Jonah

It’s been a steep learning curve for me in the March Digging Deep study of prayers in Jonah and Habakuk. I’ve told the story of Jonah scores of times to my children when they were preschoolers about that small prophet being swallowed by the giant fish. I can still hear a tiny Caleb filling in the blanks as we would tell and retell the story:  “So dey dus frew him overboard and a big fish dus swawowed him wite up!” (You have to be a preschooler’s mom to read that!)

But there’s so much more to that account…a story that Jesus verified in Matthew 12 as being true and literal.

I was blessed to have Flori Barber on the podcast with me earlier this week. You can watch the archived edition HERE. There were three pertinent lists given during that podcast from Jonah’s prayer as he wrapped his head around truth in the belly of the fish even as his literal head was wrapped in seaweed (Jonah 2:5). So much wisdom was discovered in that sea creature’s belly. Truly, that fish vomited a good deal more than he swallowed and Jonah was on his way, at least for a time, to do the bidding of Jehovah.

Several have requested the lists, so here they are:

Flori’s “Lessons Learned from the Prayer in the Belly”:

1. When we pray we must acknowledge God and approach him with a penitent heart.
2. We must humble ourselves and admit our wrongs.
3. We should thank God for saving us.
4. We should not just pray for help/deliverance, but pray for strength and knowledge to do what we can do on our part.
5. We should repent and turn away from sin
6. We should acknowledge that God is where we find salvation.

Cindy’s “Lessons Learned from the Prayer in the Belly”:

1. Sometimes, hitting “rock bottom” is the wake-up call that I need.
2. When I attempt to get out of God’s sight, He will make sure it happens. (vs.4)
3. The deeper the sin and sorrow, the greater the salvation. (vs. 5)
4. When I believe the devil’s lies, I burn my own bridge to mercy. (vs. 8)
5. Repentance requires action. (vs. 9)

Jonah Prays the Scriptures:
Jonah 2:2…………….Psa. 18:4-6; Psa. 22:24; Psa. 120:1,2; Lam. 3:55.
Jonah 2:3…………….Psa. 88:6; Psa. 42:7.
Jonah 2:4…………….II Chron. 6:38; Psa. 31:22
Jonah 2:5…………….Psa. 69:1; Lam. 3:54
Jonah 2:6…………….Psa. 16:10; Job 33:28
Jonah 2:7…………….Psa. 18:6
Jonah 2:8…………….Psa. 31:6
Jonah 2:9…………….Psa. 3:8; Psa. 50:14; Psa. 50:23