Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Psalms 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Psalms 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
Isaiah 26:16 O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.
James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Hosea 6:1-3 “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 5:15 I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.
Idle ineffectiveness for eternal things has a way of gaining our attention on our own comfort, enjoyment, self-worth, self-reliance, and self-satisfaction. Troubles, trials, and distress in our lives, on the other hand, have a way of resetting out wayward inner self-reliant beliefs. Well, that is true for some. Others harden their hearts and will not even give God a second glance for help. For those who are humbled and realize their only hope in the situation is from the Mighty Hand Of God, and when they call out to Him, their prayer will be answered and they will be rescued and delivered. Why is it so hard t repent and turn back to God? Why do we choose to neglect His word and applying it in our lives? Are we not blessed and find joy, hope, rest, peace, and strength when we are always desiring and seeking to be nearer to Him? And yet, we seem to find time after time neglect and complacency creep in. I can tell you this with 100% assurance when God’s Word is not hungered and thirsted for our natural default is neglect, complacency, and worldly contentment. Spend time in His Word and intentionally choose to grow closer and closer to Him.