Salvation Comes from the Lord (Part 1 of 2)

What is prayer really is a metaphysical experience, a form of meditation. Some people see prayer is just the practice of thinking good thoughts today on Truth for Life, work and learn the true nature and purpose of biblical prayer as Alister Ben continues our study in the book of Jonah were in chapter 2, but as we prepare now to hear you speak to eyes through your word, the Bible, we pray that you will grant to his freedom from every distraction attentive hearts and minds that you will take those of us who are wondering and wondering and dries into your fold.

Those of us who are rebelling and running and seeking to hide and arrest us that none of us may be spectators to the event but that all of us in a way that we do not fully even understand may hear your voice. To this end, we seek you in Christ's name.

Amen so far, we've learned that God came to Jonah and said go. And Jonah said to God, no. As a result of his running and seeking to hide.

He found himself in the midst of a violent storm. Although it was complete panic up on deck, Jonah himself was asleep below.

He had to be wakened by the captain of the ship who inquired of them as to how he could sleep in such circumstances, and in the ensuing conversation. Jonah confessed that he had actually been running away from God and the reason that the storm was as violent as it proved to be was an account of this fact. Therefore, that what the sailors needed to do was throw him overboard and he was pretty certain that the sea would then become calm and that they would be able to proceed with their voyage so they did just that.

They threw him overboard and were told that in the midst of that calamity. God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. And that was to be Jonah's dwelling place for the next little while. When he gets himself inside this fish he we are told immediately. Praise to the Lord his God, and what we have here in the second chapter of Jonah is simply a record of Jonah's prayer falls out in a fairly poetic form. It is the cry of one who is well acquainted with the Bible with the Old Testament with the sounds in particular.

And that's why when you're reading it you may get a flavor of the psalmist simply because out of the abundance of his heart he cries, and his mind is been so filled with the Bible that he then speaks the Bible to God when he finds himself in this extremity now given that we are told, he prayed to the Lord his God. I want to take just a moment for a brief discourses on prayer and it is very brief but I want to acknowledge that prayer is a pressing issue to many in these days, not simply those within the framework of the church to endeavor to pray and learn how better to pray but also prayer is the focus amongst those whom we may not expect to be exercised concerning this matter, so that in the world of science, and particularly in the world of medicine. One is finding articles popping up all over the place concerning the rest derivative. The holistic healing power of prayer and most of what is being written, at least that I have observed is indicative of the confusion that is surrounding the subject itself an example in the Wall Street Journal in an article entitled the healing power of prayer is tested by science.

This is the way it leads off Kate McPherson stands beside a massage table in Loveland, Colorado, praying for someone dying of AIDS never notice the word is praying this is the explanation as to what she's doing. What is it that she is then doing well. She is praying for somebody dying of AIDS in San Francisco, whom she has never met with a photograph of the man in view she moves her hands over and imagined outline of his body in her outstretched arms. Ms. McPherson says she senses warmth, a connection with God and what that actually means one is hard-pressed to do juice. Nevertheless, it is significant enough to make its way into this article.

It is of enough importance for the individual who is engaging in this activity to report it, as well as for those who are on the receiving end of this activity to report some kind of response to it. Now as the article proceeds. Not everyone is feeling the same way and a man by the name of Richard J. Goss, the emeritus Prof. of biology at Brown University has this to say about prayer in medicine. He says if my doctor prayed for my recovery. I'd consider a malpractice suit so clearly he is deeply concerned about prayer and what it might do to him when I went back to my notes, I found that I had made a copy of something that the gentleman Robert Fujian their best-selling author from Seattle you will know in most by the fact that he has shared with eyes that most of what he learned learned in kindergarten and he shares a little with is about what he learned concerning prayer and this is what he has to say.

I do not pray to an entity. My thoughts are of being at home in the universe. If you don't think of the ultimate meaning of things as being separate from you, then there is no other to address at least the same were not talking to ourselves and then he says it's like fish trying to decide whether to relate to the ocean there in what you think by that helpful tomorrow morning when you awaken us enough.

I feel a bit like a fish in the ocean.

I'm not sure whether I should relate to. It is not particularly helpful is hard to know what in the world are these people talking about and somehow or another unless those of us who believe are able to articulate an understanding of what prayer is means and does, then we are going to be swept up in this great mill you of confusion whereby prayer means whatever you wanted to mean as you engage whoever is out there whenever and provided you can report some kind of psychosomatic benefit.

No matter who it is true or what it is about. Nevertheless, there is a benefit that needs to be report that there is a confusion that still exists within the framework of the church and that's why I take just a moment to remind you of a little concerning prayer before I move on. William still who was a Presbyterian minister in Aberdeen for some 50+ years in one church was renowned for his exposition of Scripture and also for the length of his pastoral prayers.

It was not unusual for him to pray for some 25 minutes. The children in his church and they did not go out to Sunday school would time him and make notes on his prayers, and so on, and apparently most of them of live successfully through I've been greatly helped by some of the things that William still said concerning prayer I want to see them to you this morning. Recognizing that once they're on tape. It will be a benefit to those who then listen to the T is when he says prayer for the Christian is a matter of believing that God is and that he does respond to those who believe in him that's the start. In other words, there is nothing vague there is nothing amorphous about the notion with which the Christian begins to approach God we approach God believing that he is and that although we cannot see him. Nonetheless he hears our prayers and he also is a God who response to still know the real Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is God and is naturally therefore in vital touch with the father and the son on the basis that we know something about this God from the holy Scriptures, we begin to speak to him internally and should do so as naturally in a sentence. As we speak to ourselves, our better selves born of God in Christ Jesus. That's prayer but we have to believe that he is there and listening not by believing we make in there, but we have to remind ourselves that this is not an exercise in futility were not speaking out into the night.

One of simply getting things off our chest when assembling meditating, you know, instead of doing an exercise in deep breathing with some words that go along with it know, we remind ourselves the God listens to prayer that he is there and that he does hears. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. Now he says if you're real about this and believe in what you're doing. Prayer instead of being a matter of times and seasons, and special routine occasions, which of course are important and what important in his church there prayer meeting a lesson from seven until 9 o'clock every Saturday evening of the year, but he says if we understand this, we want think first of all, about prayer in terms of special places in special seasons and so on special occasions but prayer becomes our life and become such a vital part of life that it refocuses one's whole outlook. This become so positive and creative that it lifts our spirits far beyond any doubt or depression or pessimistic attitudes. One of the things that have connected you to prayer dies is to free our minds from the narrowness of thinking of God is simply the supplier of our needs that comes into it very much indeed. But there's far more to it than that. I listen to this. I find this tremendously helpful we become interested in him in the same way that you become interested in someone with whom you establish ongoing conversations. That's my parenthetical statement we become interested in him.

His ways, his doings, his words and all the time. This is going on.

We are quite unconsciously building a new character. We are being affected by our conversations and discussions with him seeing his point of view better and agreeing with him about perhaps a great many things we were tempted not to agree about before and that humility which unselfconsciously comes with such an attitude is one of sheer delight.

This I believe is what Genesis speaks of about Enoch walking with God and he walked with God to such an extent that God said in the end all men, way out you be better here than there because all your interests are here is hardly likely to go as far as that with you and me, but there where others who walked with God in this way, and their lives. Sean, with the glow of living in such a positive world of grace, that despite all trials, life could be nothing but full of joy.

I find this tremendously liberating essay to you again.

It is not that we are dismissing the notion of the importance of time and place and purposeful encounters with God, but that those things in marriage, from the kind of communion to which William still is referring that it really means something to say. He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me that I am his own that when we are driving in the car and we see something. For example, those towns around the corner there on job-related Road or whatever it is black on the back black on the front and with a white band all around her middle just amazing creatures.

We don't simply say all those are interesting cows, but we say father I praise you for what an amazing creator. You are just as were driving in the car and he says you know your rights. In the beginning I made all these things when reading a book and is full of nonsense we say out loud all father. This is so contrary to what your word says and we engage in communion with God. How do you know God in this way, do you pray to God. In this way, have you cultivated his presence in this way has he been with you in the car and everywhere you go. I can't even tell you that one day when I'm very old and have earned the right, I'll tell you some of the places I have these conversations but for now I can tell you the mall and some of the things I thank God for.

I'm not ready just to tell you what they are. You would be amazed at some of the places I have conversations with God and some of the things I commend them for we see when we then gathered together in prayer and we have nothing to say in prayer or when you put 15 people together in a room and is able to have a time of prayer and everyone sits in total silence. You find yourself saying what is this the art of meditation. I mean, are we here to have a conversation and if you have a conversation didn't do somebody speak or do all just sit your tempted to wonder whether this that the very absence of my words is due to the stone and is of my own heart and the fact that I can initiate a conversation because I haven't been talking with them in the hours and days that have led up to the event.

But if we have come out of communion with him and it makes all the difference. That is why you see Jonah has as his reflex action prayer. Now we find them crying out to the very God that he's running away from liquidity is he's in the fish are some of you come out of a background where you think you can only pray using certain words. You can only pray using a certain place you want to turn this into a certain place, and so on. You want to make it all strained up so that it can be a place of prayer that what do you think you can pray anywhere is not as God not everywhere, that men should be as God is present there.

When I looked at this and I thought of them tumbling around in the belly of the fish and and starting a prayer meeting with God, and reminded me of the little thing that I've kept my file for some time where people get all concerned. In Christian circles about the way you praying and and the posture of prayer and so on. We allow me to read it again.

I like this so much. We can stop me. So I just go ahead the proper way for men to pray said Deacon Lemuel Keyes, the only proper attitude is down upon his knees, though I should say the way to pray said Rev. Dr. Weiser standing straight with outstretched arms with rapt and upturned eyes call, no, no, no, said Elder Snow. Such posture is too proud. A man should pray with eyes fights closed and head contrite Lee bowed. It seems to me, his hand should be a steely clasp in front with both thumbs pointing to the grounds of Rev. Dr. Blunt. Last year I fell in Hodgkins wellhead first said Cyril Brown with both my heels are sticking up my head, appointing them and I done prayed right there in their best prayer I ever said. The praying is prayer I ever prayed stand and only had one final thought on prayer before I move on. If there's one question I'm asked continually. It is this why would you ever pray if God is a sovereign God and he works all things according to the purpose of his will is there any point in praying at all if God is already established.

What is going to happen, why would we ever pray, let me commend you a book called concise theology by JI Packer's a terrific primer on theology and then the little section on prayer which runs for about 2 1/2 pages you will find that he addresses the matter in this way and let me read it to. There is no tension or inconsistency between the teaching of Scripture on God's sovereign foreordination of all things, and on the efficacy of prayer. God foreordained is the means as well as the end and our prayer is foreordained as the means whereby he brings his sovereign will to pass. Now with the discourses on prayer. Set aside.

Let me get back to the subject before us and to this matter of Jonah calling out in his distress to the Lord. The emphasis in these verses is not so much upon the predicament of Jonah. As it is upon the provision of God, not so much about what Jonah has done to get himself in this situation as it is upon what God has chosen to do to save his servant in the situation and there is little doubt that Jonah would have had in the immediate aftermath of these events. Many occasions to harass what happened to him and to repeat again. The summary which is contained in verse two people met him and he said, where have you been Jonah and then immediately followed up with and why do you smell so bad. I mean, he must've been really fragrant for a significant length of time coming out of this.

I'm not a fisherman and but there's something about fish once it gets on you it's just almost impossible to get rid of the pong and so here.

He must've been quite not exactly the person he wanted to sit next to at the local symphony concert and his friends would've said to them what in the world is been happening and then he would've said in my distress I called to the Lord and he answered me, and from the depths of the grave.

I called for help and you listen to my cry. He was in the water, half drone suffocating from the seaweed round his head and he cried out to God, he cried out to the very God, from whose presence he sought to run. He was then to discover that the psalmist is true or large of surgery and you know me you know when I sit down when I stand up. Where can I go from your presence.

If I go up to the heavens you're there if I make my bed in the depths you are there, and as he plowed around in the water in this most graphic circumstance. He discovered that God had answered his cry even as he had fallen from the site of the vessel and down into the depths of the water and he had cried out for help and God had listened to his cry. He was discovering in the deep.

What many of us have discovered when we tried to run away from God that you can run but you can do high that we are not to miss the fact that there is a great encouragement in this.

For those of us who do they find ourselves in distress who may find ourselves in the depths and the reason for it is one word and the word is disobedience may not be known to those who are nearest and dearest to us.

We may have managed to hide it from all but God himself.

And yet, as we sit within the framework of this congregation. We know that the reason we're in the predicament in which we find ourselves is because God has said: we've said no because God said I want you to do this and we said I'd like to do that because God said this is my way and we said and I like this way, and the immensity of the wonder of God's dealings is found in the fact that God in his grace and in his kindness is determined to complete the work in our lives which he has begun.

Philippians 16 loved ones. Those of us have walked any time with Christ know that is the case polarized the Christian life is been a series of new beginnings. It is not all been plain sailing.

We have not done everything right. Every day we have not proceeded in the right direction. Every time we know ourselves to of been at least metaphorically with the seaweed wrapped around our heads and suffocating as a result of our own disobedience. Thank God that he has chosen not to say fine if that's the way you wanted go ahead and drown. That's the mystery and the wonder and the encouragement of what we find. Seeing God's persistent love for Jonah is a source of great encouragement.

Each one of us to hear more about this in the coming days on Truth for Life as Alistair Begg continues. Our study called man overboard. If you'd like to share this message with a friend or you'd like to catch up on previous messages from this series, you can visit us the Truth for Life.org or you can download the mobile app to your smart phone or tablet completely free and it makes listening easy and convenient wherever you are well. I'm sure many of us can relate to what we've heard today Jonah down in the depths reaching out for God's mercy.

You probably felt like that sometimes. Like Jonah, we find ourselves suffering as a result of our own disobedience. Other times we have no idea why God is sending a particular storm our way or how we should respond if either of those situations sounds familiar. We have a book we want to recommend to you today.

We think will be a great help. It's a devotional written by a pastor and biblical counselor Paul colleges. It's titled anxiety.

Knowing God's peace Paul has extensive professional experience as a counselor.

He's worked with men and women in every stage of life. He also has personal experience with the issue of chronic anxiety in this 31 day devotional. He brings warmth along with biblical wisdom to address what is a common struggle showing us that God not only made our physical frame, but he made our emotional makeup as well.

We chose this book because Paul skillfully walks us through the root cause of anxiety and then takes us on the path that leads to peace. Would love to send you a copy of this devotional has a way of saying thank you, when you donate to support the ministry of truth, for we are entirely list are supported your giving brings Alister's teaching the listeners in every major city across the United States to radio as well as some cities outside the country and your partnership also makes Alister's teaching accessible for free through our podcast on our mobile app on our website YouTube so many other channels on behalf of all those who benefit thank you Joe again asked for your copy of the devotional anxiety knowing God's peace. When you donate tomorrow will be the last day you can request a copy.

So get in touch with us.

Soon you can make your donation online at truthforlife.org/donate or by calling 888-588-7884 or send your donation along with your request by mail right to Truth for Life at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139 by Bob Lapine tomorrow. Alister continues are studying the book of Jonah and he reminds us how God uses overwhelming circumstances to draw us to himself. Be sure to join us Friday the Staley program features the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg it's furnished by Truth for Life with the learning is prolific