Praying thro Jonah (Dec 16)

The Greatest Fish Story
(Prayer Walk thro Jonah 1-4)

Backgrounder: Consider the story
of Jonah, a prophet commissioned
by God to preach an ultimatum
to Israel’s archenemy Assyria.
Jonah quickly goes AWOL and
finds a ship headed in the opposite
direction. God sends a storm, then
a hungry fish, to turn Jonah around
and head him back toward Nineveh
After delivering his one-sentence
sermon, Jonah watches helplessly
as the entire city of Nineveh
repents in sackcloth and ashes.
When God spares Israel’s enemies,
it takes a hot wind, a shade-giving
vine and a hungry grub to teach
Jonah a lesson about the mercy
of God for sinful mankind.

Dear Lord, we acknowledge Your
sovereignty and You’re In Control.
We will Pray for Deliverance;
we will Deliver Your Message and
we will Be Compassionate. Amen.

Lord, we will Pray for Deliverance:
The Lord arranged for a great fish
to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was
inside the fish for three days and
three nights. Then Jonah prayed
to the Lord his God from inside
the fish. He said: I cried out to
the Lord in my great trouble and
he answered me. I called to you
from the world of the dead, and
Lord you heard me! You threw me
into the ocean depths, and I sank
down to the heart of the sea.
I was buried beneath your wild
and stormy waves (Jon 1:17-2:3).
Lord, how I thank You that in the
deepest trouble when I cry out
to you, you will hear & answer me
just as you did Jonah. I’m glad that
there’s no situation so hopeless
that You cannot bring deliverance.
I will offer sacrifices to you with
songs of praise, for my salvation
comes from you alone! Amen.

Lord, we will Deliver Your Message:
Then the Lord spoke to Jonah
a second time. Get up and go to
the great city of Nineveh and
deliver the message of judgment
I have given you. This time Jonah
obeyed the Lord’s command…
On the day Jonah entered the city,
he shouted to the crowds:
Forty days from now Nineveh
will be destroyed! The people of
Nineveh believed God’s message
and from the greatest to the least,
they decided to go without food
and wear sackcloth in sorrow.
Lord, learnt from passage that
Jonah was to preach only what
You told him: a message of doom.
Those who bring God’s Word to
others should not let fear of people
dictate their words. For they are
called to preach God’s message
and his truth, no matter how
unpopular it may be. Amen.

Lord, we will Be Compassionate:
Then God said to Jonah: Is it right
for you to be angry because the
plant died? Yes, Jonah retorted:
even angry enough to die!
Then the Lord said: You feel sorry
about the plant, though you did
nothing to put it there. And a plant
is only at best short chat lived. But
Nineveh has more than 120,000
people living in spiritual darkness,
not to mention all the animals.
Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such
a great city? (Jonah 4:9-11).
Lord, I know there are people all
around who need to hear Your
message of hope and truth –
people whom I might not even
notice, but whom You love deeply.
Reveal them to me so that I can
pray for them and perhaps speak
an encouraging word from You
to them. Prepare their hearts to
receive from You thro me. Amen.

Dear Lord, we acknowledge Your
Sovereignty & You are In Control.
Help us not run away from doing
your purpose in the world but
instead to Deliver Your Message.
Help us to Be Compassionate,
including those who are different
from us in race or background.
Help us not be inward looking but
to be your missionaries wherever
we are & wherever He sends us.
Help us to share the Good News
for People truly Need the Lord !!!
In Jesus’ previous name, Amen.