The Power of Prayer

As I said a few days ago, I realized three things after reading the book of Jonah. The first was the fact that disobeying God produces negative results. Here is the second:

Lesson #2: Prayer is powerful

When Jonah, in his inglorious attempt to escape God's calling, found himself on a ship in the middle of a violent ocean, being tossed about by a raging storm, the mariners on the ship implored him to pray to his God for help. Notice chapter 1, verse 6:

"Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."

Ironically, these sailors had no idea who Jonah's God was and, further, they had no idea that his disobedience to his God was causing this storm. Eventually, as we know, Jonah asked to be thrown overboard, I suppose in an attempt to appease God's anger and calm the storm.

Once Jonah was swallowed by the fish and found himself in a rather unpleasant situation
 he turns to the very thing he so readily and quickly refused previously - prayer.

In Jonah chapter 2 we see Jonah crying out to God in despair, acknowledging his mistakes, and asking God for mercy. Notice chapter 2, verse 1 and 2:

"Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, 'I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me. I cried for help out of the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.'"

Out of his distress and despair, Jonah cried out to God. He acknowledged God's ability to hear him and to deliver him, and he was rewarded. At the end of chapter 2, after Jonah's desperate prayer, we see that God commanded the fish to "vomit Jonah up onto the dry land."

Have you ever been through a situation that felt so overwhelmingly hopeless? Are you going through one of those trials now? Maybe it is a consequence of disobedience. Maybe it is a test of your faith, a way for God to make you stronger. Whatever the reason, and whatever the situation, know this: prayer changes things. When we cry out to God in our most trying times, He hears us. He listens intently. He cares. And He will reward those who diligently seek Him. Like Jonah, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we have no clue how to get out of - broken marriages, shattered relationships, failing businesses, the loss of a job or a child or a home. Whatever it is, remember that God knows all about it. Trust Him today; ask Him for help. Romans 8:35-39 gives a list of trials that followers of Christ may face. In verse 37 it says this:

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."

Call out to God today and let Him take your burdens. If you have never come to Christ for salvation, do so now. He loves you and cares about you and wants a lifelong relationship with you. Let Him cleanse your sins and make you brand new today. Pray, and see what the Lord will do...