“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.” Jonah 2:1 (ESV)
If you spent three days and three nights inside a great fish that God provided, you would probably place that in the category of a life changing experience. Your entire life would be marked by that one experience with God. You would never be the same. Your view of God and your reverence for God would be catapulted to a new level.
- “The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head.” Jonah 2:5 (ESV)
- “At the roots of the mountains, I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.” Jonah 2:6 (ESV)
Can you imagine Jonah, with seaweed wrapped around his head, praying to God from inside this large fish that God provided? I wonder if Jonah was kneeling, standing, floating, or treading water while he was praying. It clearly illustrates that God is willing to go to extreme measures to rescue us from ourselves and from our sin.
You don’t have to wait for God to bring you to a place of desperation to call out to Him in prayer. You have the perpetual invitation to nurture your love relationship with God in moment-by-moment prayer and surrender. Remove the seaweed that tends to cling to your mind and embrace the opportunity to commune with the Creator of the universe. Your life changing experience can continue as you faithfully seek God’s face in prayer.
Whether you are in the tumultuous waters within the large fish called life or on the tranquil dry ground of daily life, pray to our Living God. God loves you and His heart beats for you. You are the apple of His eye!
Drawing Near,
Stephen Trammell
Lead Pastor
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