Topical Bible: Answers To Prayer: Jonah

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The narrative of Jonah, a prophet of the Lord, provides a profound illustration of prayer and divine response. The Book of Jonah, found in the Old Testament, recounts the account of Jonah's mission to the city of Nineveh, his initial disobedience, and the subsequent events that unfold, highlighting the power and mercy of God in answering prayer.

Jonah's Disobedience and Prayer in Distress

Jonah, son of Amittai, was called by God to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness (Jonah 1:1-2). However, Jonah attempted to flee from the presence of the Lord by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. In response to Jonah's disobedience, God sent a great storm upon the sea, threatening the safety of the ship and its crew (Jonah 1:4).

In the midst of the tempest, the sailors, recognizing the divine nature of the storm, cried out to their gods and eventually cast lots to determine the cause of their plight. The lot fell on Jonah, who confessed his flight from the Lord and instructed the sailors to throw him into the sea to calm the storm (Jonah 1:7-12). Reluctantly, they complied, and the sea ceased its raging (Jonah 1:15).

Jonah's Prayer from the Depths

Swallowed by a great fish appointed by God, Jonah found himself in the depths of the sea. It is here, in the belly of the fish, that Jonah turned to the Lord in prayer. Jonah's prayer, recorded in Jonah 2:1-9, is a heartfelt cry for deliverance and an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and mercy. Jonah declared, "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice" (Jonah 2:2).

Jonah's prayer is a testament to the power of sincere repentance and supplication. Despite his initial rebellion, Jonah's earnest plea was heard by God, who commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2:10).

Nineveh's Repentance and God's Mercy

After his deliverance, Jonah obeyed the Lord's command and journeyed to Nineveh, proclaiming the impending judgment of God (Jonah 3:1-4). The people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, believed God, proclaimed a fast, and donned sackcloth as a sign of their repentance (Jonah 3:5). The king of Nineveh issued a decree urging the city to turn from their evil ways and violence, hoping that God might relent from His fierce anger (Jonah 3:7-9).

God saw their deeds and their genuine repentance, and He answered their implicit prayer for mercy by sparing the city from destruction (Jonah 3:10). This divine response underscores the theme of God's compassion and readiness to forgive those who earnestly seek Him.

Jonah's Anger and God's Lesson

Despite the miraculous deliverance of Nineveh, Jonah was displeased and angry, revealing his struggle with understanding God's mercy (Jonah 4:1). Jonah prayed to the Lord, expressing his frustration and desire for death (Jonah 4:2-3). In response, God provided a plant to shade Jonah, then sent a worm to wither it, teaching Jonah a lesson about compassion and divine perspective (Jonah 4:6-11).

Through these events, the Book of Jonah illustrates the profound truth that God hears and answers prayer, whether it is a cry for deliverance from the depths, a city's plea for mercy, or a prophet's struggle with divine compassion. The narrative serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty, mercy, and the transformative power of prayer.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jonah 2:2,10
And said, I cried by reason of my affliction to the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and you heard my voice.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Praying Saints of the Old Testaments (Continued)
... of truth upon the fact of Jonah's prayer and resurrection ... Nothing is clearer than
that prayer has its only ... in the great fact that God hears and answers prayer. ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/ii praying saints of the.htm

God Has Everything to do with Prayer
... "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.". ...
Men cannot represent God who do not get answers to prayer from Him. ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iv god has everything to.htm

Letter v. Prayer and Fasting.
... Jonah prayed, and was delivered from the power of the fish. ... With the evidence here
presented, who can doubt that God hears and answers prayer? ...
/.../letter v prayer and fasting.htm

The Peace-Bringer in the Natural World
... Jonah slept through the storm because his conscience was stupefied; but Christ,
as ... it with oil"by His inward gifts and by His answers to prayer"till it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the peace-bringer in the natural.htm

A Poor Man's Cry, and what came of It
... If any soul here is, like Jonah, in the very belly of hell in feeling and apprehension,
yet, his cry will ... You that have had answers to prayer say, "Ay (The ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/a poor mans cry and.htm

That we Ought to Give Ourselves to God with Regard to Things Both ...
... gods, and cried in vain for the answers that could ... Elijah and Elisha in answer to
prayer reached down ... Jonah prayed while imprisoned in the great fish, and he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter ii that we ought.htm

Bear up the Hands that Hang Down, by Faith and Prayer...
... pray, and hear no voice, but stay till God answers. ... back to say, "I have heard thy
prayer, I have ... and Nineveh shall be overthrown," was God's message by Jonah. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter ix bear up the.htm

Putting God to Work
... he had sinned, and God intervenes and causes the fish to vomit Jonah out on ... for the
higher working of another law, and this He may do when He answers prayer. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the weapon of prayer/ii putting god to work.htm

Prophecies Fulfilled.
... At that time there was faith that brought answers to prayer,"faith that had respect ...
Like Jonah, they complained of God, and chose death rather than life. ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /22 prophecies fulfilled.htm

Prophecies Fulfilled
... At that time there was faith that brought answers to prayer"faith that had respect ...
Like Jonah, they complained of God, and chose death rather than life. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 22 prophecies fulfilled.htm