By Bode Ayodele
There are various winds in the earth. Each wind serves a specific purpose. Going through the bible you will notice that each type of wind is called by its specific name. We also discover from the scriptures that different winds play different roles.
The bible mentions four major winds: the east wind, the west wind, the south wind and the north wind. Also, other kinds of winds are stated in the scriptures such as the whirlwind, eurocyclon, storm, dry wind, and blast to mention a few.
In this message we are going to look at these various winds and examine the specific roles they play from a biblical perspective. This knowledge will put us in a better position to deal with wind related issues (both physically and spiritually) as they affect our lives.
Before we examine the various kinds of winds however, it is necessary to note that we have been given dominion over all that God has created (remember, Joshua commanded the sun and moon.) However, in many cases we do not exercise our dominion and authority.
Jesus made it clear that as God’s children we are to control the elements of the earth. He led by example. When the wind blew contrary to the course of the ship He was in, Jesus commanded the wind and it obeyed him:
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
As God’s children we are expected to exercise the same level of authority. When you are aware of the specific role each winds play, then you will understand how certain problems experienced in life are wind related. You will also learn how to address each wind specifically. Let us examine the winds and the roles they play:
East Wind: The east wind is about the most significant and by far, the most mentioned in the bible. It is mentioned 19 times - twice as many times as the three other major winds put together!
This wind is a destructive kind of force. Wherever it is mentioned in the bible it refers to something being destroyed or put to ruin. The Psalmist states:
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. (Psalm 48:7)
The book of Jonah 4:8 speaks of a vehement east wind beating the head of Jonah and destroying the gourd God prepared as shade to protect him:
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement East Wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. (Jonah 4:8)
Ezekiel talks of the east wind drying up fruits and withering strong rods – all in line with its destructive capabilities.
But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. (Ezekiel 19:12)
Aside destroying anything that falls into its path the mere following of the east wind could bring about trouble as revealed in Hosea:
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. (Hosea 12:1)
In other words, the fact that Ephraim followed the east wind was responsible for the desolation he suffered.
Job provides us with a further insight into the destructive tendencies of the east wind:
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? (Job 15:2)
While Job 27:21 notes:
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. (Job 27:21)
The above is with reference to what will happen to the wicked who fail to acknowledge the Lord.
The bible reveals that it was the east wind that Moses commanded to bring destructive locust upon Egypt. This is in no doubt, a wind that carries destruction in its wings:
And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. (Exodus 10:13)
Likewise, the seven ears of corn in Pharaoh’s dream were reportedly blasted and thus damaged by the east wind:
And, behold seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. (Genesis 41:6)
Ezekiel describes the east wind as withering the tender branch:
Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew. (Ezekiel 17:10)
While in Jeremiah the Lord threatens to destroy with the east wind:
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. (Jeremiah 18:17)
In fact , the wind that blew upon the house of, and killed the sons of Job, was from the east as the bible reveals that it was a wind from the ‘wilderness’- another word for desert, where the east wind originates from.
So far from the foregoing passages it is easy to conclude:
I) The east wind has destructive capacities.
II) The east wind originates from the wilderness /desert.
III) The east wind is used by the Lord to scatter and ruin.
IV) The east wind is not to be desired or followed.
Please, before we proceed, let us take the following prayer points:
Every east wind programmed against my destiny back fire in the name of Jesus.
I shall not follow the path of the east wind to destruction in the name of Jesus
West wind: next we shall examine the west wind.
This wind is only mentioned once in the bible yet in this passage its purpose is made very clear:
And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. (Exodus 10:19)
It was the west wind that took away the locust brought by the east wind. In other words this wind serves to reverse the destructive effects of the east wind:
Please pray take this prayer point:
West wind of the Lord, arise and reverse the evil effect of the east wind in my life in the name of Jesus.
South Wind: The South wind, as revealed in the scriptures, is a more gentle blowing wind. Job provides us an insight into what this wind stands for:
How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind? (Job 37:17)
Here the bible talks about clothes being made warm after the south wind blows. A similar meaning of the south wind is seen in the words of our Lord Jesus himself:
And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, there will be heat; and it cometh to pass. (Luke 12:55)
Again, we see warmth, (or as mentioned here, heat), being associated with the south wind.
Furthermore, on the south wind in the book of Acts 27 we read:
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. (Acts 27:13)
Until this point the team with Apostle Paul lost their sense of purpose (or direction.) It was the south wind that set them back on course. In Acts 28 the south wind again plays a similar role:
And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli (Acts 28:13)
Again, the south wind is mentioned in relation to compass and direction. A compass is a device used by sailors to direct them at sea. The writer makes it clear that it was after the south wind blew that they were located their destination- Puteoli-in this case:
From the foregoing we can conclude:
i) That the south wind is a gentle blowing wind.
ii) The south wind brings warmth and heat.
iii) The south wind is used by God in relation with location and direction.
Please take the following prayer points:
Oh Lord, let your south wind lead me to my divinely destined location.
South wind of God, blow across my life and bring divine warmth and comfort in the name of Jesus.
Finally under the four major winds we move to the north wind.
This wind is only mentioned expressly once in the bible in the book of Songs of Solomon:
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. (Song of Solomon 4:16)
Unlike where Job made it clear that no one should desire the east wind (Job 15:2) the writer of this book prays for the north wind to come. He states that the north, combined with the south wind, should blow upon his garden- that the spices may flow out.
He also makes it clear that he is expecting a visitor, a loved one who he wants to eat of the pleasant fruits of the garden. It seems that the arrival of the north wind is a prerequisite for the spices within the garden to germinate and produce seed.
From this passage we can deduce:
i) That, unlike the east wind (which is destructive), the north wind is constructive and desired.
ii) The north wind has potential enhancing capacities. The spices were in the garden but they required the blowing of the north wind for them to sprout forth. Likewise, many people have vast untapped potentials but require the wind of God to blow across their lives for them to be fruitful.
Please pause to take these prayer points:
North wind of God, blow across the garden of my life in the name of Jesus.
Oh Lord, let the garden of my life experience your wind of good fortune that will cause it to produce pleasant fruits in the name of Jesus.
Having examined the four major winds let us take a look at other winds mentioned in the bible:
The Tempest: The tempest is a destructive wind that operates at sea.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. (Job 9:17)
Further on in the same book we read of the tempest stealing:
Terrors take hold on him as waters; a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
(Job 27:20)
In Isaiah this wind is again mentioned:
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. (Isaiah 54:11)
Together, these verses indicate the tempest as being hurtful, afflicting and an undesirable kind of wind.
Blast: This appears to be a kind of wind directly from God to frighten or scare his enemies. A few verses that refer to this wind suggest as much. Two of such are quoted here:
And the channels of the sea appeared; the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. (2 Samuel 22:16)
Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. (Isaiah 37:7)
Please let us take these prayer points:
OH Lord, send your blast against the enemies of my divine destiny in the name of Jesus.
Storm: Also, of destructive tendencies and related to the sea the storm creates jeopardy:
(Luke 8:23) But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
The storm is also reputable for attacking ships:
(Mark 4:37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
A ship represents the vehicle of ones destiny. Whenever a ship is sunk at sea the occupants may end up drowning - just what Satan would want to happen to us. Brethren, the truth is that the enemy is constantly programming evil storms against the children of God to derail them from reaching their divine destinies! Please take the following prayer point:
Any storm assigned against the ship of my destiny back fire in the name of Jesus.
Evil storms programmed against my destiny, be silenced in the name of Jesus.
Whirlwind: Another form of wind prominently featured in the bible is the whirlwind. This also seems to be a multi-purpose wind. It is the whirlwind that the Lord said He would use to scatter the children of Israel among the nations because of their sins:
(Zechariah 7:14) But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
Of course, the Lord was not referring to the physical wind as he did not plan to scatter the children of Israel physically across the land! He must have been referring to a spiritual whirlwind, indicating that every physical wind has its spiritual counterpart.
Another indicator that physical winds have their spiritual counterparts is seen where the Lord took Prophet Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind:
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11)
It is not clear whether what was seen was a physical whirlwind. However, it may be deduced that since the whirlwind in question took the prophet to heaven it must have originated from there.
Job 38:1 tells us that the Lord spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, while in Jeremiah 30: 23 and 23:19 it is made clear that the whirlwind could serve as a weapon against the enemy:
Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 23:19)
The quoted passages indicate concerning the whirlwind:
i) That it may serve as a means of spiritual transportation.
ii) That the whirlwind could be used as a weapon to destroy the wicked.
Other winds mentioned in the bible include the stormy wind which is reported to rend and tear (Ezekiel 13:13); the strong wind which breaks into pieces (1 kings 19:11) and the boisterous wind.
It was the latter that blew and made Peter scared when he attempted to walk upon the sea:
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (Matthew 14:30)
Brethren, the above passage, along with others verses quoted from the bible, provide a food for thought for the discerning Christian. Many of us just take the bible on its face value without pondering over the spiritual implications.
Today, although we are in the 21st century the dabbling into the occult and witchcraft practises are more prevalent than ever. Witchcraft is now an officially recognised religion throughout the western world. A modern witchcraft organisation with representation throughout the West is Wicca.
The basis of witchcraft is the worshiping of the elements of nature. Most of the spells cast by witches and wizards are programmed into the Sun, Moon, stars and winds.
Such people would not dedicate their lives to worshiping these elements unless they have detected certain powers within them. Remember, God gave the ordinances dominion to rule over time and seasons: the Sun over the day and the moon over the night.
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also (Gen 1:16).
No wonder the psalmist said the said the sun shall not smite you by day and nor the moon by night, indicating that they both have the potential to harm.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:6)
However, despite the powers God has programmed into these elements He does not expect us to worship them. Rather, he expects us to exercise dominion over them. They are to serve us not the other way round.
Many people however are worshiping creation rather than the creator.
Have you wondered why the boisterous wind blew when Peter took that step of faith? Does it not make sense to conclude that the devil deliberately programmed the wind at that moment to discourage him?
Imagine the havoc created in the kingdom of darkness the moment Peter step out of the boat. The desire to stop him from taking more steps in the sea must have been the devil’s major thought.
Who was the Lord talking to when he rebuked the wind? Has it occurred to you that there were powers and principalities stirring up the wind to work contrary to the safety of those in the ship? These were the powers addressed by our Lord.
Elsewhere in the scriptures we are told that a contrary wind blew against the ship. Why was the wind contrary and what was it contrary towards - The purpose of the disciples in the boat of course.
When you are simultaneously faced with unrelated problems in life has it not occurred to you that all of these problems could have originated from the same source? How come it is when you have a sour relationship with your boss at work that your spouse behaves funny at home? It is also around then that a problem crops up with the kids at school and financial crises set in. Why do the all occur at the same time- could it not be that someone, somewhere, engineered by the devil, caused a wind of misfortune - a contrary wind - to blow in your direction?
We must realise that no one can escape the wind. The same wind that blows in Africa can find its way to the United States. This is one reason why a lot of curses assigned against people are programmed into the wind- the truth is that us unless the target of the curse is prayerful there is no way he can avoid it.
The bible says we should not be ignorant of the devices of Satan. Just as we have chosen to worship and follow God through our Lord Jesus Christ there are those who have dedicated their lives to serve Satan. These people are not playing jokes with Christians- these are the people who programme evil into the elements of nature against Christians- it is an indeed a real warfare!
Take note the bible tells us about principalities and powers. Where do these reside? In the air of course. We re also told that Satan is the prince of the air. If you do not take control of the wind brethren you will allow such powers to determine the kind of wind that blows in you path.
The truth however is that we have the final say. The Lord has given authority and dominion to His children, not to Satan and his followers. It is what we decree that will stand.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. (Job 22:28)
Let us arise now and take control of what God has been given to us. Let us take dominion.
Please close your eyes and take the concluding prayer points:
i) Whirlwind of God arise and bring forth my blessings.
ii) Let the camp of the enemies of my divine progress scatter by the whirlwind of God in the name of Jesus.
iii) I silence every boisterous wind programmed to affect my faith in the name of Jesus.
iv) Every wind blowing contrary to my well being, I silence you now in the name of Jesus.
v) You east wind, listen to the word of God, my life is not your candidate in the name of Jesus.
vi) Every evil programmed into the wind against my marriage die now in the name of Jesus.
Vii) You wind of misfortune blowing across my life back fire in the name of Jesus.
viii) Any evil wind programmed against my destiny you shall not prosper in the name of Jesus
Postscript: Repent and believe, remember hell is real, heaven is real. No matter how long we spend here on earth it cannot be compared to the time we shall spend in eternity. Hebrews 12:14 states: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord
