We’re on the second week of study as we read Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. When learned this week that when God gave a command to Jonah, the prophet covered his ears and ran! He did not want to receive further instruction from the Lord, so he skipped town and turned away from prayer. Jonah was not willing to obey the Lord. During the week we had an opportunity to examine our own lives and chances to obey or disobey when called by God. We examined our lives for personal allegiance and purpose.

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We easily fall into a downward spiral of disobedience as we run from God like Jonah did and become “sleepers.” On page 49 Shirer brings up the discussion of how a pagan man can wake up a believer to pray. I recall an experience from my own life when my husband was in critical care and my neighbors continued to say “I’ll pray for you.”

At the time, I believed in God yet I was not in prayer or intimacy with Him. I didn’t know my neighbors were Christians, and yet they were praying. It made me wonder why I was not praying myself, and what was I hiding from. My neighbors began mowing the lawn and taking out the trash cans to the curb for me. Because I was several months pregnant and my husband was in ICU with a rare blood disease.

As a family, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring and we knew our lives would never be the same. When my husband recovered, we found a relationship with God that had not existed in our lives because we were hiding in rebellion.

Jonah was on a run from God not only with his feet but with his heart as well. -Priscilla Shirer

Assignment For Next Week

  • Read Week Three, pages 57-77  in the workbook
  • Listen to the Session Three Audio (optional)
  • OR…Listen to the Session Three Video (optional)

Jonah Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer