Concordia Lutheran Church
Jonah: How Not to Pray (Week 3)
When Jonah is in the belly of a big fish, he offers a prayer to God. But even though there are flashes of brilliance in his prayer, Jonah does not seem to understand the mission God has given him and how this mission will call upon him to act selflessly. Do you struggle with praying for what is right when you would rather pray for what is selfish?
Locations & Times
Concordia Lutheran Church
16801 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Sunday 9:30 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
Jonah: How Not to Pray
Jonah 1:5-12
5.7.2017
Series Recap
● Jonah is a prophet called by God to go preach to Nineveh.
● Jonah runs the opposite direction from Nineveh by hopping a ship to Tarshish.
● God comes after Jonah via a great storm, and the sailors throw Jonah overboard to calm to storm.
● Where does that leave Jonah?
Jonah 1:5-12
5.7.2017
Series Recap
● Jonah is a prophet called by God to go preach to Nineveh.
● Jonah runs the opposite direction from Nineveh by hopping a ship to Tarshish.
● God comes after Jonah via a great storm, and the sailors throw Jonah overboard to calm to storm.
● Where does that leave Jonah?
This brings us to one of the big and important themes of the Book of Jonah.
● Sin: When we run from God.
● Grace: When God runs after us.
This fish looks like a natural disaster. But it’s really a testament to divine grace. That brings us to Jonah 2, Jonah is in a fish, and he says a prayer.
How many of you have ever prayed to God? That’s what I thought! Praying is interesting. It’s so simple, even a child can pray. It’s so rich, you can pray for a lifetime and still not even begin to mine the depths of what prayer can mean for our lives. And so, we’re going to take a look at a prayer from Jonah.
● Sin: When we run from God.
● Grace: When God runs after us.
This fish looks like a natural disaster. But it’s really a testament to divine grace. That brings us to Jonah 2, Jonah is in a fish, and he says a prayer.
How many of you have ever prayed to God? That’s what I thought! Praying is interesting. It’s so simple, even a child can pray. It’s so rich, you can pray for a lifetime and still not even begin to mine the depths of what prayer can mean for our lives. And so, we’re going to take a look at a prayer from Jonah.
People always pray at times like this. Jonah is in the middle of a tragedy. So what does he do? Pray!
These calls to prayer are good and important, but they are only one facet of prayer.
When we pray for relief, when it happens (or doesn’t happen), we stop praying. There is a deeper type of prayer … prayers for hope. A prayer of hope is an ongoing prayer that entrusts our lives and our future into the hands of God’s goodness and love.
As we’re going to see, Jonah is praying for relief. When God doesn’t give Jonah what he wants – the destruction of the Ninevites – Jonah’s prayer ends. But right now, he is thankful for a little relief – that God has rescued him from death, which is why he continues…
These calls to prayer are good and important, but they are only one facet of prayer.
When we pray for relief, when it happens (or doesn’t happen), we stop praying. There is a deeper type of prayer … prayers for hope. A prayer of hope is an ongoing prayer that entrusts our lives and our future into the hands of God’s goodness and love.
As we’re going to see, Jonah is praying for relief. When God doesn’t give Jonah what he wants – the destruction of the Ninevites – Jonah’s prayer ends. But right now, he is thankful for a little relief – that God has rescued him from death, which is why he continues…
Jonah recognizes just how close he came to being a goner. But he also trusts that God has a better day coming for him. He will look again toward God’s holy temple.
Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because it wasn’t like home. Now Jonah is really far away from home! But no matter how far he might be from home, he’ll look toward his home, which is God’s home – the temple!
Where do you feel most at home? The place where God is is your ultimate home! Our ultimate home is God and anything else will be a disappointment!
I’m but a stranger here,
Heaven is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heaven is my home;
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on every hand;
Heaven is my fatherland,
Heaven is my home.
Jonah concludes his prayer …
Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because it wasn’t like home. Now Jonah is really far away from home! But no matter how far he might be from home, he’ll look toward his home, which is God’s home – the temple!
Where do you feel most at home? The place where God is is your ultimate home! Our ultimate home is God and anything else will be a disappointment!
I’m but a stranger here,
Heaven is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heaven is my home;
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on every hand;
Heaven is my fatherland,
Heaven is my home.
Jonah concludes his prayer …
Jonah here is kind of bargaining with God. He’s saying, “If You get me out of this fish, I will sacrifice to You!” It’s not good to bargain with God. And yet, the professional prophet does! Jonah should know better!
It doesn’t matter how theologically smart you are, you can do theologically dumb things. This truth ought to keep us humble.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how theologically uninformed you are (like the sailors), you can stumble on to theologically brilliant things. This gives us hope!
Our relationship with God isn’t based on theological concepts. It is based on trust. Do you trust Him?
It doesn’t matter how theologically smart you are, you can do theologically dumb things. This truth ought to keep us humble.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how theologically uninformed you are (like the sailors), you can stumble on to theologically brilliant things. This gives us hope!
Our relationship with God isn’t based on theological concepts. It is based on trust. Do you trust Him?
Lessons on Prayer…
- Prayer is not about politeness. So what can we say to God in prayer?
Jonah says to God, “You did this to me!” Jonah not polite. God still listens and responds.
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah 2:10
Being flowery is much less important than being honest. God already knows what’s on your mind anyway. And God, as we see in Jonah’s case, doesn’t always answer in flowery ways.
- Prayer is not about politeness. So what can we say to God in prayer?
Jonah says to God, “You did this to me!” Jonah not polite. God still listens and responds.
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah 2:10
Being flowery is much less important than being honest. God already knows what’s on your mind anyway. And God, as we see in Jonah’s case, doesn’t always answer in flowery ways.
Lessons on Prayer…
- Prayer is not about politeness.
- Prayer is not about perfection. Jonah has spent a lot of time running from God. He is most definitely a sinner! And yet, he knows that God will listen to him when he prays. God will listen to you too – no matter who you are! If we had to be perfect for God to hear our prayers, God would hear no one … because no one is perfect.
Jesus has taken our sin. He IS perfect!
- Prayer is not about politeness.
- Prayer is not about perfection. Jonah has spent a lot of time running from God. He is most definitely a sinner! And yet, he knows that God will listen to him when he prays. God will listen to you too – no matter who you are! If we had to be perfect for God to hear our prayers, God would hear no one … because no one is perfect.
Jesus has taken our sin. He IS perfect!
Lessons on Prayer…
- Prayer is not about politeness.
- Prayer is not about perfection.
- Prayer is about God’s promises. The mystery of prayer is why God answers the way He does. The answer to the mystery is found in God’s promises. God will not answer our prayers in a way that breaks His promises.
- You pray for healing and it doesn’t happen, you can know that it will come, even if only in eternity…because God always keeps His promises.
- You pray for peace and you get trouble, you can know that you will eventually have peace, even if only in eternity…because God always keeps His promises.
God has promised Jonah that he will be a prophet to Nineveh. And even if it takes a barfing fish to keep His promise, He will keep it.
*This is the Gospel: even if takes a cross for God to keep His promise of salvation, He will keep that promise. God always keeps His promises!
*Sometimes, through unanswered prayers, God is teaching us to pray for better, deeper things. You see, God wants us to ask for better things, to look for better things, and to live for better things!
- Prayer is not about politeness.
- Prayer is not about perfection.
- Prayer is about God’s promises. The mystery of prayer is why God answers the way He does. The answer to the mystery is found in God’s promises. God will not answer our prayers in a way that breaks His promises.
- You pray for healing and it doesn’t happen, you can know that it will come, even if only in eternity…because God always keeps His promises.
- You pray for peace and you get trouble, you can know that you will eventually have peace, even if only in eternity…because God always keeps His promises.
God has promised Jonah that he will be a prophet to Nineveh. And even if it takes a barfing fish to keep His promise, He will keep it.
*This is the Gospel: even if takes a cross for God to keep His promise of salvation, He will keep that promise. God always keeps His promises!
*Sometimes, through unanswered prayers, God is teaching us to pray for better, deeper things. You see, God wants us to ask for better things, to look for better things, and to live for better things!