His Peace Calms the Storm
Your Nightly Prayer
by Rachel Wojo, Host of the Untangling Prayer podcast
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“He got up, rebuked the wind… ‘Quiet! Be still!” - Mark 4:39
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Many years ago, there was a season in my life when everything fell apart at once. My marriage ended. My mom went to heaven after battling leukemia. I received my daughter, Taylor’s, diagnosis of Sanfilippo Syndrome, a neurodegenerative condition that would slowly take her. All of this happened in less than a year.
Externally, that year, my life looked like utter chaos. There were hard decisions to make, medical appointments, and a funeral. It was the kind of storm where you can’t see past the next wave rolling over you. Yet the internal storm was even more intense.
Have you ever been grieving and raging and struggling to find words all at the same time? Some days, I could barely form a coherent sentence. I’d open my mouth, and nothing came out. Other days, anger poured out in words I didn’t even recognize as my own. The confusion inside me felt bigger than anything happening around me. I’m guessing you might know what I’m talking about.
In Mark 4, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the sea when a violent storm hit. Waves crashed into the boat, and water poured in. The disciples were terrified, certain they were going to drown. And Jesus? He was asleep.
They woke Him up, panicked: “Don’t you care if we drown?”
Jesus got up. He looked at the wind and the waves, and He spoke three words: “Quiet! Be still!”
Immediately, the wind stopped howling, and the water went calm. The disciples could hardly understand it. “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
I try to imagine what that must have looked like that day on the lake. What happened that day still happens today. Jesus doesn’t just calm the external storm of the wind and the waves. He speaks peace into the internal chaos, too.
Look at the disciples in the boat that day. They were not just afraid of drowning. They questioned whether Jesus even cared about them. “Don’t you care if we drown?” That’s internal chaos. That’s fear, doubt, abandonment all wrapped into one desperate question. Jesus addressed both. He spoke to the storm outside: “Quiet! Be still!”
And He spoke to the storm inside: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
He wasn't scolding them. He was inviting them to trust Him. That even when it looks like He’s asleep, He’s still in the boat. Their boat.
When my life was falling apart, I needed Jesus to speak to both storms: the external chaos of loss and grief that wouldn’t stop coming, and the internal chaos of rage and questions I couldn’t answer. I desperately needed to hear His words, “Be still.” And as I sought Him through prayer time and time again, the peace and assurance I needed gradually grew my heart to the deeper understanding that His voice has authority over every kind of storm, seen or unseen.
Jesus is still speaking peace into your heart, no matter the chaos. You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t have to have strong faith. You just have to recognize His voice and His power. Quiet. Be still.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Jesus,
I need you to speak peace into my storms. The ones everyone can see and the ones only I know about. I’m tired of trying to calm the chaos on my own. I need your voice. Speak to the circumstances threatening to drown me. Speak to the fear, doubt, and anger inside me. Quiet the storms. Remind me that You’re in the boat with me, and that Your words have authority over everything that’s trying to destroy me. Strengthen my trust, restore my hope, and fill me with Your peace. In Your name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Your External Storm
What's the chaos in your circumstances right now? Jesus sees it. He's not asleep or unaware. He's in the boat with you, and His voice still has authority over the wind and waves in your life.
2. Your Internal Storm
What's happening inside you that nobody else can see? Whether it is fear, anger, or questions you haven’t yet been able to voice, Jesus speaks peace into that chaos, too. He doesn't require you to clean up the internal mess before He'll help you. He speaks directly into it: "Be still."
3. The Words He Speaks
Remember what Jesus said to the storm: "Quiet! Be still!" Those words still carry the same authority today. He's not asking the storm to calm down. He's commanding it. When you can't find words to pray, His words are enough. Let Him speak peace over you tonight.
As you close your eyes tonight, remember this: God sees. He knows. He values the small, hidden sacrifices you make in His name.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Thank you for joining us tonight. This devotional was written by Rachel Wojo, host of the Untangling Prayer podcast. If you're calling out to God in life's pitch-black moments and wondering if He's listening, Rachel invites you to check out her book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments. Rachel's prayer journey and promising principles will guide you from frenzied desperation to dependent faith, showing you that praying in a panic creates a powerful pathway to peace. You can find the link in the show notes. Until next time, remember, God sees you and knows your need.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Aleh Varanishcha
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Originally published Friday, 20 March 2026.
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