As we start this devotional, I would encourage you to read both Jonah 1 and Psalm 66:18.

As we understand from Jonah 1:1-2, God told Jonah to go cry against the wicked city of Nineveh. We know from history that Nineveh was a wicked city. It was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and the Assyrians were very wicked.

120 years later, Nahum would prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh because of the Apostasy that was in the city. We will look at that later.

Jonah hated these people, and God called him to go to these people and cry against them. This reminds me of the disciples and how Jesus told them to go to the Samaria. The ones that live in Samaria were Samaritans. These were Jews and Gentiles that married together, and the Jews hated them, and the Samaritans hated the Jews.

Jonah runs away from God because he doesn't want to see Nineveh spared. While he was away from God, there was a chastening. God sent a storm, a great fish for Jonah.

Notice that your sin not only costs you but also costs others. They threw the wares off the ship to lighten it.

One thing that I want to dwell on is this Jonah had every opportunity to call on the God of Heaven, and because of sin in his life, he was of no help.

You see, the mariners that were on board called out to Jonah asking him to call on the God of Heaven, but did you find him doing that? No, rather you find them casting lots to find out whose cause the storm was there for.

Friend, your prayer life needs to be right because you never know when you need to get a hold of Heaven for a need.

He never prays in the first chapter. Do you know why? The answer is simply because he was away from God. God was only a repented praying away.

Jonah was the first prophet to go to the Gentiles, and we found he didn't want to go.

How about you friend, is your prayer life in tune with God? Are you willing to go wherever God wants you to go?

Can you imagine if Jonah could have prayed? What do you think would have happened?

Life application: we must be in tune in our prayer life and out of tune with the world. Jonah expected to get away from God, and it cost him and others. Prayer is us talking to God, and the reading of his word is him talking to us. The more I talk with him and he with me, the more I see and understand what kind of heart I need to have.

Thank you for reading today's devotional. If it was a blessing to you, please pass it along to someone else and allow them to be encouraged as well.

If you have a prayer request, please pass it along at Justin@rtfministries.net