READ Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God´s call.

INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it a repulsive task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.

PRAYER
God´s ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
As we worship in your Temple.
As your name deserves, O God,
You will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory
(Psalm 48:9-10).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have mercy on me, O God,
Because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
Blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
It haunts me day and night
(Psalm 51:1-3).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give your burdens to the Lord,
And he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall
(Psalm 55:22).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• A stronger desire to be like Christ
• Churches across the nation
• Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).