“When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.” - Jonah 2:7
We hear of deathbed conversions. I’ve seen a few. One lady for whom we had prayed for twenty years was awakened from a coma, prayed to receive Christ as her Savior, and died shortly after. She had been a witch, a servant of the devil for years, but God in His mercy heard the prayers of her family and saved her.
In this verse, the prophet Jonah was fleeing from God and ended up being tossed overboard by the sailors in an effort to save their ship. As he sank like a stone, tangled in the seaweed that was wrapped around his head, no longer able to hold his breath under water, Jonah prayed a prayer of repentance and God heard him.
The only reason we know about it is because on this occasion God didn’t let him die. He brought him back to fulfill the mission God had for him, and Jonah wrote about his experience for us to read.
What goes through the heart and mind of a dying person is known only to that person and to God. If you have been praying for a loved one and seen no results, never give up. Never lose hope that your prayers will be answered. God hears and answers prayer, and He wants all to be saved.
Lord Jesus, You know all about the loved ones for whom I have been praying. Give the gift of repentance and faith. Save them in Your great mercy, just as You have saved me. I’m waiting on You and entrusting them to Your care. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles