firm in Your Storm Experience

Chapter Fourteen

Why we experience Storm.

"What Difference does a Storm Make?

How to avoid the storms in our lives.

Chapter Fifteen

Storms take you to greatness

Power to Achieve during storm

Achievement through unity

Chapter Sixteen

Sunrise after the storm

Chapter Seventeen

The lessons we learned in the storm.

Chapter Eighteen

Some prayers and Psalms that will help during the storms of Life

Prayers during the Storms to breakthrough

Prayers for strength in storm

The cry of the afflicted Prayers

Prayers to celebrate God in Victory

Suggested Bible verses to help in time of storm

Concusion

The Song Master of the tempest

About the Author

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Almighty God for the victory He gave me during my severe storm experiences. I thank God for His protection. I also appreciate God for upholding the ministry and my children during this turbulent period.

To my Father and mother in the Lord, Mr. and Professor Mrs. Ajaiyeoba, thank you for your prayers, encouragement and your assistance during my stormy experiences. I also thank James Olla, Dr. Esther Olla and Dr. Funmilayo for their commitment and support during the tempest to keep the Church and prayer line moving forward. My appreciation goes to Tejumade Ajaiyeoba for her unwavering support and encouragement in completing the book.

I thank Professor Mrs. Eunice Ajaiyeoba, especially for assisting me in editing this book, and the pains she went through for standing by me. God sent her to me when I needed her wisdom and professionalism the most. May you have unlimited success in your endeavors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank the Supreme God who gave me the Divine inspiration and attribute to write this book. I especially recognize the support of my loving daughters throughout the process of writing and compiling this book. I love you and I appreciate you. God will continue to bless and reward your endeavors. Thank you for the unwavering support, love, and devotion despite what we experienced together.

I also appreciate my mother in Christ, who was a God sent to encourage me and my family. My special thanks to you Professor Eunice Ajaiyeoba and Family, a retired professor who made her effort in editing and re writing this book. I know we are divinely connected by God who knows your Bible Knowledge to partner with me because a tree cannot make a forest. God sent you to me when I needed your wisdom the most. May you have unlimited success in your endeavors. I love you.

INTRODUCTION

My stormy experiences have played an important role in writing this book. This book will demonstrate the awareness of storms and how real storms are based on individual experiences, and biblical application. Storms of life cannot be prevented except through God’s grace and intervention. This book makes us realize that there are different types of storms- unexpected storm, instant storm or financial storm to mention a few. Whatever type of storm it may be, it gives no notice before it manifest. Storm is no respecter of any one; it does not care about whom you are or your personality. It does not recognize whether you are prayerful or not, but it will strike. The storm brought us sadness and hurt and some famine; but yet we still rise. We should perceive it that there will be storms in life, Storms are unpredictable, your problem is not the storm. A storm is a test of how much you trust in God. The test always brings testimony if we put Jesus in the middle of the Storm. It is safer in the storm with Jesus.

This book shows us as children of God how God can deliver us through the toughest storm of life, If we can only have faith in God. We should not allow our faith to be moved during the storm; because shallow hearts cannot sustain us during the tempest. There is always an entry and exit to every storm. The storms you are going through are temporary and as Christian at times Life is a constant challenge. There are times when we hate those challenges and wish they did not exist. Yet we must find time to thank God for the challenges in our lives. Without a challenge we will grow bored and weary. With challenge we seek God’s face and God’s touch at every face of the storm. We should attain a spiritual life that will make us thank the Lord for the challenges in our lives, and this will make us know that when we are challenged we know we are doing God’s will, and our time frame is guided in our hope in God. We should believe God is our protector at all times! Especially during a storm!

This book emphasizes that during the storm we should have faith and believe that the storm cannot sink the ship which is carrying the creator of the universe, if we allow the creator to be in the ship. When we have this in mind, we should know that if the storm cannot sink our creator it cannot sink us if we believe. Some lack this faith due to fear of failure, fear of rejection and lack of God’s knowledge. We should realize that the storm has come to test our faith. Some storms are God’s sent. It helps us to recognize Jesus, His love, and His power; and how well we trust in our Lord, Master of the earth, land and sea. This book also emphasizes that with Jesus in our boat, the storm will not overwhelm us. The storm will be over by His power and our Joy will be restored.

This book makes it known that the face of the storm is Jesus. Every Christian is, or will go through a storm in their Christian life. But Jesus is the eye of the storm and we must pray and get to the eye to find peace and rest. The eye of the storm is the center of the storm. So we must reach out to Jesus during our storms.

We need to have faith and pray without ceasing, and then Jesus will reach out to us as he did with Peter. We should understand that in surviving the perfect storm, we must learn to pray intensely and believe. As a result we can find peace, calm, and serenity. We must also learn to give praise and ask for Grace and God’s goodness to follow us in our storm. God may not change the storm, but when we pray, God changes us through the storm We should learn in our storm not to be fearful but continue with a strong mind that we are going to overcome and be a winner.

While writing this book I was undergoing a severe storm. This manuscript took me two years to complete because it was abandoned due to the severity of the storm experience. My focus was on how to survive the turbulent experience with the help of God. I thank God for His goodness in my stormy period for his guidance, and support to complete this book. Praise the Lord.

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY STORMS OF LIFE?

S torms of life have different interpretation and impact based on the cause and effect of the storm on the individual. The experience of a person going through the storm of life is different from the person watching the storm. People who experience hurricane in different parts of the world, losing properties, and possibly lives; have a different view of a storm from people who watched the storm in the news or by listening to the radio. Storm is defined in the dictionary as a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere, manifesting itself by winds of unusual force or direction, often accompanied by rain, snow, hail, thunder, and lightning, or flying sand or dust.

Storms can also be defined as a violent weather condition with winds, a violent commotion or disturbance, a direct and violent assault on a stronghold. Storm behaves violently, as if in the state of a great anger. It blows hard. The aforementioned defined storms as caused by nature. We have storms caused by our sins, disobedient to God, and when God wants to test our faith in him.

Let us examine some Biblical views on storms and God’s mercy. Isaiah 25:4, You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall. Consequently in the above passage, we can see the demonstration of God’s love and mercy to the poor, the needy and people in different forms of afflictions. Storms often represent troubles in our lives but God is always present. Storms can be physical, spiritual or emotional. Storms can come to our lives through family, neighbor, friends, associates, government, employer, geographical location or self. We should adhere to God’s promise that he will never leave us alone. There are forces behind every storm; some forces come through nature thereby result in different experiences. Each storm is accompanied by individual and collective warnings. For example rain storm, snow storm, hail storm, thunder storm to mention a few. Based on studies we receive warnings on natural disasters.

There are also individual and collective warnings, in other to avoid storms in our lives. Some warnings come from the voice of God, whereby we are being warned by our inner spirit or mind. Our refusal to acknowledge these warnings result as storms in our lives. As an individual our disobedience and non-compliance to God’s voice can cause a storm in our lives.

In the Physical