Does God Really Answer Prayer?

Jonah 2:1-10 Does God really answer Prayer? 1. The Person of Prayer 1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God He was in trouble :- (a) Physically – 2 I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, (b) Mentally – 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: (c) Spiritually – 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

2. The Position of Prayer 1 out of the fish’s belly It was :- (a) A Deep Place - 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

(b) A Dark Place - Thank Him in darkness, as well as daylight. Thank Him for the battles, as well as for the blessings.

(c) A Difficult place - 3 all thy billows and thy waves passed over me

(d) A Divine Place - 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep

Ch 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah

The will of God will never take you,

Where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Where the arms of God cannot support you,

Where the power of God cannot endow you.

A. It manifests the Lord’s Care B. It magnifies the Lord’s Control.

3. The Purpose of Prayer - 2"I cried by reason of mine affliction." Passion in His Prayer - "I cried" Prudence in His Prayer - "by reason of mine affliction" Precision in His Prayer - "unto the LORD" Power in His Prayer - "and he heard me" Profit in His Prayer - "out of the belly of hell cried I,

and thou heardest my voice"

4. The Petition of Prayer - From inside the fish Jonah learns ...

(a) The CRY for God's Protection - 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me;

(b) The CRAVING for God's Presence - 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

(c) The CONSIDERATION of God's Purpose -

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

(d) The CLINGING to God's Promise - 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee,

into thine holy temple.

(e) The CONCESSION to God's Plans - 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

5. The Proclamation of Prayer - 9 "Salvation is of the Lord." (a) The Reach of the Message - Save from the guttermost

(b) The Reality of the Message - It Saved even Jonah

(c) The Riches of the Message - He could speak from experience. (d) The Relevance of the Message - If God answered prayer for Jonah, He could answer Prayer for anyone.

6. The Pardon of Prayer - 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.