A Call To Prayer

Jeremiah 33:1–3 ESV

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Let's cover a little BACKGROUND for our passage. Jeremiah records these verses while he was imprisoned in the court of the guard where the elders and the king's officials could consult him.

Jerusalem was under siege. Jeremiah's country men were rebellious against God. They plotted against his life, to silence him instead of heeding his message. Jeremiah is distressed, perplexed and confounded. God has just answered Jeremiah's prayer for understanding (Jeremiah 32:16-25) by assuring him that nothing is to difficult for the God of all mankind (Jeremiah 32:27).

Jeremiah 32:27 ESV

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?

Though His people were defiant and rebellious, God would unify them in singleness of heart through an everlasting covenant and by putting the fear of God in their hearts. Jeremiah's restored confidence in God, His plan, His provision, and His power make him ready to be challenged by God to ask for the restoration of His people to the will and way of God.

1. We Must Ask - “CALL”

God takes the initiative: “Call unto Me.” Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.” Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” God says to Jeremiah, “Call Me!”

Have you ever had an important person give you a card with their unlisted number on it and say, “Call me”? If someone important gives you his private number, that’s a great privilege. Almighty God came to Jeremiah and did just that. This wasn’t the only time we are given this invitation, either:

Psalm 50:15 ESV

and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Jeremiah 29:12–13 ESV

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Isaiah 55:6 ESV

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

Psalm 91:15 ESV

When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

Matthew 7:7–8 ESV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Do you begin to get the idea that God wants us to call out to Him, to ask Him, cry out to Him?

What an Invitation! Prayer is God’s idea! He’s waiting for you to call.

Call when you're happy and rejoice in His blessings.

Call when your sad and find His comfort.

Call when your guilty and encounter His cleansing. Call when you're depressed and hear His word of encouragement.

Call when your world is upside down and watch Him reveal a new world to you.

Call when your burden is heavy and the Holy Spirit will come and pray for you.

Call when your strength is too little and your faith is to weak.

Then He will mount you on eagles' wings, you will run and not be weary, you will walk and talk together and not faint (Isa. 40:31).

2. We Have Access - “Call to ME”

A number of studies in recent years have found that people who pray seem to have fewer problems in life, less stress, and lower blood pressure. It was even found in hospital situations that a person who was being prayed for seemed to have a more rapid recovery than people who had not been the recipients of prayer.

Prayer itself is not the answer. God is the answer. Prayer is the vehicle by which we reach God.

Look back to verse 2 -- God declares Himself to Jeremiah by reminding him that He was the all powerful God, who created, and formed all things. That’s the God who invited Jeremiah to call unto Him!

There is no doubt that Jeremiah, while sitting in prison for sharing the message of God, was struggling in his mindset. Speaking truth had only brought him sorrow and frustration. Jeremiah watched his countrymen ignore God and continue on in their sin. It appeared that people were getting away with sin, false prophets looked spiritual, redemption was a joke, and the people of God were hopeless.

Then God reminded Jeremiah that there was nothing too hard for Him and to look at His power and to call upon an almighty, powerful God.

Jeremiah 32:17 ESV

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Let those last six words sink in. Nothing is too hard for you. Nothing is too hard for God.

I know we’re all facing different challenges in our lives. Isn’t it awesome to know that anytime you can pray to the God who has all power, his great power, his outstretched arms, they’re what caused the earth and the heavens to even come to be. This power belongs in God and whenever we pray, we’re speaking to Him and we’re asking Him for help. He is able to do anything we ask, according to his word. Anything.

There is no promise too hard for God to keep. There are over thirty thousand promises in the Bible, and God will keep His Word. If God made the promise, He cannot lie. There is no promise too hard for God to keep.

There's no prayer too hard for God to answer. Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." When you ask in prayer and believe, you'll receive.

There is no problem too hard for God to solve. God specializes in things that seem impossible. Now God may not solve your problem the way you want Him to, but there's no problem too hard for God to solve.

There's no person too hard for God to save. God can save anyone if he'll come to Him.

We’re praying to the God who has all wisdom, who has power to give it to us and promises to give it to us.

We’re walking through this or that in our life, where we need strength, and we’re praying to the God who has all the strength in the universe. It all belongs to him, and he promises to give us strength when we ask for it.

We need peace in the middle of this or that circumstance, that we’re walking through and we’re praying to the God of peace. Peace belongs to God and he promises to give it to us when we ask.

Just think about the peace and strength and hope and courage and wisdom and all the things we need. God has it all. Nothing is too hard for him. He can do anything for the accomplishment of his purposes. Nothing too hard for him when we pray personally. He invites us to Call to HIM!!

3. God Will Answer- “and I WILL ANSWER”

God answers prayer because:

He is listening. He is interested. He is able. He is willing.

Phillip Brooks “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold on His willingness.”

Hannah prayed, and God gave her a son, Samuel.

Elijah prayed and it didn’t rain for 3 1/2 years. He prayed again and the rains returned. On another occasion, Elijah prayed and God consumed the sacrifice that had been drenched with water.

Elisha prayed and God gave life back to a dead child.

Samson prayed and God gave him back his strength.

Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God and the prison they were in was shaken and the jailer got saved!

Jesus prayed a brief prayer, and Lazarus came back from the dead.

God still answers prayer today. But sometimes we wonder if God does answer our prayers. How do we address the mystery of these seemingly “unanswered prayers?” I like this little easy to remember rhyme that I’ve shared before:

If the request is wrong, God says, “No”

If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow”

If you are wrong, God says, “Grow”

If the request is right, the timing is right, and you are right, God says, “Go!”

4. God Gives Assurance- “And tell you GREAT and MIGHTY things, that you have NOT KNOWN”

What will God show us?

(a) Great Things

When Pharaoh drew near the children of Israel, Moses and the children of God experienced His great deliverance (Ex 14.10, 21-29). 

Gideon thought little of himself, and yet God did great things on his behalf in the day of the Judges (Judges 6.15-16). 

David experienced great victories in his life.  He wrote many of the Psalms to showcase God’s great demonstrations of power.

God assured Jeremiah:  “I will show you great things!”  We must pray because God has the power to deliver the great things He promises!

The disciples came to Jesus in Luke 8 “and awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But [Jesus] said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!’

Nothing is beyond the ability of God.  We must pray because God has the power to deliver the great things He promises!

(b) Mighty Things

One commentator wrote that the Hebrew word for mighty describes something made inaccessible by fortifying or enclosing it, such as a city. It speaks of things beyond our reach apart from the provision of God.

Everything out of reach is within reach when we call upon God.  He delights in doing mighty things for His children!

Jesus said this about the mighty inaccessible things of life:  “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”   Nothing is beyond the access of God.  We must pray because God has the power to deliver the mighty things He has promised.

(c) Things You Do Not Know

The more we call upon God the more He reveals of Himself.  It is a never-ending prospect with the thrill of new vistas of knowledge every day and through eternity.

Have you got a problem that is too big?

Do you have a situation that is too complex?

Are you faced with a dilemma that would that would stump the smartest man in the world?

Just give your problem to Jesus... And He will solve your problems in incredible ways that you never thought possible!

Whatever your problem...

whatever your situation...

whatever your burden...

Whatever your need, God has just the right answer for you.

Be encouraged. Be strengthen. Call upon the Lord God!

Conclusion:

The psalmist said, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV).

God calls you to accept this invitation to call upon Him and involve yourself in this great enterprise called prayer.

Will you accept His invitation? Will you pray?

We are told that we have not because we ask not. The accomplishment of part of God's will on earth depends on you & is initiated by your prayers.

The Father is waiting, will He fervently, devotedly & constantly hear from you?