Prayers of the BibleSample

How does God’s mercy meet you in your lowest moments?

Today’s reading is about a prayer from the book of Jonah.

Jonah’s prayer comes from the belly of a fish—literally rock bottom. After running from God, he’s now stuck, helpless, and surrounded by darkness. But instead of despair, Jonah turns to prayer. “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me.” He recalls how God heard him even when he felt cast off and overwhelmed. Jonah doesn’t claim he deserves rescue. He simply acknowledges God’s mercy: “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

This story points us straight to Jesus. Jonah’s three days in the fish foreshadow Christ’s three days in the tomb. But where Jonah was saved from death, Jesus went through it—for us. In Him, we have access to God’s mercy, no matter how far we’ve run or how deep we’ve fallen.

Prayer isn’t about fixing yourself first; it’s about crying out to the God who meets you where you are. Even in the darkest places, He hears and saves.

Today, ponder this: How can remembering God’s mercy help you pray honestly, trusting that He can redeem even the messiest parts of your life?