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DEEP WATER PRAYERS

June 22 | Discipleship Guide

Be Real Together:

Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. If you’re launching a new DG, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, have another person in your DG share their story.

Read Together: JONAH 2 CSB

After running from God's call, Jonah finds himself in the belly of a great fish. In this dark, isolated place, Jonah prays. His prayer is deeply honest and deeply theological, echoing psalms and surrendering to God’s mercy. Even in rebellion and crisis, Jonah finds that God's presence and rescue are near.

The One Question:
Ask this question at your family meal or Discipleship Group.

What do your prayers sound like when you're in a place of deep distress?

Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your DG or for personal study.

  1. Pray Honestly:
    • Jonah didn’t hide his fear or pain. What fears or emotions do you find hardest to bring to God in prayer—and why?
  2. Pray Scripturally:
    • Jonah’s prayer echoed the psalms. What role does Scripture play in your prayer life? Are there verses or prayers you return to in hard seasons?
  3. Pray Reverently:
    • Even in desperation, Jonah honored God’s holiness. Do you find it easier to treat God casually or reverently? What does reverence look like in your prayer life?
  4. Pray Dependently:
    • Jonah admits his need and surrenders to God. Where are you currently trying to control your circumstances rather than trust God with them?

Pray Together:

Take time to pray with and for each other.

Suggested Prayer Prompts:
  • Thank God that He hears us—even in the depths.
  • Confess where you’ve been holding back honesty or trying to control outcomes.
  • Ask God for deeper trust, dependence, and awe in your prayer life.
  • Pray for one another’s current “deep water” situations and ask for God's presence and rescue.

Next Steps:

This week, try this:
  • Begin each day by praying a psalm out loud (ex: Psalm 23, 42, 116, 130).
  • Write out one honest prayer to God about what’s really going on in your heart.
  • Practice silence for 5 minutes a day, inviting God to speak in the quiet.