OOPS! JONAH THINKING
We’re all human right?
Recently God asked me to start praying Blessings, and nothing but blessing, over the town where I live. I knew it would be a challenge because I can be pretty negative. So I checked out the theology to make sure it was solid ground and began.
So far, we two have managed to pray the Blessing of God over every area and aspect of the town we could think of, and then gratefully prayed for a whole lot of other areas suggested by the Holy Spirit.
The point of this is to release God’s Blessing into people’s lives and set them free to experience and know Christ. Blessed people are so much more amenable. Roy Godwin explains it well in the Grace Outpouring. When I first read the book, earlier this year, I did not expect to be doing this. After all I have Martha Martha to sell and other stories in the writing pipeline not to mention the illustrations. I have a sneaking suspicion (Ok, I’m fairly sure) God wants me to change some aspects of my thinking and simplify my prayers, emphasis off me, emphasis on his power through the Holy Spirit, or something like that. Its been a little challenging to pray only His blessing, with no warfare, because simply blessing is so powerful it doesn’t need anything else - we’re agreeing with God and His heart for His creation. Wow!
September’s blog got missed because we were on holiday in the Lake District walking, because that’s our thing, being challenged by gale force winds and rain. During a time of prayer, when I had just finished practicing praying blessings over our family, (don’t I sound saintly. Wait for it) when I was reminded to pray a blessing over the two places we had been staying. This really challenged me, I felt very reluctant to do it. It wasn’t that we hadn’t been blessed, we had but I just didn’t feel like it, I felt grumpy, and possibly not sure they deserved it. THEN, as clear as day He said (not in audible words, in my spirit) “Aren’t you being a bit of a Jonah?” and instantly I knew exactly what he meant.
You see Jonah didn’t want God to save the Ninevites, because, in his opinion, they were undeserving heathens and that’s why he ran away and put all those sailors lives in jeopardy. He also knew that God was gracious, merciful and kind (Jonah 4:1 onwards. There are only 4 chapters) and if the Ninevites repented God would let them off. How obtuse we can be.
Now I’m not saying I felt that strongly, but my reluctance to pray God’s blessing that evening caught me by suprize.
Jonah did preach to the Ninevites, after being swallowed by a big fish, and sure enough they repented. So he had a tantrum, so strong were his feelings. But God has a way of showing us our faults, oh so lovingly; through a gourd plant, in Jonahs case. He loves the whole of his creation passionately and does not lose a single person willingly.
Who am I to withhold his blessing, to act as judge. I got the message and my heart came back into line with the one who loves me, so I shall keep on releasing the blessing of God wherever we go, because it’s his heart and when I’m not feeling grumpy, mine too.
If you are reading this I pray the Blessing of God over you right now.