Praying through Trouble

Almost all of us have been in trouble. Many of us have been in a spot where we didn’t want to be and asked God to intervene. So it was with Jonah, the prophet of God in Jonah 2.

Jonah had made the decision he didn’t want to do what God called him to do so he ran away. Once the sailors on the boat where Jonah had hidden realized the storm they were enduring was because of Jonah, they began to question Jonah.

Like the sailors, so many of us have been in a storm. We would have never chosen to be going through the thing we are enduring in the moment. We didn’t want to be questioning our faith and the reality of God in our life. We never dreamed our marriage would have turned impassionate. We never thought we would be jobless. Or fighting some chronic illness. We would never have dreamed our adult children would have turned away from Jesus and are now making poor life choices.

Jonah would have never thought he’d be in the belly of a huge fish. It was not punishment but provision from God. Jonah would have rather wanted something else but we recognize, God doesn’t always give us what we want. He certainly gives us what we need.

In Jonah 2, Jonah begins to pray to God for deliverance. He remembered he needed the Lord. Jonah put his hope in his Heavenly Father. Unfortunately sometimes, we put our hope in other things like the stock market, our bank account, our spouse, our intellect or university degrees or someone we follow on our social media account. But many of us have realized nothing will help us or save us except the Lord God Almighty.

So Jonah prays. James, the half-brother of Jesus, says in James 5:13, “If any of you are in trouble, you should pray.” And that could not ring truer. We are called to interact with our Heavenly Father on a regular basis through prayer. In Jonah 2:2-9, Jonah lifts his voice to God but we discover nothing happens until the end of chapter two. This is a huge encouragement to you and me because I get frustrated with God’s timing. But he is always telling me the He knows better…just be patient.

So, Jonah is praying on day 1. Then he’s praying on day 2. Finally he keeps praying on day 3. And someone reading this needs to realize this truth. While you’re waiting, God is still working. Just because you don’t see anything doesn’t mean God isn’t still on his throne.

Jonah 2:9 is a great reminder as well. Jonah prays, “My salvation comes from the LORD.” That is spot on for all of us, isn’t it? Jonah was running from God. He didn’t deserve saving but God saved him. When we didn’t deserve it, God sent his Son, Jesus, to be with us and die for us. We all need the grace of God in our lives. We all need Jesus to remove our sin, our disgrace, our “running away” spirit. We need Jesus to take on our guilt and shame and so that we can live triumphantly in the unconditional love of our God.

So pray and keep praying that God will do wonders in your life as you make a daily decision to follow Jesus. Blessings on your journey.

No Other Gospel

You’ve had moments when you heard two different stories. My wife says that about me all the time. She knows the way we experienced it and the way I tell it. Hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of telling a good story I say.

Paul’s letter the the Galatian churches is him setting the story straight. Paul had preached the true Gospel message to the folks in towns across Galatia, setting up house churches in the towns he visited. They believed in Jesus as salvation and the way back to God the Father. However, Jewish Christians called Judaizers, were literally traveling behind Paul and preaching a different Gospel to these same churches. These false teachers were saying you need Jesus but you also have to continue keeping the Law or obeying the Jewish rule system if you want to be right with God.

Getting the Gospel right is a big deal. It’s important. As a matter of fact, our very lives depend on us getting the Gospel right and when the church does get it right, a couple of things happen.

One, people begin to experience the saving power of Jesus Christ. Jesus will change how you neighbor, raise your kids, interact with your spouse, how you interact with folks in your school and workplace…he’ll change you! Honestly, Jesus changes everything! Once you know Jesus, the power of Jesus comes into your life and you have new purpose and direction.

Secondly, God is gloried, not you and me. Everything becomes about raising up the Name of Jesus in your daily life and pointing others toward him.

So we ask Paul, what is the Gospel?

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead so that through faith in him, we can be made right with God and enjoy life with him forever.

And as a follower of Jesus, he wants you to tell the good news through your actions and words. There’s a great story in Mark 5 where Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee and land on shore at the spot where a cemetery is located. As the pile out of the boat, a demon-possessed man runs down the slope out of the cemetery towards them. He is bleeding, screaming, naked, has broken chains around his wrists and is clearly crazy.

Once in front of Jesus, the man asked, “Why are you interfering with us?” (it’s the demons talking). They demand that Jesus not send them out of the area but put them in the pigs, which Jesus does. The pigs rush down the hill and into the water. All of them drown so the local townspeople are not happy and ask Jesus to leave their area.

As Jesus and the disciples start getting back in the boat, the once demon-possessed man is standing by the boat, clothed and in his right mind. He wants to go with Jesus, the person that totally saved him and changed his life forever. But Jesus says he needs the man to stay on this side of the Sea of Galilee.

Interestingly, in Mark 7, Jesus and the disciples go over once again to the Gentile side of the Sea, where the demon-possessed man had been before. But now, Jesus and his disciples are welcomed by the people and invited to stay and do ministry. Why? Well, it’s because the man whose life was changed radically by Jesus went into the Decopolis and told everyone the good news about Jesus. They were ready and waiting.

See, in our lives as well, Jesus calls us, right where we live and work to share the Good News about Jesus, the man who can and will change your life forever. So, begin looking for those opportunities to share how Jesus has changed your life, revealing how Jesus can change their lives as well. Blessings on the journey.