A Whale of a Prayer

Jonah sloshed around in a fish’s stomach for three days. Have you spent some time there as well?

Maybe you are stuck in a dead-end job, a long-term illness, or a messy family situation. Perhaps you are frustrated with your church, torn between the impulse to move on and your commitment to say and stick it out.

Do you ever pray with words like these? “To be honest, Lord, this stinks! I know you’ll get me out of here eventually, but right now I’m confined and confused.”

At first Jonah wasn’t in a praying mood. When the storm hit, the pagan sailors called on their own gods and urged Jonah to pray, but he “had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep” (Jonah 1:5). His perspective changed, though, when he found himself submerged under the sea. “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God” (2:1)—a sensible thing to do when you’re in over your head.

Underwater Prayer Closet

Where do you pray best? In a church building? While walking outdoors? While sitting at a desk or lounging in a favorite chair? Some of my most heartfelt prayers have arisen in moments of desperation. I have cried out to God while driving my car, sitting in hospital waiting rooms, and pacing the floor at 3:00 a.m. Jonah’s underwater prayer closet reminds us that prayer can be offered anywhere. What can we learn from the prayer he uttered inside the fish?

• God is willing for our “distress” to become “his stress.”* Jonah prayed, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me” (2:2). Whatever the depth of our troubles—even when they are our own fault, as in Jonah’s case—the Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Sinking leads to thinking. Smooth sailing doesn’t require a lot of introspection and serious thought. Like Jonah, we can even manage to sleep through some storms until thing finally get so serious we have no choice but to call on the Lord. Jonah had been stubborn and rebellious, avoiding responsibility and running in the opposite direction from where God told him to go. In his underwater prayer closet, however, he gained new insight. Technically the sailors had thrown him overboard, but Jonah recognized God’s involvement and told the Lord, “You hurled me into the depths” (Jonah 2:3).

Hope lives on. Jonah prayed, “Yet I will look again toward your holy temple” (v. 4)—quite a statement of faith when you’re swimming around helplessly inside a fish’s abdomen! He recognized God’s goodness even while experiencing God’s chastisement. Confidently he affirmed, “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. . . . I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord’” (v. 9).

On the Beach

How relieved Jonah must have felt when the fish coughed him onto dry land! I picture him standing in the sunshine with sand squishing between his toes, breathing in the fresh sea breeze, rubbing his eyes with amazement after being in total darkness for three days.

When you’re stuck in a whale of a problem, remember what it will be like when by grace you’re on the beach again—free, grateful, and ready to take the next step of worship and service.

QUESTIONS: