13/09/2026
Word of God: Senior Prophet Mihloti Hobyane
Scripture: Jonah 1:1-12 /17
Theme:
The book of Jonah reminds us that Jonah was a prophet full of experience. He had walked with God and knew God. However, he became so used to God that he forgot that God will always be God. God wanted to send Jonah to Nineveh.
The moment God ordains you as a servant; it does not mean that you are highly anointed or better than others. Being chosen by God does not make you superior to other people. Some of our churches are being destroyed because we have become too familiar with God.
Why did Jonah disobey when God sent him? Jonah was full of anger and fear, and these things caused him to disobey God.
He feared the people of Nineveh because they were known for their cruelty. They were cruel in war and exploited helpless people. When they conquered people, they could destroy entire families.
Jonah knew who the Ninevites were, and he did not want God to show them mercy. This should remind us to pray for other people as well, because what affects them can eventually affect us. We cannot only pray for ourselves. We must learn to intercede for other people.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” The question is: Do you know His voice? When God speaks, do you listen? Some of us do not have Jesus in our boat, but we have a crowded boat. When Jesus invites you, you invite everyone else.
Some of us announce church camps and immediately ask our friends, “Are you going?” But the question should be, “Did God tell me to go?”
Another meaning of the boat is prayer. In the boat, anything can happen. Today, you may be in a calm boat. Tomorrow, you may find yourself in a stormy boat. Even when the boat is calm, do not cease to pray. Do not wait for the storm before you start praying.
When God told Abraham to leave his family and go to the land that He would show him, Abraham responded in obedience. He did not complain or ask unnecessary questions. That is why we are called heirs of Abraham, but some of us have an “Abraham speed.”
We move quickly and make decisions without waiting to hear the voice of God. Because we move before hearing God, we make wrong decisions. In every decision you make, ask: “Lord, what are You saying?” Do what God says.
Stay away from the crowd when the crowd is taking you away from God’s voice. The problem is that when Jesus speaks to someone and says, “Let us cross over to the other side,” you want to cross over simply because everyone else is crossing. You are still drinking spiritual milk when you should be growing spiritually.
May we not cross over when Jesus says so. Let us not celebrate too early. When the challenge comes, you start calling people instead of waking Jesus up. The devil has stolen our prayer life. Instead of praying more, we talk more. It is time to return to prayer.
Whoever is in your boat can influence your mind. Who is in your boat? Is it a friend? Is it family? Is it someone who brings you closer to God, or someone who takes you away from Him? This journey is long. You cannot take everyone with you. When you are in the boat, you need Jesus and you need prayer.
You need to know who is travelling with you and what influence they have over your spiritual life. As children of God, when we walk through the storm, we must remember Psalm 23:4; “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me.”
David did not say, “I will stay in the valley.” He said, “Though I walk through.” You are going through the valley. You are going through the storm. You are going through the situation, remember that you are not going to remain there forever.
Some battles you do not need to fight because God is fighting for you. The problem is that we become so focused on the storm that we forget who is in the boat. We look at the waves. We look at the wind. We look at the situation, and we forget Jesus is in the boat.
May we not focus on the storm but on Jesus. Do not allow the crowd to become louder than God’s voice. Do not allow fear to make your decisions. Do not allow familiarity to make you forget God. Pray, Listen, Obey and Trust God. When the storm comes, remember who is in your boat.
