From Inside the Fish Jonah Prayed to the Lord

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (Jonah 2:1 NIV).

Disobedience to God is costly. It not only puts you under His wrath but also causes others to suffer because of you. This is shown by the way the sailors of the ship in which Jonah sailed suffered.

But then God has not finished dealing with you yet. He will cause the wind and the waves to obey His cause. And He will provide a chance for you to think again about your disobedience. God did so by providing a great fish to swallow Jonah.

But from inside the fish Jonah prayed. A prophet who enjoyed hearing from God now found himself cut off from God. This is a painful experience. It is distressing. Are you going through an inside-the-fish experience?

There are many lessons to be learned. But the most important one is to feel for yourself what it means to be cut off from the Presence of God. Remember that Jonah never understood the plight of the people of Nineveh who were destined to be cut off from God for ever.

To prevent that God had asked him to go and preach repentance. Yet he did not care enough for God’s cause or for them. And God taught Jonah a lesson. And he learned that well.

Yes, Jonah prayed from inside the fish. Wherever you find yourself because of disobedience to God; there might be another chance. Maybe God is using the inside-the-fish experience to teach you and call you back to repentance; to Himself.

If you are inside the fish today, know that God has provided the fish. It is not an accident; it was planned by God. So pray. It can rise to the throne of God from inside the fish and the waters. There is hope yet. For He hears and answers prayer.

Yes, remember your God again. Salvation comes from Him. Many fail to call for help during the inside-the-fish experience. That is a costly mistake.

Imagine what would have happened if Jonah never bothered to pray? He would have perished. But many others in such situations don’t pray.

So friend, this is your God-given chance. You are inside the fish. Pray. He will hear and answer you. From inside the fish you can do nothing else but pray!
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