JONAH - PART 3

PRAY TO BEGIN

Read Jonah 1:17-2:10

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2 1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

7 “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What words/ images / ideas stand out to you from the prayer?

2. What does Jonah see as God’s role in his circumstances?

3. While Jonah acknowledges God’s hand in his suffering, he does not accuse God of treating him unfairly, what does this show about Jonah’s view of himself?

4. Jonah’s experience causes him to ‘remember the lord’ and look to God’s temple, despite previously running from it. What is it about experiences being brought to the end of yourself cause people to seek God’s presence?

5. What aspects of God’s character does Jonah focus on in the prayer?

6. Which aspects of God’s character in this prayer are you most prone to forgetting?

7. Jonah is still in the fish at the time of this Prayer, what does he know about God that enables him to be thankful even in the midst of his unpleasant circumstances?


APPLY:

1. Are there any times in your life that you are grateful for the way that God extended the knowledge of his love & grace to you through difficult means?

Pray for those who have shared in response to the questions above as well as sharing any other prayer points.