Jonah’s Prayer

There was a seminary student some years ago preaching at a church for a potential pastorship of that church. He was preaching out of the book of Jonah and as he taught he suggested the book was mere allegory as it is impossible for there to have been a fish big enough for it to swallow Jonah whole. After the service was over, one of the elderly ladies came up to him and said, “sonny if you are going to preach here you will have to preach the truth from God’s word. The bible says it was a great fish that swallowed Jonah and if Bible says I believe it! Besides, when I get to heaven I will want to talk to Jonah and ask him what it like to be in the belly of a fish.” Thinking he was smart the seminary student responded to her and said “what if Jonah is not in heaven?” to which she responded, “then you ask him!”

With some research you will find stories of people who have been swallowed by a whale. The most resent was a lobster diver Michael Packard who on June 11th, 2021 was diving and as he said he felt a bump and “everything went dark.” The whale had him in its mouth for about 30 secs then spit him out.

The most famous story of another whale incident happened in the late 1800’s when James Bartley who was hunting whales, was swallowed by a sperm whale off the Falkland Islands and found in the whale’s stomach days later after it was killed by harpooning.

Many Biblical scientist and scholars however it was more likely that the Biblical account of Jonah it was more likely that he was swallowed by a Great White shark as it is quite common for them to swallow their prey whole and to throw them up later if they want something else.

There is obvious doubt presented by modern scientist as to the validity of any of the accounts, but like the old lady with the Seminarian Student, we believe the Bible because it says it and if God’s word says it, then it is true.

Jesus also cites the story of Jonah to speak of himself in Matt 12:40

Matthew 12:40 (NASB95)

for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Let me conclude the premise of the miracle of Jonah and great fish with this thought…, it doesn’t matter if Jonah was swallowed by a whale, a great white shark, or an oversized guppy…

The reliability of any miracle depends upon the ability of God to perform it and not of man to explain it. - Wallace A. Alcorn

Despite the fascination of Jonah and great fish…, the premise and historical story of Jonah has very little to do with the two verses that mention a fish.

What we want to study today is the Prayer of Jonah and what can we do to improve our own prayer life.

Jonah’s Prayer

When we look into Jonah’s prayer there is something that becomes very evident. Jonah knew the word of God and he prayed according the word of God.

Starting with verse 2 Jonah 2:2, Compare it with Psalm 120:1

Jonah 2:2 (NASB95)

and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

Psalm 120:1 (NASB95)

In my trouble I cried to the Lord, And He answered me.

Verse 3

Jonah 2:3 (NASB95)

“For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.

Psalm 42:7 (NASB95)

Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

Verse 4

Jonah 2:4 (NASB95)

“So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

Psalm 31:22 (NASB95)

As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You.

Verse 5

Jonah 2:5 (NASB95)

“Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head.

Psalm 69:1–2 (NASB95)

Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.

Verse 6

Jonah 2:6 (NASB95)

“I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.

Psalm 30:3 (NASB95)

O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

Verse 7

Jonah 2:7 (NASB95)

“While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.

Psalm 18:6 (NASB95)

In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

Verse 8

Jonah 2:8 (NASB95)

“Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness,

Psalm 31:6 (NASB95)

I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the Lord.

Verse 9

Jonah 2:9 (NASB95)

But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.”

Psalm 116:17–18 (NASB95)

To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord. I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,

Psalm 3:8 (NASB95)

Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people!

Selah.

You might be asking yourself. Why the comparisons? Why does this matter?

Our first point in Application today is this.

Application

1. Prayer is about Relationship not Religion

So often we get caught up on the words we say, the posture we take, or the vibrato in which we pray that we miss out on what prayer is all about.

Example of missionary and young tribal believer… glasses hands on forehead.

When we study scripture we see how it tells us to pray privately, but then it also tells us to pray in a congregation of believers.

There are examples of people praying while sitting, kneeling, prostrate laying with their faces to the ground, looking up to the heavens, whit hands held high, praying in a fish, etc.

Romans 8:15 (NASB95)

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

Matthew 6:9 (NASB95)

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

While there is nothing wrong with any of those in themselves, they can and often do become forms of Religion.

2. Prayer is about the Heart not the Words

God doesn't care about the where or the how… He cares about the Heart!

1 Samuel 16:7b (NASB95)

God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Isaiah 29:13 (NASB95)

Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,

John Bunyan the author of Pilgrim’s Progress said…

“When thou prayest, rather let they heart be without words than thy words be without heart.” - John Bunyan

3. Prayer is simply communication with our Savior

It can be as complete as the Lord’s Prayer Matt 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9–13 (NASB95)

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Or it can be as simple as Moses praying for his sister

Numbers 12:13 (NASB95)

Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!”

When we don’t know what the say… the Holy Spirit intercedes for us

Romans 8:26–27 (NASB95)

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

4. When praying in normal circumstances, I would like to T.A.C.O.S. suggest to you.

T… is for Thanksgiving

Thank God for salvation, people, home, family, etc.

A… is for Adoration

Praise God for who He is, His might, His love, His Sovereignty, etc.

C… is for Confession

Confess sin in your life, get in right fellowship with God

O… is for Others

Intercede for family, friends, country, etc.

S… is for Self

things for yourself that will make you more like Christ and things for life. Patience, wisdom, health, etc.

Doctor J. Edwin Orr, the greatest authority ever on revival in the church was a lecturer at Wheaton College.

He took some students in 1940 in a brief visit to England, to visit the Epworth refectory where John Wesley was based.

The students walked passed the living room

The study where he had scribbled notes from his studies

kitchen

then up to his bedroom

Beside the bed are two worn impressions in the carpet where it was said that John Wesley knelt for hours in prayer for England’s social and spiritual renewal.

Wesley had spent hours, days, weeks, months, and years praying for his nation England, America, and for revival.

As the students were getting on the bus, (Professor Orr) noticed one missing. Going back upstairs, he found one student kneeling in the carpet kneeholes praying with his face on the bed. “Oh Lord, do it again! Do it again!”

Orr placed a hand on the student’s shoulder and said gently, “Come on Billy, we must be going.” And rising, Billy Graham joined the bus.

God did do it again…

But we are in desperate need of another revival in this land.

God will do it again if we are committed to praying.

The Bible says to pray in the spirit, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. All it takes is one man or one woman to stand in the gap and pray.