CALL ON ME

by Rev. Howard Rosen, Jr
(Dillwyn, VA)

Pleasant Grove Baptist

Jeremiah 29:11-14; 33:3

Forty years of preaching and no one listened, he wanted to quit, but the Word of God burned in his soul, now he is in prison, which is where this message comes from.
No kind of confinement can keep God from hearing his people, and keep his people from knowing his presence.

The Bible is filled with verses that challenge believers to petition their Heavenly Father.
But I believe this one is the Mount Everest of prayer.
It is a scripture that dares an individual to climb the heights of prayer like no other.

As we look at this passage and thinking about our up coming revival, we must not forget God pattern for Revival.
II Chron. 7:14 - If my people which are called by my name,
Shall Humble Themselves,
And Pray, and Seek My Face,
And Turn From their Wicked Ways;(AMERICA NEEDS TO PRAY!!)
Then Will I Heal Their Land. WE LIVE IN A MOCKERY- NOT PRAY IN JESUS NAME!

We are taught three things from Jeremiah 33:3 about the great matter of prayer.

I. THE INVITATION - CALL UNTO ME

We see here the invitation to pray as the Heavenly Father uses an appeal to encourage His children to bring their petitions to Him.
Did it ever really occur to you that prayer was not man's idea?
It was God's PS.50:15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Isn't that something God said call on Him that He might be glorified?
Our lives would be much less disturbed and distressed if we would only get a hold of this fact.

CALL UNTO ME
JOSEPH DID - It kept him from getting bitter, and caused him to prosper.
DAVID DID - It enabled him the slay the giant.
DANIEL DID - And it shut the lion?s mouth.
3 HEBREW BOYS DID - And they had the power to stand for God.
SAMUEL'S MOTHER DID - He was able to hear the voice of God. Saying here I am
ELIJAH DID - And God sent fire down from heaven.
THEY ALL AND MANY MORE CALLED ON HIM AND SO CAN YOU AND I.

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief?s to bear!
What a privilege to carry. Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh what peace we often for fit. Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry. Ev'rything to God in prayer!

Call Unto Him,
Tell Him your problems. Tell Him about your broken heart. Tell Him about your weakest moment. Tell Him every detail. He Has Invited You to Come.

II. THE INCENTIVE - I WILL ANSWER THEE

Here the Heavenly Father uses motivation to encourage His children to pray.
Here is a great big spiritual CARROT, hanging right in front of us.

PRAY I WILL ANSWER.
Jesus taught the same thing in Mat 7
Ask, and it shall be given you: Seek and ye shall find: Knock and it shall be open unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth,
And he that seeketh findeth, And to Him that knocketh it shall be opened.

There is nothing that will change your prayer life better than to know that God will answer.
Prayer is not a waste of time; you are not spinning your wheels or beating your head against a wall. The devil says no way God says YES way!!!
You are talking to the Holy God of the Ages who has said he will answer.

How do we know?

1. We Have Assurance from the Bible
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (IICor. 1:20)
The promise of the Word of God to us is like a spiritual credit card.,
You can?t max it out. It is always accepted, and will put on hold.

2. We Have Assurance from the Power of God.
But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help and to cast down (II Chron.25:8)

The power of God is wheelbarrow that carries the answer to His children's request.
We serve a powerful God.
We serve a magnificent God.
We serve the all-time, undisputed, undefeated CHAMPION.

When we talk to God he turns the impossible into the possible,
The hard into the easy,
The difficult into the delightful.

3. We Have Assurance from the past testimony of believers.
Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. (Ps.116:2)

We can be sure because we have seen it happen, in the book, and in our lives.
Little boy ask for prayer for his sister than ran out of church,
When ask why he said I wanted to see my sister reading the bible.
When we pray we need this kind of certainty, knowing God is going to do something.

III. THE INCREDIBLE - I WILL SHEW THEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS, WHICH THOU KNOWEST NOT.

We see here that the Heavenly Father uses extraordinary things to encourage His children to pray.
He promises supernatural intervention, that we have no way of seeing until we put it in his hands.

Paul said - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.( Eph. 3:20)
It is heartbreaking to think that most Christians pray like God is poor sickly and unable to do anything.

God is in no bread line.
He is not on life support.
He is not in a nursing home.
He is not living on the last dollar of his pension.

NO!! The Great God of Glory has promised us incredible things if we will just ask him, talk to him. HE CARES!
To see the power of God we must only ask.
Wouldn't it be awful if we gave up just before God saved our loved one?
Just before he call that backslider to return.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if that one you are praying for got right with God and was called to preach
That's what God's power can do. His power can change even the coldest heart.
The Bible doesn't say: Preach without ceasing
Sing without ceasing
Study without ceasing

BUT PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT FAINT
JESUS SAID - MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER.