Desperation & Distress

I have prayed lots of prayers in my life out of desperation and distress. In fact some of my most heart felt prayers were one word: “HELP!” I believe sometimes I’ve made prayer a bit too eloquent and wordy. Honest, heartfelt prayer changes my perspective and calls upon the resources of heaven to help. Jonah prayed such a prayer after being thrown overboard from the wrecking ship into the raging water, from the storm of his disobedience. Check this out…

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.

6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;

    the earth beneath barred me in for ever.

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. (Jonah 2:1-2; 6-10 NIV)

I really feel like I can identify with Jonah. I have prayed many times out of desperation and distress. I sometimes don’t even know what help from the Lord would look like. At other times in my desperation and distress, I don’t even know what to pray for. The cool thing is that the Lord knows EXACTLY what I need – when I need it. He hears my prayers when things are calm and peaceful too. The Lord loves all of my prayers because prayer is my acknowledgement that I can’t do life without Him. It’s pretty easy for me to be critical of Jonah’s disobedience until I take a hard look at my own track record in this area.

I’m so thankful that the Lord hears prayers in the midst of desperation and distress. His responses to those prayers have attracted my heart to give Him everything including the non-desperate and non-distress situations.

He answered Jonah’s desperate and distressful prayer and He answers mine! #thankful

Pressing On!

Dwayne