#DailyDevotion Our Father Hears Our Prayers
2 Then Jonah, inside the fish, prayed to the LORD his God
Interestingly enough, when the captain of the boat told Jonah to pray to his God, there is no record of him doing that then. Now however, in the belly of the fish Jonah begins to pray. We do seem to call upon God once it’s too late, don’t we. At the first sign of trouble we tend to think we can handle it ourselves, much like a five year old, instead of turning immediately to the LORD for help. It is only once we realize it is out of our control do we turn to our Maker. We shouldn’t do that. We should turn to the LORD always and immdiately for help, as soon as we see trouble. Perhaps then, things wouldn’t get so bad.
2and said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of death I cried, and You heard my voice.
Now I’m going to say something probably a little controversial. In all likelihood, Jonah is dead. In the fish, he is in the belly of Sheol, which is translated as death. It could also be translated grave. The fish is the grave of Jonah. Remember, Jonah is the sign of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus died and was laid dead in the grave. Jonah is not dead in the grave of the fish.
This will also give us an idea of the state of those who are dead. Death is not annihilation. It is the cessation of bodily functions. He is still conscient. He is in distress. He’s just been eaten by a big fish. Now some say this prayer is what Jonah said after he is vomited up alive in verse 10. Maybe. But it is just as likely his prayer in death. He is confident in the LORD who made him. He never stopped believing and trusting in the LORD. He just didn’t like the LORD’s plan. His sinner, his flesh, was getting the upper hand in his life at the moment (and it will again). His inner man, the saint still trusted in God, the LORD, his Savior. So as he prays, he prays with the confidence the LORD has already heard his prayer. As Jesus says in Matt. 6:8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” We should start our prayers with such confidence as Jesus Himself elicits from us in Mark 11, “24That’s why I tell you, anything you ask for in prayer, believe that you received it, and you will have it.” He says in John 16:23, “ I tell you the truth, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”
We should pray with such confidence not doubting the Father hears our prayers. James tells us to expect nothing from God if we doubt. This is not to say all the prayers we think are unanswered is because we doubted. Sometimes we pray for things that are not good for us. The LORD, our Father, still hears those prayers and answers them with what we should have prayed for instead. Sometimes we may have to wait to see the answer to our prayer. Jonah had to wait three days. Conform your prayers to the revealed will of God and you will have much boldness and confidence in the prayers you offer to your Father in heaven. Jesus gave us the Our Father to pray and to conform our prayers to. If you go to a liturgical congregation, you will notice the general prayer follows the outline, for the most part, of the LORD’s Prayer. You should do the same.
Heavenly Father, we know You hear and answer our prayers in the manner which is best for us and for Your Church. Open our lips, give us Your Holy Spirit that our prayers may be according to Your will, have Your blessing, and give glory to the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.