prayer purpose powerJonah. What a guy. The Lord calls him to go to Nineveh, and he heads in the opposite direction. Little did the ship crew know that letting him onboard their boat was asking for trouble. God sends the storm. The crew begs Jonah to pray to his God. (Their prayers to their gods didn’t get any response.) And finally, at his request, the crew throws Jonah overboard.

You remember what happened then? The storm stopped, and it was so dramatic that the crew offered sacrifices to Jonah’s God, and vowed to follow Him! Amazing.

Yet what transpires next is even more amazing. But first…some questions for you.

What do you think happens when you pray? Do you think your request goes into some little slot that has your name on it, to be gotten to when God gets time? Do you think it gets thrown into a pile of other prayers, and the Lord God responds when he finally gets down to yours? Or do you even think of this at all?

Yes, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. God had planned for it.

[blockquote author=”Jonah 1:17 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.[/blockquote]

Finally, Jonah came to his senses. And while in that big fish, Jonah prayed a beautiful prayer, recognizing the trouble he brought upon himself. He concludes with strong words of affirmation and a pledge to “…fulfill all my vows.”

Now, look at what happens next.

[blockquote author=”Jonah 2:10 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.[/blockquote]

Boom. Just like that. Jonah prayed. God acted. Can you imagine the scene in Heaven at that moment? God…ordering a big fish to spit Jonah out on the shore. I mean, what were the angels thinking?

So, what do you think happens when your prayers bring you in line with God’s will for your life? Do you think God sits passively by, yawning, and saying, “Well, it’s about time.” Not at all.

Your Prayers plus God’s Purpose equals His Power.

The key is understanding that the most important thing we can do…the most important prayer we can offer as a Christ-follower…is to agree with God, repent, and get in step with the Lord’s will and calling on our life. And then, look out. God will move Heaven and earth…and maybe even a big fish in the depths of the sea…to fulfill His purpose through you.

What are you waiting for?