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Jonah 2:2

He said:
"In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
(NIV)
For many, there is no prayer until they are in distress. I know I have been that way before. If I am honest, I am still like that now. It takes a stressful situation before I get (even figuratively) to my knees. For some it is when they are in the depths of the grave that they begin to cry out to the Lord. Whether the "depths of the grave" is speaking about what they feel like, or if it is like Jonah and they are genuinely near death, when they get to that point, prayer begins to happen.

We know from other places in scripture (Deut. 8:1-3, Psalm 119:67, Psalm 119:71, I Peter 1:6-7) that trials and afflictions are used by God to bring us to Him. One of the first signs of that new closeness between a person and God is that calling out. The Bible is packed full of examples of people who cried out to God when they were in a hard place. There have been many times in my own life that I have cried out to Him.

The best part of all is that He listens and He answers. If that does not amaze you.... Well, it should! It is an amazing thing that the God of the Universe will listen to our cries when we are in our distresses. It is an amazing thing that He responds to us when we are approaching the grave.

But He wants us to continue that cry. Long after the distress is gone, He wants us to continue the fellowship with Him. If you are in a distress and this has brought you to Him, that's OK. Allow the God of heaven to use this in your life to grow that relationship. He is the God who sees and the God who saves, He is worth talking to.
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