Title: Jonah's Prayer (Jonah 2:1-10)
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Let's look at the lessons from Jonah's prayer. As Jonah prayed in the belly of the fish, there are no excuses for prayer. As we prayed to that God, we must pray with a personal notion of the object of prayer. Just as we prayed for suffering, suffering makes us people of prayer. Just as we called out and cried out as a way of prayer, we must pray in various and appropriate ways according to the situation. And as thankfully, it should be a prayer that stands firm in the truth of the gospel of the Bible. As a result, we must remember that there must be answers to prayers just as prayers have been answered.
At this time, I would like to speak under the title "Jonah's Prayer" First, let me tell you who Jonah is. Jonah is the son of Amittai from Heber of Gath in the land of Zebulun, one of the 12 minor prophets and the main character of the book of Jonah. Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh, the city of Assyria, and cry out for destruction in 825 B.C. when he was Jeroboam II. However, since it is an enemy nation, he flees to Tarshish in order not to receive God's mercy, but meets a storm and a lot is cast as the cause of the storm and is thrown into the water. But God prepared a fish and he cried out and prayed in the fish's belly for 3 weeks and nights, and then he vomited.
We find specific aspects of Jonah's prayer in the text of Jonah's prayer.
1. It is a place of prayer.
Verse 1 says, “Jonah was in the belly of the fish.”
What kind of place is this in the stomach of the fish that Jonah hung out? Verse 2 says that Jonah was in the belly of Sheol. Sheol refers to Hades Hell. But if it wasn't real hell, how dark and painful would you say it was? If you look at verses 3, 4, and 5, you can see if there was a painful moment in it. Jonah prayed in a place that could not even be called a place of prayer.
But what about us? A hellish place like Jonah? Isn't it so comfortable and cozy? In such an environment, if you cannot pray or if you do not pray, you will have nothing to say before God. I don't have time, it's hot and cold, these are all excuses. It is difficult if you are not feeling well, but prayer should be done even in sickness. Didn't Paul and Silas be beaten and pray even in prison?
What I experience and feel is that there is no vacation in prayer. God, I am tired today. I've been working a lot today. Even today, I read the Bible a lot. I did a lot of heartbreak today. Even this is not an excuse. So, even before the robbery exam in front of me, I prayed all night. God did not give us a vacation because it was a once in a lifetime test.
2. It is an object of prayer.
The object of prayer is given in verse 1. “Pray to the Lord his God,” he said.
The object of our prayers is God. But who doesn't know this? However, knowing who the object of prayer is and praying rightly is not all like that. Here in the text, Jonah knew exactly who the object of prayer was. That's what it says, "To the LORD his God."
The Lord God here refers to the God who blew a storm so that he could not escape, caused him to be cast by lot, drowned himself in the water, and put him in the belly of a fish to repent. Therefore, the God Jonah feels is a great God, a fearful and righteous God, a loving God who prepares fish to show mercy, and an all-powerful God who will save them.
We, too, must know exactly the God we are praying for and pray. As such, when you have a clear understanding of the object of prayer, you will immediately pray. For example, Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 says, “Watch your feet when you enter the house of God. It is better to come near and listen to the word than to offer the sacrifices of fools, for they do evil and do not understand it. You shall not open your mouth recklessly before God. Do not speak in a hurry, for God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore, you should speak little.” I was able to have awe towards the object because I was able to recognize the object with precision. In this way, our God is our Father, the omnipotent Creator God. When we know God, the object of this loving prayer, prayer can become right.
3. It is the cause of the prayer Jonah prayed.
What was it? Verse 2 says, “Because of the afflictions I have suffered.”
Jonah prayed because of suffering. If we ignore our mission, this kind of hardship will follow. So, as you know, suffering is a blessing. That is why suffering is called a blessing in disguise. I hate suffering, but it is a blessing because I can pray because of it.
So David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word" (Psalm 119:67), and "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes" (Psalm 119:71). I did. Hosea 5:15 says, “When they suffer, they will seek me earnestly.” But how pleased God would be if we prayed obediently without suffering? We, believers, do not forget that it is a time to pray in times of trouble, but it is a time to pray more in times of peace.
4. Jonah's method of prayer.
Verse 2 says, “I called to the Lord and said, and you answered me, and I cried out from the belly of Sheol, and you heard my voice.”
I asked first. To say this is to tell you about your own faults and your own condition. And I cried out to God. There is no other way than to cry out in trouble. The work to do in the day of trouble is to cry out. Here you can find the activeness of prayer. The saying that if you seek and seek the Lord, you will find it, refers to activeness. The lesson here is that our prayers should be active prayers. To meet God at that time means to regain spiritual normality.
5. This is the content of Jonah's prayer.
Verse 9 says, “I will offer sacrifices to you with a voice of thanksgiving, and I will pay you my vows; salvation comes from the Lord.”
Here Jonah's prayer is said to be thanksgiving, and the term "prayer" in verse 1 is also called 'ittpalel' in the original text, so it is thanksgiving. However, looking at all the contexts, we can see that Jonah repented, prayed, made a promise, confessed the word, and gave thanks.
Among them, the fact that Jonah's prayer was thanks is that it was a prayer of faith. As such, our members must believe in the gospel of the Lord, believe in God's love, and pray a prayer of thanksgiving even in complete despair. The reason Jonah was saved from the hellish environment was because God had a will, but there was also a poet of faith. No matter how bad the environment is, it is not stronger than believing and acknowledging the gospel. Because the gospel is the power of God that gives salvation to those who believe. So, don't look at the environment and believe in your life.
6. So, what was the result of prayer?
Verse 10 says, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah to dry land.”
As such, the result of prayer is an answer. The miracle of prayer is that there are answers. Answering prayers is proof that God is alive. Those who pray do not doubt God. Because you get a response. Because we are talking to God.
The fish that swallowed Jonah did not vomit for 3 days to try to digest Jonah, but God told him to vomit, so he had no choice but to vomit on land. I hope that you too will become believers who receive answers like this.
Dear saints,
Let's be prayerful like Jonah. So, I pray in the name of the Lord that all the saints who are loved and answered by God will become.