+DEV+ Prayer Where and When?

Date: August 5, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ Prayer Where and When?


Prayer Where and When?

"From inside the fish Jonah prayed 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'" (JONAH 2:1-2)
Scripture Focus: Jonah 1:1, 3:3

Is there a proper place to pray? You'd be hard pressed to make a case for that since God's people prayed everywhere from inside of caves to out in the desert to inside of a fish. No ornate church of any kind is required. It seems that a good time for Jonah to talk to God would have been when God commissioned him to preach to a Gentile city and Jonah was unwilling to go. If he had, he might not have ended up in a fish's stomach, praying desperately. But even from within his unwelcome host, Jonah sought the Lord through prayer.

"I have been banished from your sight," Jonah said (2:4). He was wrong. God knew exactly where Jonah was. He always knows precisely where we are, no matter how lost we may be. When we feel billions of miles away from Him, suffocating in darkness, He hears our prayers.

We see God's grace toward His disobedient child, Jonah, as He gave him a second chance. God's grace is ours, even when we try to run from His will. His grace and kindness lead us to repentance.

Insight: No matter what our circumstances, the proper place to pray is anywhere we are. the proper time to pray is now.