Jonah’s Prayer

Jonah 2 NKJV

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. 7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. 8 “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” 10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah’s Prayer

Introduction:

Series on Jonah

Introduction:

A. The City God wanted to save … Nineveh

Jonah had been sent to Nineveh .. A City God wanted to save …

Located on the East bank of the Tigris River

Covered a large area

60 miles around

Population of 120,000

Nineveh has a long history:

Today the city of Mosul in Iraq

Founded by Nimrod, all the way back in

Was the capital of Assyrian Empire

A violent heathen city of the time

Would eventually overthrown Isreal and carry them away as captives

God calls a Man to Deliver HIS Message

God still uses men today:

So many people err because of this fact

It pleases God to dwell in us, and to work through us, to proclaim His awesome glory through fragile men

Jonah was a prophet according to Jesus

Jonah flees instead of obeying God

How many people these days are just like that?

We have reason to believe that God wants us to do one thing, but we find a thousand reasons to do something else instead

Sometimes, we argue with ourselves to find reasons

other times we listen to others who are not qualified to give direction

And other times, like Jonah, we just go the other way . period.

Keep in mind that this “Word of the LORD” that came to Jonah was probably not in the form of a certified letter

It probably was not engraved on tablets of stones like the ten commandments.

He probably didn’t have it downloaded on his iTunes account so he could play it over and over

It is more likely that it was a “still small voice” that he heard on the inside.

one that he had learned to recognize over years of serving the Lord and growing with HIm

One that could also be reasoned away or ignored if he chose

It seems that God had more trouble getting his servant willing than in bringing Nineveh to repentance

Down to Joppa, down into the ship, down into the sides of the ship

The storm, the sailors, the great fish

Only example in the old testament of a prophet being sent to a heathen nation.

Partly to save Nineveh

also to shame Israel: Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, an outsider

While God’s people stiffen their necks even after generations of preachers rising early and proclaiming God’s Word

Jesus said the “people of Nineveh would rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemn it: Because they repented at he preaching of Jonah (Mat. 12:41)

Jonah’s Prayer

Jonah 2 NKJV

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. 7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. 8 “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” 10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

jonah 2

II. Body

Where he Prayed!!! (vs. 1, 2)

“Out of the fish’s belly”

A strange place to pray

It must have been very uncomfortable

dark, wet, difficult to breath, violent movements

Not a place one would choose

We might better choose a place of peace, quiet, comfort and solitude to pray

It was where he was and that was the place to pray

Wherever you are, that is a place you can pray.

“And He heard me”

Two great lessons here:

God hears us anywhere

From the highest mountain to the deepest valley: God hears you.

In the silent room alone, or in a crowded stadium of shouting people: God hears you

When you are the only one praying, or if there are a thousand others, God hears you.

And your prayer matters to Him

Far better to pray in normal surroundings than to wait until we are in abnormal surroundings

Consider the contrast with Daniel

Daniel prayed in the comfort of his home (even when it was unlawful) and God shut the lion’s mouths

Because he prayed when it was comfortable, he remained comfortable in the lion’s den

So many people ignore prayer while they are comfortable, and so end up praying when they are uncomfortable

Now is the accepted time: Don’t wait

Why he Prayed!!! (vs. 2)

“By reason of my affliction”

He probably hadn’t been praying for some time

Fleeing from God

Neglecting his spiritual responsibilities

Sleeping during the storm … chastening

Now, he really was afflicted:

“Out of the belly of hell cried I” (v. 2)

“Cast into the deep” (v. 3)

When

“The floods compassed me about” (v. 3).

So many people, when they are under pressure, begin shaking their fist at God instead of calling out to Him

Many people would rather blame God for their consequences than accept responsibility for their actions, and seek His mercy: Which is renewed each day.

They forsake their own mercy

“Thy billows and waves passed over me” (v. 3)

“The waters compassed me about, even to the soul” (v. 5)

Have you ever felt like that?

In his case it was quite literal:

yet we have all had times when we felt this way in life

“The weeds were wrapped about my head” (v. 5)

When he Prayed!!! (v. 7)

When his soul fainted within him

Sometimes this is exactly where we need to get to

Jonah was now at the end of himself

No where left to turn but God

No more running

No more spiritual deafness

Like the prodigal son, he came to his senses when he hit bottom

Jonah’s change of heart

“I remembered the Lord”

Have you forgotten your first love

Do you remember when you first believed?

“I will sacrifice unto thee”

“I will pay that I vowed”

How many people have made vows to the Lord, only to forget when there is no pressure

“Salvation is of the Lord”

How wonderful this simple truth is!

God’s Deliverance of Jonah

Jonah on dry ground

Delivered from trouble

God is able to save tot he uttermost

No hole is so deep that God is not deeper still

The Word of the Lord Came the Second Time to Jonah

God’s call is renewed: How amazingly wonderful

It is not too late to be used of God

Do you think you have blown it?

Have you ignored God’s call?

Or maybe even run the other way?

Don’t wait for a fish to swallow you: God still wants to use you

The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable