"Praying Underwater"

Praying Under Water

Most of you remember the general story of what happened. Jonah did not go east to Nineveh on the Tigris River. He got on a boat in Joppa bound for Tarshish. God hurls a storm against the ship. When the prayers of the crew prove useless, they awaken Jonah and tell him to pray. Then they cast lots to see whose guilt brought the storm, and the lot fell to Jonah. When they asked who he was, he said, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (1:9). When the crew asked what might quiet the storm, Jonah said, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the storm will become calm for you” (1:12). He realizes what a fool he was to try to flee “from the presence of the Lord” (1:3). God has tracked him down and exposed his foolishness. His guilt is so obvious he simply surrenders himself to the sentence of death—or so it seems.

The crew threw him overboard, and the storm ceased. Jonah sinks in the water. And what happens? The first thing that happens IS NOT the appearance of a great fish to swallow Jonah. Before the fish, comes the cry of distress. Even though Jonah knew that he was guilty; even though he knew he deserved death; even though he had surrendered his life to the justice of God, yet in the moment when death was imminent, Jonah remembered that the God whom he had served so imperfectly was still “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repenting of evil” (4:2).

And he cried out to the Lord for mercy. And then the Lord appointed a great fish for Jonah’s rescue. The Lord had mercy on his prophet and saved him miraculously in a fish’s belly.

Jonah prayed from a place of darkness and deep distress. He prayed from a place where he had no other choice but to turn to God. A place where he had nowhere else to go and he was completely powerless. In this life, we can also easily find ourselves in a similar position. Whether it’s because of disobedience or no fault of our own, each one of us will at one point find ourselves in the belly of a fish. When Jonah found himself in this position, he did the only thing he could do and that is to turn to the Lord in prayer.

Follow along with me in Jonah 2:1-10 (NLT)

At least briefly, Jonah was conscious in the fish—long enough to realize that God had saved him from drowning in the sea. And during that period (or perhaps periods) of consciousness, Jonah prays. Chapter 2 is what he said. So when you read this prayer, keep in mind that when Jonah refers to the distress of the past, he means the time he spent in the water, not the time he spent in the fish. The water is the threat of death. The fish is the refuge of salvation. The cry of distress is past tense (in the water!); the voice of confidence and thanks is present (in the fish). Let’s look at Jonah’s prayer in detail.

Jonah 2:1-2

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish.  2  He said, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! (NLT)

There is the simple statement that sums up what happened when Jonah sank in the water: he cried out to God, and God answered him by sending the fish. There is a lot of encouragement for us here that I want you to see. The general point I want to make is that God answers his children when they cry (pray) to him in distress. Then I think the text gives us some specific pointers to how and why God answers us when we call on him in distress. 

In Spite of Our Guilt

First, God answers our cry of distress, even when we are guilty. Jonah was not on his way to Nineveh when he fell overboard. He was running from God. He was guilty of disobedience. That’s why he was in the water. Some of you are in trouble right now precisely because of your disobedience. And if you are wondering, “Is there hope? Will God have mercy on me and hear my cry of distress?” take heart from Jonah. His distress was the fruit of his guilt, but God answered him and gave him another chance.

That is not an isolated teaching in Scripture. Listen to the same scenario in Psalm 107 written by David.

Psalm 107:10-15

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. 11  They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. 12  That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them. 13  “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14  He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. 15  Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. (NLT)

If your disobedience is the cause of your distress, repent and cry (pray) to the Lord. He will answer you in spite of your guilt.

In Spite of His Judgment

Second, God answers us in spite of his judgment. Notice verse 3: “You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.” (NLT)

According to Jonah 1:15, it was the ship’s crew who picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. But Jonah knows that it was all God. God was angry at Jonah’s disobedience, and he was going to require chastisement. There is nothing that causes despair in our distress like the thought that God put us there because he is angry with us. And I guess most of us might say, “If God has put me in this bad situation because he is displeased with me, then there is no point in praying for his help.” But Jonah ventured to pray for deliverance from the very God who threw him into the water. And the God who threw him in heard his prayer and performed a miracle to save him. Even when God is displeased with us, he never brings us into affliction merely for the sake of punishment. His purposes always include redemption. 

Job 36:15

But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. (NLT)

Adversity is redemptive, not merely punitive. Even if you have felt as though the very hand of God is against you in your distress, do not despair to call upon him. He answers his children in spite of his own judgment.

In Impossible Circumstances

Third, God answers us and delivers us from impossible circumstances. Verses 5 and 6 describe the extremity of Jonah’s plight: I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6  I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death. It would be a terrible thing to fall overboard and be left behind, right? How much worse to be thrown into a raging storm with 20 or 30 foot waves and feel yourself sucked in so deep you know you’re going to die. And, as if that were not enough, as you struggle toward the air, you hit a mass of seaweed, and it tangles all around your head and neck. It’s a terrifying thought. God let the circumstances seem impossible before he delivered Jonah.

I don’t know for sure why it is, but it seems that in the Christian life distresses and troubles come all at one time. They don’t get spaced out in proportion to our ability to cope. Often circumstances develop to the point where we can’t see any way out. But then we need to remember Jonah’s plight. It seemed impossible. But not with God! When we cry to the Lord in our distress, nothing is impossible! (help me somebody)

In the Nick of Time

Fourth, he answers us in the nick of time. Verse 7 says, As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Jonah was still praying without an answer in sight just before he blacked out. In fact, he probably did black out and regain consciousness several days later, realizing he had been spared in the belly of a fish. God often answers our prayers at the eleventh hour. Many a saint has groaned with Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:2

How long, O Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen. “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. (NLT)

But Jonah gives us courage to be unrelenting in our prayer. Pray until your situation changes./ Miracles happen every day. So, never stop believing in God and His timing. He can change things in an instant.

In Stages

Fifth, God answers our cries of distress in stages, not all of which are comfortable. We must get out of our head the “all or nothing” notion of answered prayer. God’s answer came in stages. The belly of a fish hardly seems like salvation. But it was: Jonah is granted enough consciousness to realize he has been spared from drowning and that there is hope.

He does not complain about his surroundings. He accepts God’s first stage of salvation as a guarantee of dry land/, and concludes his prayer in the fish’s belly with the great affirmation, “Deliverance belongs to the Lord.” Don’t disregard the partial works of God. If he chooses to save and to heal by stages, he has his good purposes, and we ought to be grateful for any improvement in our condition. A fish’s belly is better than weeds at the bottom of the sea. God answers us in stages, not all of which are comfortable.

In Order to Win Our Loyalty and Thanksgiving

Sixth, God answers our cry of distress in order to win our undivided loyalty and thanksgiving. Verses 8 and 9 show how a prayer to God after deliverance should end. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. 9  But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone. The answer to Jonah’s prayer has produced its proper effect. It has filled Jonah with wonder that anyone would forsake the Lord and keep idols. God taught Jonah that if you leave the Lord, you leave mercy. And he has filled Jonah’6s mouth with thanksgiving. God answers prayers in order that thanksgiving will abound to his glory. Which means that people who have a spirit of thanksgiving are the best candidates for answered prayer

Philippians 4:6

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:11, “You must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us in answer to many prayers.” And the Lord said in Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” God answers us in distress in order to win our undivided loyalty and fill us with thanksgiving for his mercy.

In Order to Make Us Merciful Like Him 

Finally, God answers us in our guilty distress to help us become merciful like he is. To show you where I get this idea, we need to finish the story. In chapter 3, after Jonah is back on land, God sends him again to Nineveh. Jonah goes and preaches judgment. And Jonah 3:5 it says, “The people of Nineveh believed God.” Then Jonah 3:10 gives God’s response, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.” God showed mercy to Jonah so that Jonah would learn to show mercy to the Ninevites. (help me somebody)

The book of Jonah has a message that is loud and clear about God, namely, his mercy is not confined to Israel but extends to any people who will trust him and repent of their sin. What saves is not nationality but faith. But I don’t think that is the main point of this book. The book is really about Jonah—about you and me and the way we ought to pray since we have a God with mercy. The main point of the book of Jonah is not, “God is merciful.” The main point is, “You be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” The ultimate lesson about prayer in the book of Jonah is that God answers us in mercy to make us merciful.

Now you may be able to relate to some of the feelings of deep distress that Jonah experienced. You may be feeling completely powerless and as though there is no way out of your situation. If that is the case then you should be encouraged by the word of God. In verse 2 Jonah said, “I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me.” God can do the same for us today. He will do the same for us today. In our moments of distress, in our moments of pain we can all call out to the Lord. It doesn’t matter what situation you are facing today, call out unto the Lord. Regardless of how bad things appear to be, call out to Jesus Christ. He will answer you. You will find in Him to be a savior and a marvelous source of help.