“Fish Prayers” Sermon. Sunday, 8/16/2026.

The Goal of a Christian life

Number one reason people stop going to Church

Our sacrifice to the Lord

Scripture Series: JONAH SERIES

Scripture Title: Fish Prayers

Pastor Greg Wiest

Scripture Reading: Jonah‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 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. 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. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 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. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. 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.’ ” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

Sermon Summary:

Our passage today is about Jonah being stuck in the belly of a whale. He was in pitch black, in the depths of the sea, the sound of water filling his ears and seaweed wrapped around his head. It must have been terrifying. God’s discipline had achieved what God intended. And Jonah cried out to the Lord and threw himself at God’s mercy. God disciplines those whom He loves. The Lord will have His way in our lives. When you or I are disobedient to the Lord, we can find ourselves in a dark place emotionally and spiritually. We are out of fellowship with the Lord and we are unable to hear His voice. There is a heaviness of the soul when we live in disobedience.

What do we do when we fail in our disobedience to Christ? When we go down the wrong path and end up in trouble. If we confess our sin, God promises to forgive us and restore us. Like Jonah, we need to turn our attention back to God. We do this through worship, through Bible reading, through Christian music and prayer. Each of us should commit to His Lordship over our lives. This includes our thought lives, how we handle possessions, our relationships with others and the calling that God has called us to serve Him. John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” One of the signs that our love for Christ is growing is our growing obedience to Him and His Lordship over our lives.

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