Call Out to the Lord, He Will Answer

I remember visiting a new church when I was in middle school. Our parents wanted us in church every time the doors were open. Because at that time we lived literally in the middle of nowhere, the nearest church was about 35 miles away, over the mountains (mountain pass) and through the woods (of the high desert). On that Sunday morning, we were all taken to our respective Sunday school classrooms.

The only thing I remember about the church visit was the fact that the teacher asked me, a new teenage guest who knew no one in the room, to pray aloud. I remember being terrified at the time. But as I look back, what a gift it was that I already knew the One to whom I was praying. I could not tell you the name of any person from the church. But I knew and clung to the name of Jesus as I stumbled through my prayer.

One of the greatest blessings of being a follower of our Lord Jesus is the gift of prayer. We are invited to boldly approach the throne — The Throne — and make our requests made known to the One who sits on the throne (Hebrews 4:16). We, as believers, can openly and with much confidence, have conversations with our God. We can ask for mercy, help, forgiveness, comfort, strength, and the list goes on. How awesome is that?!

In good times, bad times, anxious times, or any time at all, we can call out to the Lord. In Psalm 3, David shares that he calls out to the Lord, and the Lord answers. Believing and knowing that the Lord hears and answers is a source of tremendous hope for me. Through prayer, I can be comforted and renewed, filled with hope for the future. Which, if we are being honest, from a worldly standpoint, looks pretty negative.

But Jesus. Regardless of how things look, the Bible assures us we have hope for the future. Because we know who has the future in His hands.

Let’s fill our days with hope for the future by calling out to the Lord. He will answer from His holy mountain.

Pray:

Lord Jesus, we thank You that Your Word gives us assurance that we may call out to You, and You, from the holy mountain, will answer. As we place our trust in Your hands, fill us with hope for the future, hope we can find in You. Lead us to share this hope with the ones around us, especially those in need of Your hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.