Jonah's Prayer
Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving (Jonah 2:1-9) reminds us that we need to do 3 things when we encounter trouble:
- Pray to Jehovah (2:1-2)
Being in the belly of a great fish leads to Jonah’s prayer, and becomes the beginning of a new relationship between him and God. This is where he recognizes his own insignificance and the greatness of God. Jonah praying in the belly of a fish shows us that we can pray to God anywhere, anytime. Our life is not smooth sailing, there will be adversities and low points such as illness, emotional problems, losing loved ones, problems with work, school, family, or marriage. While facing these adversities, we need to tell ourselves: I want to cry out to God and seek His help. Because I know God is not watching my difficulties from the outside, He is with me through my difficulties. God will listen to my sincere prayers.
- Look upon the Holy temple (2:3-7)
I guess Jonah’s predicament is the darkest moment of his life, but he does not despair because of the environment; although he is completely isolated from the world, he is not isolated from God. He still has hope in his heart. He misses the Lord and Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. Jonah’s faith allows him to transcend all environmental limitations. Although he is in an undesirable environment, he still looks to God with faith. Because his experience tells him that Jehovah is his only salvation, and God will never leave him alone. The belly of the fish can imprison Jonah’s body, but it cannot imprison his faith, nor can it hinder his spirit from communing with God. His spirit meets God in the darkest moments of his life. Similarly, when we face the darkest moments in our lives, we need to actively reflect on our life experiences so that we can look to God with faith.
- Offer sacrifice with a voice of thanksgiving (2:8-9)
Jonah promises that when he comes out of the belly of the fish, he will offer sacrifice to God and sing praises of thanksgiving. He knows that his prayers can reach God because the God who sent him to Nineveh is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. When Jonah sincerely prays and thanks God, God immediately intervenes. Verse 10 says that the Lord commands the fish, and the fish vomits Jonah on the dry land. When you encounter the darkest moment of your lives, uncertain of when it will end, ask yourself whether you can still thank and praise God in the moment. It is definitely not easy, but ask God to grant us confidence and strength, and learn to praise and be grateful while facing adversity.
Janice Zhou – Women’s Ministry, Vancouver Chinese Alliance Church
