Praying Before the Storm~ by Haylie Gregory

I have always loved a good thunder storm. Living in Florida, I get to enjoy those rainy days more than most people. I love to watch the rain pouring from the sky, watering my poor, tomato plant that I never seem to water. I enjoy watching the lightening bounce from cloud to cloud, lighting up the dark, clouded sky. My favorite part of a storm is the thunder. It is so powerful it shakes the windows! I have always heard it said that thunder was God bowling, but personally, I always thought it was a giant cat purring. Then again, I could of been tricked by my cat, Jake, who tends to sit on my chest during storms.

You can always tell when a thunder storm is about to roll in. The sky will get dark, the temperature will drop and the weather man will tell you if rain is in the forecast or not. We always seem to heed thunder storm warnings. I mean, you would not plan to go to the beach if there was an 80 percent chance of rain that day, would you?

Whenever we are in the middle of a spiritual storm, we always tend to say, “Man, I wish I could have had some type of warning.” Did you know that you can? When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said to his disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(Matthew 26:41) Jesus also said in Luke 22:40, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” Jesus knew what was coming, but He wanted His disciples to pray too. They were about to face something they would not understand. They were about to face a storm. We are to pray to God, asking Him to help us not fall into temptation. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” How comforting is that? J  

Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” This verse is saying that, if you pray for God’s guidance, the Holy Spirit will warn you if a storm is coming. No, the Spirit will not come out and say, “Your friends are going to talk bad about you to everyone this Friday”, but it will intercede on your behalf.

This is why our prayer life is so important! The Holy Spirit was given to us to guide us through our life. When we do not pray, we are more likely to fall into temptation. James 1:14 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”  A prayer life is important! It not only strengthens our relationship with God, it helps strengthen us in our everyday lives.

When you are in a storm, remember to learn from it. Storms mean that God is trying to teach you a lesson. He is trying to make you stronger spiritually. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”  Storms come and go, but salvation (the crown of life) is forever. God is forever. Stay with Him and He will not leave your side.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” God is not going to put you in a situation that you can not handle. God knows how much you can take. He will not give you more than that. He has also given you a way out of the storm, but that is something you will have to learn during the storm. My suggestion, read your Bible and pray.

So the next time you think a storm is coming, pray about it. Ask God to help you be prepared for whatever storm is ahead of you. Start praying now. Ask God to equip you with what you need to face this storm.

Did you know that Haylie has eaten over 10 pounds of Twizzlers this summer?!?!

 Photographer property of 'Lilies Among Thorns Magazine'. Photographer taken by Jess Mc.

The Storm~ A Short Story by Rachel Allen

It’s late, almost 10:00 pm. I glance out my window at the brewing storm. The town is covered in a wispy haze, like fog. Frost covers the window, frozen steam clinging to the glass. The sky is marbled and, if possible, the gathering clouds make the night sky even darker. I can hear the wind howling, tearing at the trees. I watch the sky throw a hissy fit until I drift off…

…into a nightmare. I’m surrounded by chaos. Lightning flashes all around me, and thunder crashes in my ears. The wind is blowing so hard the walls of the house seem to bend to its will. Trees are toppling over all around me, torn from the solid ground they’ve stood I for many years. Lightning flashes again, thunder rumbles across the sky, and it starts to rain. The water falls in ice-cold torrents, and I gasp as it chills me straight to the bone. I look up into the sheets of liquid ice. The clouds are an angry, swirling mass, and the eye of the storm is focused on me.

I blink, and suddenly they are there. They’re all there. My boyfriend, asking me why I was cheating on him. My two best friends, asking me which one of them I like more. My parents, asking me why I’m failing three of my classes. My track coach, asking me why I’ve been late for practice. All of them are yelling at me at once. I try to scream, but the sound is ripped from my throat by the roaring wind. There’s a flash of lightning behind me. I turn around to the sound of thunder just in time to see the lightning strike at the base of a tree. There’s a tortured groan, a hideous cracking noise, and it begins to fall, straight towards me. I open my mouth to scream as loud as I can…

…and wake up, breathing hard, heart pounding. I look around the room and hug a pillow to my chest like a frightened child, assuring myself that I am, in fact, awake. I tentatively reach at and push the curtain over my window aside. Lightning strikes in the distance and rain hits the window pane angrily. The storm is still outside, and outside it remains.

For now.

Photograph Property of 'Lilies Among Thorns Magazine'. Photograph taken by Jess Mc.