God, Free Me - When You Struggle to Pray

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36, NIV)

“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.” (Jonah 2:2, NIV)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NIV)

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, NIV)

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1, NIV)

Sometimes the prison we need freedom from isn’t external circumstances; it’s our own stubborn hearts. Jonah’s story isn’t just about a man being swallowed by a whale. It’s about what happens when we run from God’s calling. When God told Jonah to preach to Nineveh, Jonah said “but” and ran 2,500 miles in the opposite direction. I understand that rebellion.

After my divorce, I was angry at God and blamed Him for my shattered dreams. Why did my family plans get crushed? Why trust me with a child whose life expectancy was only ten to fifteen years? Bitterness festered like an open wound. My prayer life was nonexistent because I blamed God for my pain.

Years later, during my husband’s unemployment, I struggled daily with the urge to run from God’s calling to write and speak. Logic said I should get “a real job” with a steady income. Every day, Matt had to talk me off the ledge of applying for positions where I didn’t belong. I was fighting a war within my heart, starting each day on my knees, begging God for wisdom.

I love that when Jonah ran, God didn’t abandon him. He pursued him with love through a storm. The irony is profound: while Jonah slept in the ship’s cabin, trying to numb his heart, the pagan sailors cried out to their gods. The captain had to wake Jonah and tell him to pray! How could Jonah sleep through that storm? In the same way, we often lull ourselves into denial because facing the truth is harder than numbing ourselves.

After being thrown overboard and spending three days in the whale’s belly, Jonah finally prayed. Why did it take so long? Maybe shame made him think God didn’t want to hear from him. Maybe he was still holding his ground in anger. But desperation has a way of breaking through our stubborn walls.

Jonah’s prayer from the depths was essentially: “God, free me. Free me from thinking I have it all figured out. Free me from forgetting Your ways are higher. Free me from my poor decisions and their consequences.”

When we come to the end of ourselves, we find God and the freedom to experience the life He longs to provide. The whale didn’t vomit Jonah into deep water where he’d have to swim—God positioned him perfectly on dry land for someone with seaweed around his head to walk safely to shore.

True freedom comes when we stop running from God and start running to Him. Because the prison of our own rebellion, bitterness, or fear keeps us from experiencing God’s best for our lives. Are you running from God’s calling? Confess it honestly and surrender to His love that continually pursues you.

Whatever has you bound, whether it is guilt, fear, anger, or rebellion, bring it to the One who sets captives free. When you find yourself in the belly of despair, remember that God pursues you in love.

This plan is adapted from “Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments” by Rachel Wojo.