Jesus said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!” (Luke 8:25)
How do we react when we believe our life may be in danger? In the familiar passage in Luke 8:22-25, Jesus is in a boat with his disciples as they cross the sea of Galilee. While Jesus sleeps, a “fierce windstorm came down on the lake,” and the disciples were terrified. So, they woke up Jesus, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!”
What can we learn about prayer from this passage? The disciples’ first response was to ask Jesus for help. Is this our first response? Do we go to prayer first, or do we call our friends, post on social media, or internalize and start worrying.
It may be easy to be critical of the disciples’ prayer – “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” However, I contend that it isn’t an inappropriate prayer. They were scared and didn’t try to hide their fear from Jesus. In the same way, we can run to God in prayer and be open about how scared we are; for he knows anyway. It’s wonderful to be transparent in prayer.
What do you suppose the disciples thought Jesus would do? It’s unlikely that they thought he would calm the storm. When we call out to Jesus in a time of great fear, what do we expect Jesus to do? Do we approach him in prayer expecting a response? Do we prescribe how he is supposed to answer?
Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ prayer was immediate. The account tells us that they were “amazed” that he had sovereignty over nature – for even the wind and the waves obeyed him. When we pray, we can approach God with full assurance that he is the sovereign God with complete power and authority. We can experience great peace when we let God handle our fears.