We are living in turbulent times. Times of great uncertainty and unrest. Some would even say we’re living in our own ‘belly of the fish.’ Jonah found himself in the belly of the leviathan (sea serpent) during his day, and from this place of utter despair and hopelessness, he cried out to God for salvation. How often must we find ourselves in the belly of the beast before we cry out to the Lord in full surrender? Even from a place as dark as this, we too can cry out to our Lord. Not only will He hear you from wherever you are, He will rescue you!
The Prayer of Jonah is one of the most powerful prayers of salvation. As you pray this prayer from your own dark place, have full confidence in the Lord Who is about to deliver you.
Jonah’s Powerful Prayer for Salvation
“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.
I said, ‘I have been banished
from Your sight;
yet I will look again
toward Your Holy Temple.’
The engulfing waters threaten me,
the deep surrounds me;
seaweed is wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sink down;
the earth beneath has barred me in forever.
But You, Lord my God,
bring me up from the pits of despair.
As my life seemed to ebb away,
I remembered You, Lord,
and my prayer now rises to You,
to Your Holy Temple.
Those who continue to cling to worthless idols
turn away from Your love, Lord.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice all for You.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord alone.’”
[Prayer adapted from Jonah 2:3-9]
This prayer has the potential to change your life. Powerful prayer such as this one has been known to deliver even entire nations. As you pray, consider the power this prayer (and others like it), prayed from the heart and soul, has in your life. Consider the transformative power and vast changes it is capable of.
