Praise in the Midst of the Storm Sample

### P eace Preparation You can't hear it, there is nothing to see either, but you can definitely feel it. You feel it in your bones…there's a storm coming. Right now though, in the calm before the storm, there is almost an eerie quietness in the air, a stillness. Life is calm and serene, everything is going as planned. Then suddenly, there is a shift in the atmosphere. The wind begins to howl and the rain starts to fall. In the distance, there is a mighty roar and rumble heading toward you. What do you do now? Do you panic and ponder the worst possible outcome of the storm's wrath? Do you let worry wash over you like an enormous tidal wave? Do you run around in circles of chaos and confusion like a tornado? Your reaction depends on if you prepared for the storm or not. Preparing for a storm doesn't mean you are beckoning it to come your way or taunting it as if to say, "come on, give me your best shot." You must prepare for the storms in life as they are inevitable. Jesus actually promised that storms will come. Being prepared means that you can have a relaxed response as opposed to a rash reaction . You are ready for whatever comes your way. So how do you prepare for the storms, so your heart is postured towards peace? You must practice being in the presence of the Prince...Jesus, the Prince of Peace. You must learn His ways, how He thinks, and how He responds to situations and storms. The only way to learn this is to study the life of Jesus in the Gospels. Learn from the Peacemaker Himself! Choose to immerse yourself in the presence of God through praise and worship so that the peace of the Spirit can saturate your mind and soul. Find a few worship songs and put them on repeat and let them wash over you like a mighty wave of peace. Commit to a consistent prayer life with Christ as well as study and secure His Word to memory so that when the gusts begin to blow, you can grab ahold of the Scriptures and remain in a place of peace. When you tap into the power of the Prince of Peace, you can rest assured you are strong enough to withstand the stirring of the waters and you have a safe place to weather the storm. #### Take a moment to rest in God's peace with the song 'Peace Be Still' by Hope Darst found below.