JonahVoorbeeld

Nineveh repents and cries out to God

Jonah must travel to the big city of Nineveh. The city is that big that it takes at least three days to walk through. The prophet hates the heathens but after his experience with God when trying to escape from his mission, he does not dare to do anything else but does exactly as he has been told to do by God. To say the least, it is not a nice message: ‘Yet forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!’ But the message spreads through the city like wildfire. The people do not know the God of the prophet. They probably have never even heard something so clear from that God. But as they hear about it now, the incredible happens: they hear the message of the announced punishment and do believe it. The entire city, the first one was the king, put on sackcloth and a great fast begins. Everyone joins in: men, women, children, and animals. They start to pray loudly to God. Everyone is assigned to convert and to start a new way of living.

Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.. 

These people who neither know God nor commandment, start praying for dear life. They did not know God, but now they have heard of Him, they begin to move. All of them. It is going to be tight. Maybe there is no point in praying, but they take the chance that God might listen. He will notice their changed behavior and reconsider.

Do you want to learn how to pray? Pray like Jonah did when he was in the belly of the fish in the depth of the seas. And pray as the inhabitants of this enormous city when they discovered who God was and heard the announced punishment. Pray as if your life depends on it.

God seems to be less static as often is thought. God had resolved something, but he heard the prayers. God is able to change his mind. He hears every prayer we pray, everything that is cried out in fear, frustration or sorrow to him, even though you do not know who He is. God appears to be more graceful than you can imagine. He reconsiders his plan. God changes his mind. God relents. Well, that is quite a discovering, is it not?! God is able to change his mind. If you doubt God’s goodness, get involved in the story of Jonah and discover that God is so much better than you can ever imagine.