Great Prayers of the Bible

There are some incredible prayers in the Bible and some very remarkable people who prayed them. Of course in their own eyes they weren't remarkable at all. They felt they were as ordinary as you and I feel. But they touched the heart of God in one way or another and were included in the scripture to be examples for us. As we examine some of these great prayers of the Bible we too can pray incredible prayers. We can see miraculous answers. We can affect history. We can touch the heart of God. Our prayers in God's hands aren't as ordinary as we think.

Abraham - Great Negotiator Jacob - Wrestling with God Hannah's Prayer with a Price Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom Book of Acts: Bold Prayer Jonah's Prayer: Out of the Depths David's Prayer of Repentance Job's Confession Jesus' Prayer for Unity Zacharias & Elizabeth - Prayer in Secret

Abraham "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" - Genesis 18:17

Are you a very good negotiator? Dickering at yard sales; resolving labor disputes or negotiating contracts and coming out on top? Hats off to you if you are gifted at it because it is a real art; not one for which I have particular affinity. There is a guy in the Bible, however, who was a master negotiator in prayer and his name is Abraham. Besides being the father of our faith, he was a great diplomat and arbiter. It was God himself who invited Abraham to the negotiating table. The Lord was looking on the extreme wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and was getting

ready to judge these two cities. But before he did, he said; "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing"? (Genesis 18:17) What made God suppose Abraham would give a fig about this well deserved judgment ready to fall? In fact, why wouldn't Abraham applaud God's decision rather than desire to change it? Of course, for one thing, Abraham's nephew Lot lived in one of the cities, Sodom. Certainly Abraham would want Lot and his family to be protected and delivered from the fiery wrath. Abraham could have simply asked for the safety of his nephew but he never mentioned that to the Lord. Instead, his heart of compassion cried out for ANY in the city that were righteous and who would perish along with the wicked. Abraham's negotiated intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah certainly qualifies as one of the great prayers of the Bible. It is unusual because it is interactive and we get to hear the back and forth between him and God. It is worth our study and emulation.

Appeal to God's character

To begin, Abraham appealed to God by acknowledging that he is a just God. He said; "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" (Verse 23) This is our first lesson if we would aspire to negotiate with God too. Abraham knew the kind of God he was serving. Do you also know God in this way? The more we have intimate fellowship with the Lord, the more we know his qualities, his character and his nature. When we intercede on behalf of ourselves, our family or our nation, we should likewise solicit God's attention by proclaiming all we know about him to be true. Our proclamation has a great advantage. All of heaven hears and agrees with us while the kingdom of darkness trembles in fear that they are about to lose a battle. We should call upon God's mercy, his patience, his lovingkindness, his greatness, his faithfulness etc. We can go on and on. As we do so, God is honored for who he is and our own faith level is raised until we begin to expect no less than God's very best for our situation. This King of kings and Lord of lords is able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20)

Keep Pressing

Abraham's second strategy was to keep pressing. He started off asking the Lord to spare the city if as few as fifty righteous could be found. Yes, the Lord agreed, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account." (Verse 26) But Abraham did not stop there. What about forty-five? Forty? Thirty? Twenty? And finally - ten. The Lord answered; "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." (Verse 32) This exchange showed as much about the heart of Abraham as it did about God's. The degree to which we will press God for something reveals our own heart too. How much do we want it? How much do we want God's will done upon the earth? Remember that the truth is that God wanted Abraham to negotiate for the city. He instigated Abraham's pleadings by revealing to him what he was about to do without them. Likewise, if you have ever felt a prayer "burden" for someone or something, God is instigating YOU to negotiate with him. We often think that when we struggle mightily in prayer we are battling against God to relent and give us our petition. That is not accurate. God sends the burden so that we will struggle to press that his kingdom come and his will be done on the earth as it is in heaven. God prompts our prayer, hears our prayer and then answers our prayer. It is his good pleasure to do so.

Stand in the Gap

Abraham was willing to be used of God to avert judgment on cities in his time. Later in Israel's history, the Lord was again looking for one like father Abraham but he looked in vain. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30) What sad words; "but I found none." Is God on the lookout once more for a few great negotiators for this season in history? Just think of how well deserved judgment is today for many cities across the world. Deserved, yes, but is that what God really wants? Before he pours out wrath, what if he decided to tell YOU? Would you respond as Abraham and begin to negotiate? Would you proclaim the Lord's justice and beg for his mercy? Would you press in until you had secured the answer? Yes? Maybe we have another master negotiator among us!

Jacob Wrestling with God "What is your name? And he said, 'Jacob.'" Genesis 32:27
Is it possible to pray without saying any words? Yes. Fasting, for instance, is a kind of prayer without words and yet it is very powerful. Kick that up a notch and you have possibly the highest prayer level: wrestling with Almighty God. Jacob engaged in such prayer and it changed everything. Actually, before Jacob wrestled with God there was a words prayer that went first; prayer that was rooted in fear. He had good reason to be afraid. Jacob was returning back to the land of his brother Esau whom he had cheated of his birthright. He had also deceived their father Isaac into giving him his brothers blessing. Even while obeying God in returning, he was shaking in his boots. Jacob prayed this initial prayer on the way back home. O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who didst say to me, Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mothers with the children. For Thou didst say, I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. (Genesis 32:912) Notice how he repeats himself and reminds God about the prosperity twice. He also reminds God there are wives and children to consider. He humbles himself profusely. He acknowledges how God has blessed him abundantly and how unworthy he is of Gods great faithfulness to him so far. Also remember for later whose God he is addressing: the God of Abraham and Isaac. Besides praying, he covers his bases in as many natural ways as he can too. What could it hurt to have a little extra insurance? Jacob creates gifts for Esau ones that he hopes are too good to refuse. He sets servants off at intervals with flocks of sheep, oxen and donkeys etc. to cross the land and meet Esau and present them as peace offerings from himself. Those people still left with him he divides in two. In case one band is attacked hopefully the other will survive. That should show us the degree of distress Jacob felt at the prospect of meeting his brother after so many years. Finally, he sends his wives, maids, children and possessions across the river until he is all by himself. Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. (Genesis 32:24)

What was this wrestling really all about? What was Jacob wrestling FOR? Was it still part of his petition to God over the fear he felt meeting Esau again? No I dont think so. But fear played a part because it exposed a deeper issue. A crisis can often strip away our pretenses and bring us face to face with something we would rather not confront.

Who was Jacob?

Who was Jacob at the root? His name tells the story. Rebekah was pregnant with twins and even in the womb they were struggling against each other. She inquired of the Lord and he told her: Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23) Esau was born first but afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esaus heel, so his name was called Jacob. (Verse 26). The name means one who takes by the heel, or supplants. Jacobs name prophetically described his character, which was a deceiver, one who took advantage, a manipulator. Deep in his heart Jacob knew it was true: he was a crook. His actions had confirmed it and yet his actions had confirmed something else too. Remember that he valued the birthright so highly he designed a plan to manipulate it from his brother. Truly, Jacob was at war with himself as much as he had warred with Esau in the womb. Now we come back to the essential question again. When he wrestled all night by himself with the man who was really the God of Abraham and Isaac, what was he wrestling to obtain? The Lord said to him near morning, Let me go, for the dawn is breaking. But he (Jacob) said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. (Genesis 32:26) Does that make sense? God had already promised to bless him hadnt he? His prayer in the beginning confirms he saw how God had favored him at every turn. He had secured Abrahams blessing from God when Isaac blessed him instead of Esau. God himself had spoken blessing to him: And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15) We have a clue in something Jacob said after he had the dream of the angels going up and down on the ladder in the place he called Bethel (meaning house of God). This happened as he first traveled to his mothers brother Laban in Haran. He said, If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I

return to my fathers house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. (Verse 21) MY God. You see, evidently he had never yet taken God to be HIS God. He knew about God but he didnt know God. He was contending for his identity. He was wrestling for his divine destiny. Not Abrahams blessing, not Isaacs blessing no coattail blessings -- but HIS blessing. In order to have it he had to give up himself in the struggle.

Jacobs New Name

Why do I think thats what happened? Because God gave him a new name. And he said, Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.(Genesis 32:28) Israel means he who strives with God. He was no longer a Jacob; he was an Israel. This was not the stolen blessing from Esau but his own blessing obtained honestly in the wrestling match. Yes, he now had it but not without price. He was left with a permanent mark of the struggle. God touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacobs thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. (Verse 25) He limped for the rest of his life. Jacobs limp is a good reminder to any of us who would aspire to wrestle with God. What though if our own identity is at stake? What if we look deep inside ourselves and find Jacob there? Is any price too high to pay? Dare we become Israel? Few engage in this highest level of prayer. I understand it because the cost is great. The question for those who might try is this: how badly do you want a new name?

Hannah's Prayer
Hannah was a very ordinary woman who lived in an extraordinary time in Israel's history. She became an integral part of that history though at the time she had no such thought. The time when Judges ruled over Israel was almost over and the Kings were coming. Hannah lived right before this transition occurred; in fact, her prayer helped to usher it in. Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah who dearly loved her but he also had another wife. The other wife, Pininnah, had children but not Hannah - "the Lord had closed her womb." (1 Samuel 1:5) All of Hannah's thoughts centered on being childless

and her husband could not comfort her. She endured great provocation and ridicule from Pininnah for her barrenness and she continually sought the Lord to remove her reproach and give her a male child. Each year Elkanah took his family up to Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices because there was a tabernacle of the Lord there and priests who ministered at the temple. One year during this trip Hannah had a divine appointment with her God. She entered into the Lord's tabernacle to pray once again for her deepest need. "And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, 'O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head" (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

Hannah's Vow Remembered

Eli, the priest, observed her and saw such anguished behavior that he thought she was drunk and he rebuked her for it. When she explained that she was indeed not drunk but was pouring out her heart to the Lord, he said; "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." (I Samuel 1:17) Hannah left the temple "and her face was no longer sad" (verse 18) because she had given her all in prayer and had made a vow that would cost her the very thing she sought. The Bible says that God then remembered Hannah; she did conceive and had a male child whom she named Samuel. Hannah also remembered the vow she made to the Lord and when Samuel was weaned she took him up to the temple and entrusted him into the hands of Eli, the priest who had overheard her prayer. Hannah may have been an ordinary woman but Samuel was not an ordinary child. Even as a tiny boy Samuel began to hear the voice of God which the Bible says was rare in Israel at that time. He grew up and became the greatest prophet in Israel's history. He was a Judge over Israel; he anointed Saul as Israel's first king and then anointed David as king after Saul's disobedience disqualified him in God's eyes. Samuel's influence and power cannot be overestimated; he was a giant of a man that God used as a bridge between two epochs in the history of his chosen people. Two books of the Old Testament are named after him.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

So was Hannah ordinary after all? Her prayer was not ordinary was it? What made hers one of the great prayers of the Bible? Let's examine that. First let's look at Hannah's barrenness. The Bible says that God had closed her womb. This was barrenness on purpose - God's purpose. This was barrenness that would drive Hannah to the kind of desperation that few of us have. Hannah was so desperate that she did a remarkable thing. She made a vow to God. If God would give her a son she would give him back to God all the days of his life. Hannah was willing to relinquish the very thing she was asking for. What a heavy price she paid. When Samuel was born she only had him to herself for a couple of years before giving him up to Eli. After that she only saw him once a year when she and Elkanah went up to Shiloh for the annual sacrifice. Was the outcome worth the price? Hannah thought so because as she released Samuel into Eli's hands she prayed another poetic prayer of triumph exalting God. It begins this way: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God." (I Samuel 2:1-2) I believe that Hannah's prayer and resulting sacrifice paid the price for the anointing that was on Samuel over his entire life. She thought she was asking for a child for herself but Israel got a Judge and a Prophet of unparalleled character and worth. God closed Hannah's womb to see what that would produce. Things could have turned out far differently. What if Hannah had chosen self pity when she found herself barren? How about discouragement leading to bitterness and bitterness to despair? She could easily have succumbed to resigned resentment or smoldering anger with God.

The Price of Desperation

Instead of any of those things, Hannah chose a kind of desperate prayer that produced a vow that captured God's heart and also played into his master plan for Israel. As I look at Hannah I am reminded of the scripture from II Chronicles 16:9; "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." In Hannah he certainly found such a heart, didn't he? Her desperate surrendered prayer is one of the greatest in the Bible. When we look at Hannah we see a woman who paid a price few would willingly pay. Yet after Hannah gave Samuel up to God, the Lord visited her again and gave her three more sons and two daughters. She was abundantly fruitful in her life but it all started with barrenness.

Remember that each person recorded in the Bible is a living example to us, not a dusty old cardboard character long dead. There are Hannah's in the world today and there are purposes of God yet unfulfilled. Maybe he has "closed the womb" for a purpose. Maybe he is looking for desperate ones. Maybe he is longing to release another Samuel on the earth. Barrenness may yet produce fruitfulness in any one of our lives. If we are as "ordinary" as Hannah we can partner with God to produce results that are extraordinary for our own times.

Solomon - Prayer for Wisdom

What one thing would you ask of God if you knew absolutely that it would not be refused? Solomon had such a choice. After David died he became King over Israel and while he was at a place called Gibeon the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. "God said; 'Ask! What shall I give you?'" (I Kings 3:5) WOW! This is better than any genie in a bottle wish - this is the God who made heaven and earth saying he could have any request without putting conditions on it. Solomon's answer qualifies it for inclusion as a "Great Prayer of the Bible." Here is what he prayed for: "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (I Kings 3:9) Solomon was asking for wisdom to be a good king. The Bible says; "The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.&quot (Verse 10) Now let's look at this a little deeper by putting ourselves in two people's shoes: Solomon's and God's. First let's try to get inside Solomon's moccasins. We have some clues into Solomon's heart because before he made his request to God he revealed three things about what he was thinking.

Compared to David
He compared himself to his father David. Talk about having big shoes to fill! Under David the kingdom was firmly established and all of Israel's enemies were subdued. God called David a man after his own heart. This must have been weighing heavily upon Solomon because he says to God; "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day." (Verse 6) In other words, Solomon wonders if God is still simply showing kindness to his father David by placing his son on the throne. He feels under David's shadow. He has not yet felt or taken on the authority of the kingdom in his own right.

Compared to a child
Next Solomon expresses to God how he views himself. He says; "I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in." (Verse 7) When Solomon ascended the throne he was fully an adult but he doesn't feel that way; he doesn't feel up to the job. His statement is quite a humble admission of his inexperience and misgivings about his maturity to rule.

Compared to the people

Finally Solomon thinks about who he is going to rule over and he feels deeply inadequate and intimidated. He says; "And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted."(Verse 8) He is saying; "Hey, these are God's chosen people, who do I think I am that I could possibly be king over THEM?" When Solomon went to bed that night in Gibeon all these issues were no doubt weighing heavily on his mind and had been since he first ascended the throne. Then God met him in a dream that reflected the new king's struggling heart. It is often the case that we dream about whatever things deeply bother us but in this instance God initiated the dream. Why did the Lord give Solomon Carte Blanc to request anything of him? Now it is time to slip into God's moccasins but that can be a dangerous thing to do. Who can really know the mind of God? So with the understanding that I do not claim to be able to speak for God nor do I desire to put words in his mouth I will tell you what I think. I think God gave Solomon the option to ask anything because he knew he could trust him. Jesus said; "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."(Matthew 12:34b) God saw in Solomon a heart that was humble, not arrogant about running the whole show. He saw a man who felt he was not equipped to be king yet who desperately wanted to be a good ruler like his father David. A second thing is that while God knew Solomon's heart, maybe Solomon didn't. Really good questions like the one God asked can expose our true self. Sometimes what we see in our own heart can give us confidence to take on big challenges or it may show us how shallow we are and in need of a new heart. Yet another thought is that God desired to honor the choice of the new king. No matter what Solomon would ask for; nothing was too big for God. Just like a proud parent that says to their child graduating from college; "What do you want for graduation?" If they are wealthy they might say; "I'll get you anything you want; I'm so proud of you." The Lord was so pleased with Solomon's request that he said; "See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you."

(Verse 12) Solomon became the wisest man that ever lived. But that isn't all. God told him that because he had asked for wisdom instead of long life, riches or the life of his enemies; "I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." (Verse 13)

What would you ask?

You may now take off those divine moccasins and put back on your own. In the beginning of this article I asked what one thing you would request of God if you knew for sure that it would not be refused. Have you been thinking that over? Do you think your petition would make it as one of the great prayers of the Bible? Don't pretend with God and say something you think sounds good or super spiritual; neither should you assume that you don't have anything significant enough to ask because you aren't a King. This is about the heart. What is really in your heart? Solomon's prayer was a great one because his heart was right when he prayed it. Listen to God's promise for those who have such hearts: "I dwell in the high and holy place; With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah 57:15 Even though your prayer can no longer be included in the Bible it can be a great one in God's eyes. And it may surprise you in the end that God gives you what you ask for - and maybe even all that you did not ask. Just like Solomon!

A Bold Priority
One of the boldest prayers in the Bible occurs in the fourth chapter of the book of Acts in the New Testament. By virtue of its sheer "gutsyness" and the powerful and immediate response from God, it just has to be included in the Great Prayers Hall of Fame. Peter and John had been arrested after the dramatic healing of a lame beggar at the Gate Beautiful. Since this man had been lame from birth and well known to all who frequented the Temple, his total healing had caused quite a stir. When a huge crowd gathered, Peter and John began to preach about Jesus and that created another stir, one that had gotten them arrested with an overnight stay in jail. The next morning they were summoned for questioning by the Jewish elders and high priests. Again, Peter boldly preached. He and John were recognized as two of the uneducated men who had been with Jesus and here they were

speaking and acting with great authority. These Jewish leaders were the very men who had arranged for the crucifixion of Jesus and yet Peter boldly told them to their face: "Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead - by this name this man stands here before you in good health." (Acts 4:10) The leadership was non-plussed. They said among themselves; "What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it." (Acts 4:16) So they commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach anymore in the name of Jesus and threatened them and then released them because they were afraid of the people.

A Great Prayer Meeting

Peter and John returned to their companions and told them everything that had happened and a giant prayer meeting erupted. They raised their voices and prayed in one accord ending with this: "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29) Gone was the fear and trepidation of the disciples of Jesus that was evident before and after his death. Boy was it! In its place was fierce boldness, authority and power. What had happened? Everything changed on the morning of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 in the upper room filling them to overflowing. Peter preached such a dynamite sermon that 3000 were saved right on the spot. Now they were going great guns. They weren't cowering in the dark, afraid they would suffer the same fate as their Lord; they were out in the thick of things; healing the sick, preaching the gospel, adding to their numbers daily, turning their world upside down. Let's look at what their prayer asked for. "And now, Lord, take note of their threats." You would have thought the end of that sentence would be something like, "and protect us against these enemies," or " remove them and their influence," but instead they asked that God give them greater confidence when speaking his word. Their antidote for threats was boldness. Then they asked for two additional things likely to get them in even more trouble. They asked for

more healings to occur and signs and wonders to take place. The healing of the lame beggar got them arrested. Now they wanted more healings?

God heard their prayers

God's response to their prayer was a ringing endorsement! The Bible says; "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31) I wonder if the shaking was something like hearing God's applause from heaven. "Yes, I'll answer THAT prayer. Yes, I'll give you boldness! Wait till you see the healings! You want signs and wonders? You'll get signs and wonders! You ain't seen nothing yet!" This was not a request they had to pray and fast and wait over. After their prayer meeting they rushed out into the world and threw themselves into the work of the kingdom of God with phenomenal results. Huge numbers of people came into the kingdom. They saw healings and they saw signs and wonders. They also continued to get arrested, jailed, flogged, and even killed. They were persecuted terribly but that only caused the message to spread. They wanted the advancement of God's kingdom more than they wanted their own safety. Is this the kind of prayer you would like to pray? Probably not many of us would. The part about walking up to some person in a wheelchair and saying, "Get up and be healed in the name of Jesus!" sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? How about preaching a sermon so powerful that 3000 people rush the altar when you are finished? How about raising the dead? Throwing off a viper that has just bitten you without poisonous results? These are all events recounted in the rest of the book of Acts that goes on for 29 chapters of pure excitement. If you have never read it, do so.

The cost of boldness

The other side of the prayer is counting the cost of such boldness. Satan is not about to put up with having his own kingdom disturbed without some payback. The early followers of Jesus thought it was worth it. Today there are still many followers of Jesus throughout the world who think it is worth it. They are asking for the power and receiving it and then paying whatever price they have to pay. Are you such a one? Do you have some fire in your belly and you don't mind a good fight? Gutsy! Daring! Courageous! Is that you? PRAY THE PRAYER! The world needs the results of that prayer now more than ever. The place where

you are may be shaken. Is that God applauding you? Let me know when it happens! I'll applaud with him!

Out of the Depths "I cried from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice"
The story of Jonah and the big fish (we don't know that it was a whale) has always been tremendously popular reading, especially with children. That's easy to understand because it has all the elements of great drama. Rebellion, storms at sea, swallowed alive inside an enormous fish, survival, risky business in an alien land--it sure works like a modern day comic book adventure. Couple that with the fact that the whole story is packed into four brief chapters and you can see why it has always had universal appeal. Because it is so action packed it would be easy to overlook the fact that within Jonah is one of the great prayers of the Bible. Tucked into Chapter 2 is a profound prayer that Jonah prayed from inside the fish's belly. This was a prayer of acknowledgement of God's sovereignty, a final surrender to God's plan and a prayer of faith for deliverance. Let's do a quick review on why Jonah was in this predicament in the first place. Jonah was a prophet living in a time when Israel was severely harassed by the pagan Assyrians, Israel's long standing enemy. God told Jonah to go to the Assyrian's chief city, Nineveh, and preach against their wickedness and call them to repentance. The fact that God would offer the Ninevites an opportunity to repent made Jonah mad. He did not want any mercy doled out to this hated enemy. So he got on a ship going in the absolute opposite direction in order to get out of God's presence and hopefully away from being used in God's plan. But it didn't work.

Jonah in the deep

While at sea, God caused such a severe storm to arise that the ship's crew cast lots to see who was responsible for what they assumed correctly was a divine calamity. The lot fell to Jonah and he admitted that he was the culprit and he told them to throw him overboard so that the sea would become calm again. It probably seems strange that Jonah would suggest such a thing. One way you could look at it is that he didn't want to follow God's plan for him so badly that he would rather die than do it. Now that's rebellion. Or maybe he felt drowning was all he deserved after his direct disobedience. Jonah was a melancholy sort of guy. Whatever the reason; "they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging." (Jonah 1:15)

The Bible says; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (1:17) It is in this predicament that Jonah prayed his great prayer. Notice that God is the one who prepared the fish and in this act he demonstrated his sovereignty - and also his mercy. He did not allow Jonah to be drowned because he still had a plan for his life and he still had a plan for Nineveh. Here is what the prayer says: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple." (Jonah 2:2-7) Part description about what happened to him and part prayer to God, we sense an emotional tangle as dense as the sea bottom. I think when Jonah was thrown overboard he fully expected to die. He seemed resigned to it and at the same time a hope was rising from within him because he says; "Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple." Something from inside him still trusted even though he also felt that he had been cast outside of God's sight - outside of God's favor. He must have come awfully close to death because he says that "the earth with its bars closed behind me forever" and then in the next moment he acknowledges that God brought his life back from the pit. His best moment is when he says that when his soul fainted within him, he remembered the Lord. It is the moment of the surrender of his will. He would no longer turn and run the other way; he would no longer fight the plan of God; he would no longer rebel.

Surrender, finally
Jonah is now ready to cooperate with God as he states in verse 9; "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." After some 72 hours in the belly of the fish he vowed that he would now do whatever God wanted him to do. That's what God was waiting for. The next verse tells us that "the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." When the Lord said a second time to go to Nineveh, Jonah went and preached God's message to the great city.

The book of Jonah is the story of the sovereignty of God. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of, well-everything. History, kings and rulers, the seas and the land, weather, the destiny of great cities, the path of a man. It also is the story of God's compassion. Maybe Jonah didn't want Nineveh to repent but God did. He wanted to show them his mercy in spite of the fact that they were heathens who did not worship him or follow his ways. Okay, you might say, but what makes Jonah's prayer so great? Jonah's prayer is great because he finally surrendered. The story starts with a hard hearted and rebellious man who ultimately bowed his will before a sovereign God and obeyed. Jesus tells a similar story in Matthew 21:28-32 of the New Testament. A father had two sons and he told each of them to go work in his vineyard. The first son said "I will not". But then he regretted his decision and went out into the field to work. The second son said he would go but then did not. Jesus asks which of the two did the will of his father. The answer, of course, is the first son who initially refused. God did not reject Jonah because he disobeyed; in fact, he patiently kept pursuing him and protecting him until he had a change of heart. This is good news for you if you have been in rebellion or disobedience. God will give you another chance. Maybe you are in a mess right now because of your own choices; maybe you are reaping what you have sown. Because of that you may have felt that you couldn't expect much help from God or that there was no way back to God's plan for your life. It should comfort you to know that God is still sovereign and he is still in the forgiving and restoration business. If this is you, surrender is your key. Finally, once and for all, surrender your whole self to God's will and be determined that you will obey from now on no matter what he tells you to do. Then see what happens. You may have your own "Big Fish" story to tell someday. When you do, be sure to share it with us at Hannah's Cupboard.

David's Prayer of Repentance

How is it that David is called a man after God's own heart? How is it that when God is talking to David's son, Solomon, he says; "Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightnessthen I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever as I promised David your father." (I Kings 9:4-5) Then again, when God was reprimanding King Jeroboam, he said; "and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart; to do only what was right in My eyes." (I Kings 14:8) David is the man who used his power to seduce a woman named Bathsheba while her husband was at war on King David's behalf. When she was found to be with his child, David arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle to

cover up the matter. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Is this a man after God's own heart?

God looks at the heart

Yes, God says that he is. When God was directing Samuel the prophet to anoint a new king over Israel after he had rejected Saul, he told Samuel; "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) So despite his sin, God loved David's heart. I believe that we have a glimpse into that heart which God so treasured when we read Psalm 51, which is a prayer of repentance. That psalm is truly one of the great prayers of the Bible. After David's sin, the Lord sent him Nathan the prophet to confront him. (See II Samuel 12). Instead of denial or excuses, David comes clean; "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13) But if that was all we were told about the incident we would have no idea about the depth of the repentance that David felt. Fortunately we have Psalm 51 which is a soul poured out before the Lord with great transparency and brokenness of spirit. Psalm 51 is marked by true characteristics of repentance such as:

Appeal to the mercy of God Honesty Understanding of the severity of sinning against God No excuses or justification Desire to reform Recognition that forgiveness is not deserved but by grace alone

In verse 2 David asks God to do three things. First he asks that his sin be blotted out which speaks of human records which can be erased. Then he asks to be washed thoroughly which compares forgiveness to the washing of clothes and clothes were often seen as an extension of the person. Finally he asks to be cleansed from his sin and this refers to liturgical ceremonial law. David wished to be separated from his sin in every way possible. He is not clinging to it with secret affection for it. No, he is rejecting his sin to the uttermost. In his prayer, David acknowledges his sin "nature" and he holds out no hope that on his own he will be able to avoid sin in the future. He doesn't do this as an excuse, "Gee, I'm only human" but as an expression of his brokenness and his need for God's help and delivering power. David puts the burden of redemption on God: "purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and

I shall be whiter than snow." (verse 7) He is willing and desirous to submit to this deep cleansing of his innermost being.

Restoration
Beyond being forgiven and cleansed, David wants restoration. This is something we should all seek. He does not want to be stuck in the guilt of his sin as he moves into the future. David says; "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." (Verse 12) David wants to repent and be done with it. Knowing God has removed his sin from him, David wants to experience joy again. This is a wonderful hallmark of forgiveness from the Lord. If we truly repent, he removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (See Psalm 103:12) We are free to move forward as if the sin never existed at all. What joy and freedom! That release from guilt is what makes David able to promise something back to the Lord. After the joy of God's salvation is restored, David says; "then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You." (Verse 13) This is very interesting. How is it that this restoration of joy will enable David to communicate God's ways to sinners so that they will be converted?

Freedom to be honest about sin

Have you ever noticed that those who have truly repented and received complete forgiveness are usually open and forthright about their past sin? I have heard such men and woman stand up and publicly tell the stories of their lives as alcoholics, adulterers, thieves, drug traffickers and more. I have heard the remarkable testimony of David Berkowitz, the notorious "Son of Sam" serial killer who terrorized New York in the 1970s. The transforming power and grace of Jesus Christ touched his life and he tells his story without hesitation. When people listen to stories of God's great grace they often feel that their own case is not hopeless and their own sin not unforgivable. They see joy on the face of the former sinner and they want that same joy. God is there to offer it. As you read and re-read Psalm 51, what do you find you identify with the most? Is there a hidden sin that you need to repent of with the same heart David had? Do you find you haven't been completely honest with God? Are you willing to accept the deep cleansing David desired? Do you need to have the joy of God's

salvation restored to you? Do you desire to have your testimony of God's grace touch the lives of others? David's prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 is one of the great prayers of the Bible. After you read it, it isn't so hard anymore to understand why David was a man after God's own heart. You and I can hold that same title; we can be men and women after God's own heart. Repentance is the entryway. Come, enter in.

Job "Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6
There are some who would not see it as a prayer. Job was not asking God for anything when he said it. Still, it is a great prayer; maybe one of the greatest of all. The prayer ends with these profound words: "'Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.'" (Job 42:6) How did Job come to such a confession? Back at the beginning of the book, Job was a man of much blessing and extravagant means. He served God unreservedly which Satan chalked up to the fancy way God treated him. "'Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?'" (Job 1:9-10) But things were about to change. God agreed to - even suggested, a severe testing of Job in which blessing by blessing was stripped away from his life. Would he still serve God? When the worst of it hit, his wife's advice to him was; "'Curse God and die!'" (Job 2:9) Job did not listen to her and neither did he buy into the advice of the friends who came, first to comfort him and then to point their fingers of blame for what they figured must be his fault. Job insisted upon his own innocence. Though he didn't understand "why" it was happening he clung to God anyhow. He told his friends; "'Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.'" (Job 13:15) Eloquently Job did argue his ways with the friends who tended him in his misery. All they wanted was for him to admit that he must have sinned in some way to bring these consequences. All he wanted was for them to trust in his innocence and his right standing before God. In the end God took over the argument. Listen to the sarcasm dripping from the Lord's voice. "I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?" (Job

40:8) Really now - what brought that on? Had Job been guilty after all? Were the friends right? No! It was God himself who said that Job was "'a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.'" (Job 18) What then? Job reached the place where he discontinued justifying himself in favor of acknowledging the superior greatness of God. There is a place spiritually beyond why something happened - a place beyond who's right and who's wrong. As human beings we want all our ducks in a row. We want to say that if "A" happens, "B" will result. We don't want to feel that we are pawns on a chess board with no control over where our life is sent next. Most of us will not have tests and trials like Job - especially not within such a short time span. All of us though, will have unexpected downturns in our life. There are times when the big WHY looms over us. Many times our "friends" are right there to tell us why it all happened to us. Maybe they are right and maybe they are wrong (like they were with Job) but that's not the final say on the matter. If we are smart we will eventually get past it all to the place Job came to. Here is his prayer - his final say on the matter. "I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Here, now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me.' I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6) Are you in a place of great questioning because God does not appear to be faithful in your circumstances? Instead, is he silent as you go on and on in suffering? Go ahead and argue your case and work through everything you must to reach some semblance of understanding. But beyond all that there is another prayer: Job's prayer. When all is said and done, will you be ready to pray it?

Jesus for Unity "That they may all be one" John 17:21
Jesus walked on the earth in perfect unity with his Father's will. He did whatever he saw the Father doing and he destroyed the works of the enemy everywhere he ministered. He was God made flesh. Can it get any better than that? Yet, Jesus prayed a prayer at the end of his earthly life that has yet to be answered.

At his last supper with his disciples he prayed a prayer for all who would believe in him: "that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me." (John 17:21) It would seem that in the very beginning of the church there was that unity Jesus prayed for. As they waited for the Holy Spirit to fall on Pentecost, Acts 1:14 tells us: "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer." However, before the rest of the New Testament books were written, we hear of lots of factions and divisions and doctrinal arguments. Letters to the different churches were often written to address conflicts.

Christians at Odds
And in the centuries after that? How many ways have Christians sub-divided themselves? How many denominations and splits do we have? How many doctrinal positions abound on basics such as communion and baptism and the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? So what's up? Did Jesus miss it somehow in his prayer? Should we slip this one under the rug and forget he ever uttered it? NO WAY. Jesus' prayer for unity is truly one of the great prayers of the Bible. It holds a particularly honored spot because it was himself, the great I AM who spoke it. And make no mistake this prayer will be answered. At least twice in his prayer Jesus repeated himself by emphasizing WHY unity is important. In Verse 23 he pressed again what he said only a few sentences before: "that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me."

Unity - Tool for Evangelizing

In truth, unity is a tool for evangelizing. Unity promotes the gospel more than we can understand. That's probably one of the big reasons the early Christians were said to be turning the whole world upside down. (See Acts 17:6) But here is another thing about unity: unity is hard! The very root of our fallen rebellious and selfish nature discards unity. To top things off, there is one who is in perfect agreement with our disagreements. Satan fans any flames of disunity that he can find. He has also read the scripture and he knows the prayer. He knows that when unity occurs, his kingdom suffers. His strategy is to bring disharmony, suspicion and bickering.

Jesus never uttered a prayer that will not ultimately be answered. The answer is on the way and since it has taken so long so far, we can surmise it will be an answer beyond what we can think or imagine. It's a GREAT PRAYER and it will have a GREAT ANSWER.

Answer Coming
First of all, there is a visible church and an invisible church. True disciples of Jesus Christ reside within all the different denominations and traditions and cultural distinctions present in Christianity. Beyond doctrinal distinctions there is a deeper conviction which resounds in believers everywhere: "This I command you, that you love one another." (John 15:17) Every time love triumphs, unity trumps disunity. Incredibly, for over two thousand years there has continually been a stream (even if sometimes a small one) of the great unity Jesus prayed for. It is present during great revivals when believers band together to present the gospel. It is present when people pray together even if they are from different churches. It is present when Christians decide on joint missionary endeavors and give to mission projects other than their own. We do not yet see the visible and the invisible church of Jesus Christ becoming one. But the time must be close because the Second Coming of the Lord is fast approaching. The final great outpouring of the Holy Spirit is imminent. What will make the world turn in unprecedented numbers to call on the name of the Lord? According to the prayer of Jesus, unity is a key. It is what will make the world realize who he is and why he came. It will testify about him and cause people to accept his love. Many feel we are in the generation where "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." (Matthew 24:14) If you desire to be on planet earth when Jesus' prayer is finally answered in full, could there be a greater cause to unite around?

Zacharias & Elizabeth - Prayer in Secret "For your petition has been heard..." Luke 1:13
Many people wouldnt include this as a prayer of the Bible at all much less one of the Great Prayers of the Bible. Truthfully, we dont even know the actual wording of the prayer. Still, I consider it a great because though made in secret it had such a singularly great outcome. In fact, the whole opening of Jesus ministry depended on it.

Im speaking of the prayer of Zacharias and Elizabeth for a child. They are the parents of John the Baptist, the prophesied messenger who prepared the way of the Lord by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Mark 1:4) Zacharias and Elizabeth were barren and past childbearing years yet as we will see, God remembered their prayer in secret and answered it openly in the fullness of time. The story is told by Luke the Physician who is especially good about filling his accounts with interesting and personal details. We are told up front that Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. (Luke 1:6) Thats an important detail because in those days, being barren was considered a curse and probably the result of some sin the person had committed. It is therefore noteworthy to any of us who have had a long term prayer unanswered with the vague and guilty feeling that it is somehow our fault. While Zacharias was taking his turn ministering before the Lord in the temple the angel Gabriel appeared to him announcing: for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. (Luke 1:13) This reference to your petition is how we know about the prayer at all. It is in Zacharias reaction that we come to understand how agonizing the petition must have been. He and Elizabeth had evidently prayed so long and so hard that they were not only past childbearing but also past expecting an answer. Zacharias replied to Gabriel: How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. (Verse 18) That sounds like a reasonable question and I always used to wonder why Zacharias was rebuked for it and struck dumb until the child was born. Mary on the other hand asked something similar at her announcement; How can this be, since I am a virgin? (Verse 34) but was given only assurance.

The Heart Revealed

The difference deals with revealing the deep places of the heart. Gabriel nailed Zacharias good by saying: And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time. (Verse 20) Zacharias had not only given up, he was in disbelief. His heart was sore, bitter and hard. I dont want to put words in his mouth but I can almost hear him say: Yeah, sure, you come around now that it is too late and tell me our prayer is

answered. Where were you when we still cared, when we were still young enough to have children and enjoy them? Little late now, arent you God? Well! So being struck dumb was a big punishment from God, huh? He got zapped for his lack of faith? Actually, NO! God is forever in the business of healing and restoration. He used the time awaiting the Baptists birth to bring both to Zacharias. How do we know? We know by what he said when John was born. The first words he spoke since Gabriels visit were, His name is John (Verse 63) expressing his agreement with Gods command about the name. But it is the next words that reveal a healed heart: And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. (Verse 64) Secretly for years he had been disappointed in God but now publicly he praised him. Further, his joy erupted in a beautiful prophecy about the divine destiny of John and the part he would play in announcing the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. (See Verses 67-79)

Encouragement and Hope

The prayer of Zacharias and Elizabeth holds encouragement and hope for those who have prayed in secret maybe even YOU. They prayed and asked for a child and they were given John the Baptist, the forerunner for the Savior of the world. Hows that for return on investment? It was not dependant on them holding on; they had already given up. It was not about some sin in their life hindering their prayers; they had none. Proverbs 13:12 says; Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Yes, they were heartsick for a time. But what does the end of the verse say? But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. What a great ending for their great prayer!