Today’s Truth

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed (Psalm 107:29 NIV).

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“Is there anything else you need?” the waitress asked. I thought to myself, “Lady, you have no idea.” Every part of me screamed, “YES! I have so many needs!” But instead, I answered, “More coffee, please.”

Have you been there? When the storms of life beat over our heads, our hearts grow anxious against the waves. Thoughts race in competition with truth; worry weasels its way in. The needs are high. We want safety. We need protection and provision.

Psalm 107 unfolds the God stories of various people groups and explains how the Lord transformed their pain into purpose. Each group of people exhibits a character flaw that reveals why their misery came upon them until we arrive at verse 23. Unlike the previous groups of wanderers, prisoners, and fools, this group of sea captains draws my attention. They were ordinary people going about a typical day, workers performing the tasks they were trained and called to do. I imagine it was a great day to be a fishing entrepreneur since the psalmist shares that “They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep” (Psalm 107:24). Sign me up for that!

But then, God spoke to the waves and whipped a storm into shape. Suddenly, the sea captains weren’t so fond of the sea in the middle of this fabulous day of dolphin watching and full nets. The perilous heights and depths of the ocean melted their courage. “They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end” (Psalm 107:27).

The psalmist paints quite the picture of what often happens when interruptions slam into our happy. “At their wits’ end” describes that they had exhausted all their knowledge and didn’t know what else to do. The situation was entirely outside their control.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. The sea captains did what each of the heroes in Psalm 107 did; they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. Four times in one chapter, the psalmist echoes the words, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble.” Four times!

Pain is often a prompt to prioritize prayer. As I read this repetition, the Spirit whispers to my heart, “Follow their example.” When life spins out of control, and I’m at my wits’ end, I echo the cries of Psalm 107. When the waves are at their highest, my cry is at the loudest. “Lord, save me. You have done it before; You can do it again. I trust in You.”

Thankfully the storms don’t last forever. “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:29-30 NIV). The storm is not your final destination; God longs to be your calm.

If you struggle to find the words to pray, perhaps you could begin with:

Lord, more calm, please.

I’m so grateful His whisper to the waves stills the tempests of our hearts. Whether a mental or verbal call to the Lord for help, prayer reminds us that the storm is not bigger than our God.

Let’s Pray

Dear Father, I cry out to You amid the storm. It’s easy to rely on myself when I want to remember to depend on You. Be my calm amid chaos. May Your peace be the ruler of my heart and mind.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 

How have you learned to cry out to God in life’s storms? What have you discovered as a result?
Share in the comments! 

More from the Girlfriends

Rachel’s Beautiful 31 Days of Prayers for the Heart prayer cards provide prayers to help you cry out to God. “These cards are spot on when I can’t find the words.”—Savannah. And you’ll also enjoy Rachel’s free ebook, “Prayers the Calming Collection,” available at rachelwojo.com.

© 2022 by Rachel Wojo. All rights reserved.

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17 Responses to “More Calm Please”

  1. Sheila says:

    I NEED MORE CALM. Yesterday started off as a good day and it spiraled out of control. There were words spoken between myself and my daughter leaving me feeling guilty, anxious, and hurt. Instead of calling out to God I wanted to fix it myself. But i didn’t know how. My prayer today is for more calm and ask for God’s guidance. This was just what I needed today Rachel.

  2. Sarah says:

    Thank you, Rachel! Beautiful reminder❤️

  3. Janita says:

    This is so good and a great reminder! I did a study on this particular Psalm (107) a few years ago and in my notes, I have a reminder that they worshipped after God’s deliverance – verses 8, 15, 21 and 31. I still have to remember to worship in the midst of the storm as well as in the calm.

  4. DJ says:

    Thank you for the peace that comes from God’s word. My husband and I got off yo a tacky start as life’s happenings have added stress. Your words and God can bring peace, calm and right our ship.

  5. Kami says:

    I am currently at my wits end regarding my daughter’s illness. We’ve been to all of the doctors and gotten their advice. She has stage 3 kidney disease and is not compliant with her doctor’s orders. So now I turn to God to ask for pease and calm. Also, a big ask for complete healing for my daughter.

  6. Carola says:

    Solo sanar, Senor.

  7. Amy says:

    What’s crazy is the fact that I woke up very early this morning around 2 am and turned to the Word and my eyes stumbled on this chapter! Now seeing that todays devotional is based off of this chapter is clearly God further speaking to me and emphasizing the importance of crying to Him. I was feeling so uneasy and anxious all day yesterday. I cried multiple times and was truly restless. I’m glad that God woke me up and I went to the Word as opposed to staying up on social media or busying myself with something else. God is faithful and He see’s each tear that falls from my eyes. Even though I may be experiencing hardships right now, I can reflect on times past where God has showed up and showed out. It’s a helpful and beautiful reminder that He cares. He cares about whats troubling me. He has helped me through countless difficulties and if He has done it before He can do it again. My prayer is that we all may continually be reminded of the good that the Lord has done for us, seek Him first always and know that He is near and He cares and wants nothing but the best for us.

  8. Teri Ploski says:

    Oh for sure! I feel like I’ve been in a storm for 14 months now. Yes, there have been moments of calm, immediately followed by a new swell of the waves that threatened to capsize me. But God has been there in every single swell, in every single calm spot. He’s been the captain of the ship, steering me safely to shore. I’m not there yet, but I think I can finally see it. Will there be more storms on the horizon before I reach that shore? Absolutely. And when I do finally reach that shore, will it be the paradise I think? Probably not. It will be a place of calm for a bit, but there are dangers lurking in the forests that I cannot yet see. But I can count on my Savior to shelter me when he sees fit, and to let me be battered if that is what suits his purposes for me and for his glory.

  9. Disne says:

    Lord , calm my storm! I’m waiting on Your total healing & restoration in my body! In Jesus Name, Amén 🙏🏼♥️

  10. Wendy says:

    God knew how much I needed your words yesterday. I was at my wits end with work on Tuesday. I recently heard Benny Tate say we forget God is a God Man. He was asleep in the storm in His human form, but He is still God. He was fully aware of what was going on around Him.
    Today my coworker sounded at her wits end. I forwarded her your devotional. She said, “when you read this yesterday, you did not know today how much I needed this.”
    Thank for writing what God put on your heart!

  11. Tiffany says:

    Thank you for this message. For the past 5 years I’ve been a constant state of anxiety, just waiting for the next ball to drop trying to find peace in the midst of the storm. When I pray, often I’m at a lost for words. Thank you for this payer, “Lord, more calm, please.” I know if God did it before He can do it again. Lord I’ve grown weary. Please heal the numbness I feel and help me to find comfort in knowing that You are with me always.

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