Jesus uses the example of worrying to show us how strong our faith ought to be and how we need to live and consequently – pray. Let us turn to his words from Matthew 6:19-34:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:19-34, NIV)

The worrying which Jesus is talking about leads to division between us and God. In fact, the Greek word translated as the very “worry” means  “to part, to disunite, to divide, to distribute between.” Simply said, the more we worry about things different from God’s kingdom and our holy living, the farther we go from God. Instead of Him, we place money clothing, food and all the rest in first place.

So, it is necessary to keep an eye on how we’re doing in this aspect of life. It is important to check-up on our prayers as well. It is far too easy to drift away slowly in our prayers and one day end up being far from God’s way. Do you pray that it will be God’s will first or do the daily troubles and worries take His place? Is your faith strong enough to enable you to ask for His will, even when this means that you’ll face even more sufferings and struggles?

It’s a well known fact that we’re all standing before material needs and this continuously. However, it is our reaction to them that reflects our faith in God, not the needs themselves. Jesus’ promise to us is not for a flawless life and absolute safety and independence. If that was the case, it would actually draw us away from Him because there would be little need of a mighty God. But our Savior promised and gave us peace like no other. If we believe Him for our salvation, then we are also able to place Him at the top of our lives and prayers. Seek God’s kingdom first!

One of the biggest problems before the Christian faith today is that all Christians claim they believe in God, but not all of them live according to their own claims. In other words, many of us daily call ourselves Christians, but far too many of us don’t live like Christians.

Let’s look at the relationship between a child and his or her parents as an analogue of ours with God. When a child truly trusts his or her parents, he or she waits patiently and faith till their promises come true. When mummy and daddy promise their son a new bicycle he doesn’t immediately run out, seeking for ways to buy it himself earlier than it’s promised to him. Where there is trust in a relationship between two sides, there is also patience and faith.

Between many believers and God, however, the trust is little… so, naturally, many Christians quickly run out of patience and lose faith. God, on the other hand, doesn’t cease caring for us, but how is it possible to feel Him caring if all the time we’re trying to solve our problems on our own and pay more attention to them than we do to God?

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7, NIV).

Apostle Peter encourages us to humble ourselves before God. In other words – to confess that without Him there is nowhere we can get to; without Him there’s no feature for us; without Him our lives will be an endless fight against yet bigger problems. It’s about time for us to realized that we are the weak and God is the strong one. Doing this doesn’t mean that all of a sudden our lives will be flawless and problems will be nowhere to be seen. If we are humble before God, however, the problems will not dominate our lives but daily we will be above them, with our focus turned to what is of true matter – God.

When we start trusting God as much as we claim that we believe in Him, then we will begin to feel his care in a different, for some of us even unknown way. If we really have trust and faith in God, then as a problem comes before us we will first turn to God with a prayer for help. We will wait on His answer patiently and full of faith. And because God Himself has promised us – the answer will come, undoubtedly.

If, on the other hand, we chose to first go and try fix everything ourselves, with our own strength… or even worse – with money, then we better get ready for catastrophic consequences. Not only materially, but also spiritually. Although God will not cease caring for us and loving us, should we continue living our lives in such a way, we will one day wake up with more faith in ourselves than in God. And this is the day God will become unnecessary. We can easily lose our faith, the people around us, but worse of all – our future.

Our life with God requires daily care and a continual communication with Him. Two or three quickly put together prayers just won’t cut it. We ought to first establish our trust in Him. When this trust is real, then it won’t be hard for you to turn to God even for the smallest of things in life. It will be a joy to tell Him even of the biggest issues and troubles in your life. So, cast your cares on Him because He cares for you. Then you will have even more time to spend growing in your faith and relationship with God.

This verse is a part of a passage from the Gospel according to John in which Jesus teaches a lesson on faith to one of his 12 chosen disciples. Although the described event took place newarly 2000 years ago, Jesus’ answer is just as relevant to us today as it was back then to Thomas. Let us question ourselves sincerely – do we walk by faith or by sight? Do we pray by faith or by sight?

The truth is, for many Christians the saying “Gotta see to believe” has become a way of life. Don’t also skip the fact that the society around us encourages us to not trust anything or anyone, before we can touch and see first… And that goes on daily basis. Thus, slowly but steadily many forget about the true meaning of the word faith. This becomes an even greater problem when it comes to prayer. There is a real danger that each of us can lose faith if it is not being nurtured by a continual fellowship with God through His Word. One day you or I can wake up with an unsolvable problem in our lives and offended or even angry turn to God with the words: “Show me and I’ll believe that you have not abandoned me!”

A significant part of the non-believers today use precisely this argument for their unbelief – God has not shown himself in this and that way and that’s why I don’t believe He exists. Sometimes God choses to show Himself in a supernatural way and the faith of those who believe then is counted – just as Jesus reaffirmed Thomas’ faith. But as He said in that same passage – blessed are those who first believe.
A brief look at God’s Word reveals that all who were healed by Jesus had faith before that healing took place. Nowhere is it to be found in the Bible something like: “You have been healed because you first waited to see me and only after that you believed in me.” We should, instead take a lesson from what we can read in Luke 7:1-10 as a part of the dialogue between a Roman centurion and Jesus: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. … When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” So, do you have the faith to say in your prayer “Lord, I know you hear me. If it is your will, do heal… do provide… do save…”?

Sometimes God does not answer our prayers. Other times His answers have nothing to do with how we thought He will answer… One thing is for sure though – if you and I approach prayer with faith and not with requirements or demands, then whether God answers or not we will be drawn closer to Him. And our faith will grow as well.
If, on the other hand, we pray wanting to see a miracle, so that we may believe, then there is a chance we will lose even the little bit of faith that drives us to pray.

Pay attention to how you pray! Move forward fearlessly and in confidence with faith in God through prayer. Only then nothing and no one will be able to stand on the way between you and God.

The word Amen has a Hebrew origin and after it has entered Greek through the first century Church, today it is a part for almost every language. Generally speaking, Amen means a strong agreement with something, or a strong affirmation. It can also be translated as “verily”, “truly”, “let it be” or “so let it be.” The use of this word as a part of God’s worship dates back to the times of the Old Testament. This is where today’s Christian use is inherited from – its use in the Hebrew synagogues. Just as back then, today we say Amen at the end of prayers as a symbol of our affirmation thereof, as well as after we have accepted a blessing from an elder or another person, even outside of the context of the church gathering.

For many Christians, however, this small word has lost much of its meaning due to its almost automated daily usage. The question we ought to ask ourselves now is “Do we even think about what we mean by saying Amen, or do we just do it because it’s become a habit?”

In his letters, through his own experience, apostle Paul reveals to us the importance of the correct understanding of the word. And in order to understand the power of this affirmation at the end of prayers we need to listen carefully to the preceding words.

Philippians 4:20: “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (NIV).
Notice that he does not pray in a selfish way, nor does he seek benefits for his own. Paul’s prayers ending on Amen are not prayers for more money, a newer car, or even an easy and more secure life. No, his prayers are prayers for God’s glorification and the spreading of the Gospel. These are the things that apostle Paul gives his affirmation to.
So, as you pray, instead of Amen, finish with “So let it be!” and you will see yourself the difference. When the use of the word is so automatic as it has become today, it not only loses its meaning, but the words spoken before that can so easily be influenced by the world around us. You can avoid the selfish and wrong prayer as you continually remind yourself of the meaning of Amen. Also, pay careful attention to the fact that God will most likely not give His affirmation to the majority of things from this world that we often desire to pray for.

An Amen at the end of the prayer is also an indicator of your faith. Finishing your prayers with Amen hoping that by some magical and mystical way it will make your wishes come true will not get you far. Yet, praying in God’s will with faith that He alone is the one able to do all things and for Him there is nothing impossible… Then you will see the power of the words “So let it be!” These are not words of doubt or desperation, but words of hope and faith. And namely this is what God desires for your life to have – a sincere hope and faith in Him.
An example for such faith you can find in 1 Peter 5:10-11: “And the god of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (NIV).
Just a verse earlier Peter is warning about the evil plans of the devil, but his hope for the believers is just as great as his faith in God. Because of this, while knowing that it will be so difficult, he can pray powerfully for you and for me.

So, do you pray properly and with faith? As surprising as it might sound, the answer to this question you will find in the last word of your prayers – Amen.

When it comes to prayer, perhaps the first thing we learn after “Amen” is “in the name of Jesus.” Yet, it seems that very often, just as with Amen, the praying on behalf of Jesus is not completely understood by the believer. What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? Why do I have to pray this way, and what conditions are there to it?

In the context of the passage from John, Jesus is talking to his disciples about Him being the only way to the Father and His unity with Him. This is key to understanding the prayer in Jesus’ name because it establishes the foundation – the divine authority and power which is found in Jesus, and upon which we rely as we pray to Him.
At this point Jesus also gives the condition for prayer in His name – one’s faith in Him. When believers witness miracles and supernatural experiences, it is not by their power or abilities that they occur. It is through their faith in Christ that these thing happen. Faith is, thus, the door opener for God’s power in our lives.

In Luke 8:48 Jesus told the woman with the bleeding: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Should she have had no faith, she would not have even come close to Jesus, not talking about touching him. Jesus makes it very clear here, that it is not due to the touch itself that the miracle happened, but because of the faith with which the touch was made. As Peter tried to explain to Jesus – the whole crows was pressing on him… far too many people were touching him. Yet, healing power was released only to the woman who touched him with faith that she will be healed.
Just a few moments later, the news of a dead girl reach Jesus’ ears. Observe carefully His response: “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50, NIV).
In Matthew 8:10, as a response to the recognition of his authority and power in faith by the Roman military officer, Jesus replies “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” and later on continues, “It will be done just as you believed it would.” How liberating it is to know that God’s power in our lives is not dependent on our social status, knowledge, or physical abilities!
If you take the time to go through the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospels you will notice that on almost all occasions supernatural things happened only after a response of faith was given by the people in need.

Back in John 14, a powerful, yet very often misused statement is found: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” Very often we are tempted to take the first half of this sentence and demand action from God, because He said it. Yet, the key part of this statement is in the second half – Jesus will only act on our behalf if we have faith in Him, AND what we are asking for will result in glorifying God. Thus, once cannot expect that Jesus will be our miracle puppet and do all kind of things for us, none of which is within God’s will. Therefore, seek God’s will too, and in your prayers – stay within it.

Lastly, as you pray properly in the name of Jesus, know that an ever-present and all-powerful God is after your need. Jesus said that He Himself will do what you ask Him for! The beauty of this statement is not only in the intimacy it speaks about (that Jesus is personally concerned with your needs), but also in the assurance it provides. Just as Jesus never failed in healing or raising people from the dead in the New Testament, he will not fail in healing and providing for you, so that you may live a life worthy of His presence.
Thus, next time you pray, don’t just rush over the phrase “In Jesus’ Name”, but mediate on it and allow the Spirit to encourage and strengthen you through the meaning of it, and the simple fact that you are allowed to use it.

It is not only once that Jesus is giving us an example how and what for to pray. In the gospel according to Mark (as well as in Luke 4:42) Jesus’ prayer is an example for us when to pray. This is perhaps one of the most difficult examples to follow today. But before you continue on reading about it, turn your attention to what happens before Jesus goes to pray in the morning. Throughout the whole evening before that he is surrounded by people who are sick and demon-possessed – and they want healing. And after this, as well as all the other busy days that have passed, Jesus does not try to seek an excuse but gets up before the sun has come out completely and talks to the Father.

For most people today the morning has to do with awakening, followed by quite some stress around the trip to work or school… And yet, in between of all this there’s somehow time for a coffee, a smoke for some, and perhaps a quick and unhealthy snack. But there seems to almost never be enough time for God. Thus, day after day a large number of Christians are overcome by the daily routines, stress and demands without even noticing it. Some new believers manage to find a free slot for God in the mornings, but as they grow older in their faith often things change and prayer becomes just one of the things Christians do. So far for the intimate conversation with God that all of us can remember from their first days in the faith. As we have mentioned not only once in our devotionals, in no case should we think that the longer we’re Christians the less attention we ought to pay to prayer. It never becomes automatic.

So, do not seek excuses from last night, but set up a plan of how you will make more and more time for God in your mornings. We all are facing the temptation to excuse ourselves before God because see, last night there was something weary and tiring, and now we have to hurry for the next thing. Instead of excuses, we should be lifting up petitions for forgiveness to the Father and our Savior. We cannot call ourselves Christians and yet find silly excuses while we manage to spend hours watching movies, news or checking Internet sites. If it is difficult for you to find time to pray in the morning – set the cheap excuses apart and see what you can actually do to change this reality and pray after you wake up.

Begin your day with God and you will continue your day with God. This is just another reason to give your best to pray in the morning. When your day begins in a bad way it often happens that it continues so till the end… When you wake up angry or upset very few things can change you for the rest of the day. In the same way – if you wake up and start your day with God, it is more likely that you will continue your day with Godly thoughts and being close to Him… as opposed to being trapped in the worries and demands of the everyday life around. Notice that even Jesus – God’s very Son, the holy and immaculate one, finds that it is important to pay attention to His relationship with the Father and the Spirit with the break of the day. And if He who is one with the Father and the Spirit does so, then how much more do we have to? Nothing can excuse the lack of action on our side if we don’t follow Jesus’ example.

Psalm 119:147 reads: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word” (NIV). Don’t be late to do this yourself!

This is the way in which Paul prayed for the brothers and sisters from the church in Ephesus. Today, for some it may be surprising that this prayer does not include, say, a petition for a larger home for the church, more income from offerings and tithe, or even those prayers by name for the ones from the church who are sick or have other urgent material needs. On the other hand, apostle Paul may be well surprised at the prayers we say when lifting up our brothers and sisters before the Lord. What is different about Paul’s prayer? How can we also pray in a similar way, and why is it even important to pray in this way? Read along for more information answering these questions.

If you listen carefully to your words when you pray for other Christians you will most likely notice that often (if not always) the physical and material needs occupy the first place in your prayer. Then comes the church building or the like, and only towards the end you happen to quickly mention the spiritual needs of your brothers and sisters. But that’s only if you get that far. Often the material and physical needs are so many that there is hardly any time left to pray for the spiritual condition of our family in the Lord Jesus. There is no doubt that the needs for healing and material provision are important, but what we should learn from Paul is that they are not more important than our relationship with God (or our brother or sister’s relationship with Him). This is why Paul begins his prayer namely with these needs – the spiritual ones… and in this particular case he only addresses them directly. This is how God remains in the center of the prayer.

But what exactly does Paul pray about? Firstly, he prays that according to God’s glorious riches and His Holy Spirit the believers might be strengthened. This is, that God will give them endless strength (for his riches are endless), so that they can continue to grow in their faith and at the same time sustain the pressure of the society against them, the persecutions they will face, as well as the attacks of Satan. For through God’s strength alone we can grow in faith and devote our lives to Him more and more.

Apostle Paul continues by praying that the Ephesians will remain rooted in the love of Christ and together will all other believers will grasp how immense this love is – the love with which Christ loved us. By this way alone today we could overcome the divisions and hatred among believers. But if we continue to pray only for financial or similar needs then we have given up on Christ’s love. Moreover, we are not anymore rooted in that love. In other words – we live our lives not driven by love… and we turn to God only to ensure that He provides us with a comfortable life.

At the end of his prayer the apostle finishes not with a word or two about the spiritual condition of the Ephesians, but with a praise to God, who notice – can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. The end of this prayer is at the same time a declaration of how much God can do when the Holy Spirit is at work in us. Without His Spirit we would also not be able to either know what to pray for, nor how to do it. As for the reach of God’s abilities – you yourself can surely testify of times when God has provided you with what you’ve needed already before you’ve prayed for it. Sometimes we just need to be more patient with our physical and material needs and through this show that we are fully dependent on God and also that we have surrendered our lives to Him entirely. But not on the larger building or the quick healing of the broken arm, so that we can go back to work as soon as possible.

This is the way we ought to pray not only for our brothers and sisters, but also for ourselves. Only then will we be able to keep God at the very center of our lives and become witnesses of His love and power before all other people.

From our previous studies on different passages on prayer we know that prayer is not only personal, but also communal. It also ought not to be focused on our own will, but on God’s will instead. In the letter to the Colossians you will find the verses quoted above, which teach us even more about praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus… or in other words – how to pray for one another.

The first important lesson comes from verse 4. Apostle Paul and Timothy do pray for the believers from Colossae, but not because they are best friends or have some other type of a special relationship. As a matter of fact, Paul isn’t even the founder of this church. They two pray for these believers simply because they are their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today the case seems to be different. In a time when there is more Christians than ever before, and communications are made easier by the hour, it seems that more and more people are in need of something extra in order to pray for their fellow-believers – whether we admit this or not, it is a fact that we can easily do much better. And God’s word teaches us precisely this! Do you pray continually for believers who are not from your vicinity? If not – what is preventing you from doing so, and what can you do to overcome it?

The second lesson from the passage can be summarized in this phrase: have not stopped. In previous devotionals we have seen that continuous prayer is important, but how much more important it is to pray so when it is about brothers and sisters, most of whom live lives far harder than yours and mine! Next time when you pray – remember the Christians who do not have the luxury of worshipping in public because they will be killed if they do so. Or think of the ones who daily face death – their children’s or relatives’ due to malnutrition. Do not forget also your brothers and sisters who are expelled from their families because they have chosen to be part of God’s family, the same you are a part of. Begin to regularly pray for these people, who although far in distance are your closest ones in what matters most – faith.

The next important issue which this passage addresses is the one of “How do I pray for these people that I don’t know?” The easiest to do is to simply follow Paul’s prayer for them. Pray that the Christians will know God’s will and be filled with His wisdom and spiritual understanding. And just as me and you, all other believers need these things in order to live a life worthy of God’s calling. Moreover, knowing God’s will and having spiritual understanding is far more important than any physical healing or material provision.

For the persecuted ones – pray that God’s Holy Spirit will fill them with boldness and courage for sharing their faith. Pray also for God’s protection.

For the Christians who live in misery and poverty and are threatened by all kinds of diseases daily – pray that God will send to them fellow-believers who have the necessary resources to help them and that the latter will serve persistently and in love. Pray also for God’s supernatural provisions – for He is a great and mighty God who doesn’t know what “impossible” means. Pray for protection from natural disasters as well.

For the believers who are young in their faith – pray that God will send helpers who will encourage them and up build them, and will also embrace them with love.

Pray that God will reveal to you through His Holy Spirit for whom and how to pray daily. Pray for His help so that your prayers may be persistent.

Should you need help – send us a message and we will do our best to answer your questions and send you some guidelines for finding more information on the topic in the Bible.

The apostles have recently been instructed by Jesus “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4,5, NIV). And now they have just seen him ascend into the heavens from where He is to return in all glory.

Today, this promise of God in such circumstances would often lead to division rather than Pentecost. In most cases when the leader of a church leaves for one reason or another, the congregation immediately divides into different camps instead of praying with one accord. And yet, such a prayer is by far not the only lesson one ought to learn from this passage.

Before starting to pray, the apostles and the rest of the people with them carefully follow Jesus’ instructions – they simply wait. Lately, however, waiting has been losing its value as a virtue. Most of us own or wish to own a microwave oven, a fast computer, speedy Internet access, fast response to their e-mails… and a fast reaction by others in each and every situation. And all this just because we can’t wait. Sadly, the wasted money and nerves aren’t the only negative consequence of this. The worst is that by learning to require faster speed and shorter waiting time of everything and everyone, we also slowly begin to unlearn how to wait on God’s promise and His answers to our prayers. Sometimes God’s reply comes faster than expected and we’re jumping for joy and singing praises. Yet, other times God’s answers don’t come in accordance with our expectations… Thus, as opposed to microwave ovens and fast Internet prayer does require patience. Those of us who have the patience to wait also do receive God’s answer. Unfortunately, there are also those of us who can’t wait and instead try to fill up their emptiness with whatever little things they can do or provide on their own. Brothers and sisters, let us learn to pray with patience!

Jesus’ disciples did not only pray with patience but also prayed with one accord and constantly. Just as with patience, these two qualities also seem to be not so popular in today’s culture and society. This is the very reason we ought to pay even more attention to them. Today it is fashionable for a person to strive for achieving their individual desires and the less endurance it requires, the better. The proper functioning of Christ’s body – the body of believers cannot be a reality without endurance and harmony. The word endurance itself hasn’t lost all its value yet and this should be to our encouragement. As for harmony – the situation there is very different. In some countries as a result of the still bleeding wounds of communism, and in others – because of a long strive for individualism simply mentioning the word harmony in the context of people living together creates fears and worries. The harmony and oneness mentioned in Acts, however, shouldn’t create fears and worries after one has understood its meaning.

The Greek word ὁμοθυμαδόν (translated “together” in NIV) means “in one mind”, thus expressing what the apostles and the others praying with them had amongst each other. Among all these people there isn’t separation or divisions, there are no personal interests taking over the communal desire for God’s promise… There is no hatred, nor is there mutual or one-sided neglect. All these men and women, perhaps at different ages and certainly of different backgrounds – they all have put their differences behind so that they may turn to God together. And namely such should our prayers be… as well as our lives, if we have the boldness to call ourselves Christians.

May our prayer be: “Lord, help us to wait on your answers. Give us strength to overcome our differences, so that we may bow before your as brothers and sisters in harmony, according to your grace.”

Now you are probably asking yourself “But what can this book teach me on prayer?” At first glance soma may say “Little!” A careful reading of the text, however, will reveal to you that nearly half of the time of the story Jonah spends in prayer or talking to God. The second and fourth chapters of the book describe two prayers which are very important to learn from, and at the same time – very different from each other.

Jonah’s first prayer from chapter 2 is filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. It is a prayer which is honest and recognizes God’s might – a prayer that would encourage you and me in difficult times. And, perhaps, if now you are not finding yourself close to God then you probably wish you could have Jonah’s faith so that you can pray in such a way. This prayer is also the praises of a man who has survived because of God’s grace and will alone.

The second prayer, the one from chapter 4 of the book is very different. This prayer is not lifted up to God after a miraculous survival, but after “Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry” (Jonah 4:1, NIV). And what he was displeased and angry about was God’s intervention. This conversation between Jonah and God is actually a superficial attempt to pray. In comparison to the first prayer this one is so much shorter, without any adoration, thanksgiving or praise. This time the prophet does not recognize God’s intervention – he is just displeased and very angry because God has not done what Jonah wanted. And this anger must have been so strong that Jonah did not want to live any longer, which in itself is a very strong contrast to the first prayer where he was thanking God for saving his life.

Now you’re asking “Ok, so what’s the lesson?” The answer of this question lays in the comparison between Jonah and you. Most Christians turn to God when in need or wanting something. For most of us, also, the following statement is true: It is much easier to ask and receive things than it is for us to fulfill our promises and sacrifice for the sake of others. Unfortunately, such an attitude easil becomes a part of our prayers. When we are in a tough situation or need something – we pray honestly, with faith and with hope… And in most cases we do remember to thank God for all he has given us and done for us – hoping that this will also help us to have more faith about the current situation. There actually isn’t much wrong in all of that. After all, Jesus himself said “Ask and it will be given to you… for everyone who asks receives” (Matthew 7:7,8, NIV). Yet, this is far from the complete Gospel, it’s complete teaching. This isn’t describing quite fully all which Jesus lived out for us to take as an example. Jesus also sacrificed himself so that all people (including these who hate him!) might have access to God’s salvation should they choose it. His Word is also constantly teaching us to not stop giving…

Very often God will place people and situations on our way for whom we ought to sacrifice from what we already have. For some this means giving up financial or other material resources, while for others it concerns pride, selfishness, envy. Often God wold also place in our hearts a prayer for those whom we call “our enemies.” Even in His Word to us he teaches us to love those who hate us (Matthew 5:43-48). Unfortunately, often this call for prayer and action is neglected. Sometimes because of pure hard-headedness, other times because of our own unwillingness to forgive the ones who hurt us. Yet, neither of us has ever had a case of not praying for someone out of love.

So, what is the result of the comparison of you with Jonah? How do you pray when you are in need? Even more important, how do you pray when you see that God’s will is the exact opposite of your own? What do you do when God calls you to help the people whom you actually despise? The lesson one can learn from Jonah’s story is that God will not abandon the people around you just because you don’t find them worthy of His grace for one reason or another. At the same time, your own hard-headedness against God’s will cannot lead you to any better that it did for Jonah – “for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3, NIV).

Do not just pass by God’s Word for you! Maybe before you go on to your regular prayer, next time you ought to first pray that He may help you to pray according to His will, honestly and out of love for all people… Do not let anger lead you just as Jonah did!