What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Charles Converse / Joseph Scriven

Never has there been a greater invitation…no, solution… to the issues of life than to call on the name of the Lord.

When Adam’s family fell apart, his descendants began to call on the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4:26 NIV
[26] “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.”

David responded to God’s goodness by calling on His name.

Psalms 116:12-13 NIV
[12] “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? [13] I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”

If you need to be saved, call on His name.

Romans 10:13 NLT
[13] For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you need help, call on the name if the Lord.

Psalms 121:2 NIV
[2] My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

“To call upon the name of the Lord is a sign of knowing Him and a way of connecting to Him. There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him personally. Calling on the name of the Lord indicates personal interaction and relationship. When we call upon the name of the Lord, as a form of worship, we recognize our dependence upon Him.”
(What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?
http://www.got questions.org)

Psalms 116:1-2 NIV
[1]”I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. [2] Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”

For those who are connected to the Lord by faith, calling on His name is not only a way of life but also imperative. Why?

“In summary, those who call on the name of the Lord are those who recognize Him as Savior. Whether it is a first-time calling upon Jesus’ name for forgiveness of sins or a continuous calling as the relationship progresses and grows, giving Him lordship over our lives in surrender to His will, calling on the name of the Lord is vital to spiritual life. Ultimately, calling on the name of the Lord is a sign of humility and dependence on God our Creator and Redeemer.”

Jesus insisted, “Without me, you can do nothing!”

Trouble is, we think we can. Born with an attitude of independence, even as believers in Jesus, we find it difficult to hand over the controls to Him. We call Him “Lord” but we ignore what He tells us to do.

Luke 6:46-48 NIV
[46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? [47] As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. [48] They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”

We say we believe in Him but we still try to play “God” in our own and other people’s lives. We still have the crazy notion that we must handle the difficulties we face by ourselves. We think that God is only concerned with the really big issues in life. The rest is up to us.

To be led by God’s Spirit is the hallmark of every child of God.

Romans 8:14 NLT
[14] “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Not to be led by the Spirit is rebellion and foolishness.

To be led by God’s Spirit is to call on His name in every situation that needs help. That means every detail of everyday life, like the branch in the vine.

Not to be led by His Spirit means that I must be God in everything I face. I must be God in my relationships with others. I must be God to my husband and my children. I must be God at home and at work. I must be God in my life in society and in my country. I must make the rules and obey them.

It’s either God or me. We can’t both sit in the driver’s seat.

Problem is, wheb we insist on doing the driving, the consequences are dire.

Luke 6:49 NLT
[49] “But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

So then, since we have entered by faith into a partnership with Jesus where He is Lord and we are not, we are obliged to live out what we profess. We have given back to Him His right to lead us but, to do so, we must call on His name.

Solomon gives us, in a nutshell, Jesus’ prescription for our lives…

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.“

When we insist on playing God in our own and others’ lives, we rob ourselves, and them, of the opportunity to experience His grace in its many facets. We miss out in the wonder of His interventions, and the development of our faith into a robust, secure connection with Him that weathers every storm. Even worse, we mess with God’s purpose for ourselves, and our loved ones, to transform us into the image of Jesus through the ALL THINGS in which He works for our good.

My friends, this is imperative if we are to live “care free in the care of God.” We must learn to call on His name as a lifelong expression of our utter dependence on Him.