Jonah’s prayer is one of understanding and redemption. In chapter one, due to Jonah’s disobedience, God sends Jonah a great trial. He is swallowed by a fish. He spends three days and nights inside the fish and in that time Jonah learns about this trial and how God is his dependance.
1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
Jonah calls out to God and God hears Jonah.
3 You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 4 I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
Jonah walked away from God, but now he sees his error.
5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
Jonah recounts the terrible trial had to endure due to his disobedience.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.
In the depths of Jonah’s despair, God saves him. 7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
God hears Jonah’s prayers.
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. 9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” 10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah ultimately understood where his salvation came from. He vows to make good on this lesson. We may look at this trial as harsh, but at the heart of it, it is merciful. God wants each one of us to learn deeper truths in the trials we go through. In our life, we must understand that trials refine us, if we learn from them. They make us stronger and turn our eyes toward God. That’s why James says that we should count it as pure joy, when we go through trials, because God is testing our faith, and through perseverance, making us stronger and more mature (James 1:1-4).