Jonah 1:17-2:10 (New International Version)

1:17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

3 You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

4 I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’

5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.

7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

I. Prayers of desperation (1:17-2:2)
• God answers some

prayers in spite of the immaturity.
•

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prayer is our recognition of dependence on God’s provision.
• Prayer is a

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, not a

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activity, that allows God to be God.
• Conversation in covenant is layered with

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,

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, and

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.
II. Prayers of confession (vv. 3-6)
•

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prayer removes obstructions to our prayers being answered (Ps. 66:18-20, 1Jn. 1:8-9).
• Confession prevents

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(“I did something wrong”) from becoming

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(“I am something wrong”).
•

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or

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is the place for the dead who cannot enter heaven (Ps. 16:10, Lk. 16:19-31, Acts 2:27)
• Comparison is

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and contrast is

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. (Mt. 12:40)
III. Prayers of adoration (v. 7-8)
• There is never a good time to work on what matters so

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time.
•

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prayer moves beyond confession to commitment to change due to adoration.
• If we don’t have

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after praying, then we complained instead of prayed.
IV. Prayers of consecration (vv. 9-10)
• Worship prayer expresses consecration by

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,

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, and

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to the Lord. (Eph. 5:19-21, Ps. 47:1, 1 Tim. 2:8)
• Worship done right will be

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in expression. (Rom. 12:1)
• Restitution is when we promise to repair what we broke by

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.
• The moment we include “

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” our words cease to be an apology.

TAKE OFF
Do you generally have a hard time asking for help? Why/why not?

TEXT
1. What thoughts or feelings did you have during this week’s sermon?
2. Read Jonah 1:17-2:2. When is the first time recorded that Jonah prays to God? Why do you think it took him so long to pray? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you didn’t want to or found it difficult to pray?
3. Read Jonah’s prayer in verses 2-9. Which components of prayer – adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication – do we see in Jonah’s prayer? Which components of prayer do you find easiest to incorporate into prayer and which do you find more challenging?
4. What are examples of “idols” that can take our attention away from God, as Jonah described in verse 8? How does God’s response to Jonah’s prayer (v. 10) help us trust and rely on God, especially when situations seem difficult or impossible?

TAKE AWAY
Where in your life do you need to pray for your heart to change and/or for a deeper trust in God?