Jonah's Prayer in the Fish's Belly Jonah 2:1

Jonah was reluctantly “cast into the sea” by the “mariners” aboard the ship traveling to Joppa. As soon as he was, the “sea calmed” and the “mariners” “sacrificed” and “made vows unto the LORD”. Jonah bobbed in the water for a little time until “a great fish” “prepared” by “the LORD” “swallowed” him, and in chapter two and verse one of this prophesy we see how “Jonah prayed unto the LORD” while he was within the “fish”. We read:

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

The verse begins, “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God...” The writer began with the words, “Then Jonah” whose name means “dove” “prayed” which means “intervened, interposed, mediated and interceded” “unto the LORD” or “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the the one true God”. When Jonah found himself inside the “great fish”, he turned his voice back to “the LORD” who had “prepared” it for him.

The verse goes on to say, “...out of the fish's belly,” The writer continued, “out of the fish's” which means “the great fish which swallowed Jonah” “belly” or “internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines or digestive organs”. Jonah was actually inside the “digestive system” of the “great fish” when he called upon “the LORD” in “prayer”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we can imagine how intense Jonah's situation must have been. When we think that it took being “swallowed up” by a “great fish” and residing within it for “three days and three nights” to attain Jonah's attention, we may think him to be extremely stubborn or hard-headed. However, what “great fish” has to “swallow” some people and how long do they have to “linger inside” it before they “call upon” the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ His Son? Perhaps there are those reading this who can relate to Jonah, and they feel they are currently within a “great fish” of some type. If so, the shortest path back to a relationship with Jesus is to “call upon” Him within “the digestive system” in which they reside. May the LORD use Jonah as a marvelous example of how He is ready to hear the prayers of those who have been “swallowed up” and remain in horrific circumstances because they have been contrary to Him.

Next time we see Jonah cry “unto the LORD” and “the LORD heard him”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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