When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
- Jonah 2:7

So prays the prophet Jonah from the stomach of a fish. As a man known for running from God, Jonah got a lot of things wrong. Rebelling against God’s command? Check. Forsaking his calling? Check. Choosing hate over mercy? Check. Despite what may have defined his walk with God and ministry outside the book that bears his name, we know Jonah more for his spiritual failures. 

And yet, there is one thing we know he got right. He prayed. He could have done it much sooner, and avoided his present circumstance, but when he faced his most desperate moment, he prayed to his God. From the belly of the fish, he prayed, and while that place seems like the farthest possible place from God, he simply spoke the word and the prayer reached God’s very temple. 

Maybe you can relate to Jonah this week. You may feel like a spiritual failure unqualified to pray. Wherever you find yourself, even the belly of a fish, pray. Because of Jesus, we can approach God’s throne in prayer and receive mercy and grace as beloved children. Whether you're walking hand in hand with God or trying to outrun his loving pursuit, he is there, near and ready to be part of the conversation.
 
Mike Stroh
Associate Pastor