CALL UPON ME

From the time immemorial, God has been known to be a faithful God, Number 23:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Therefore, when God says in Psalm 50:15, "Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify me", you can be rest assured He meant everything He said.

Now, if we just read through this scripture without a critical insight, we will be quick to conclude that God is saying we should call upon Him only in prayers. As simple as that may sound, I can assure you, there is more to it. Prayer is just one means of calling on God. There are many other ways by which we can get this done. What if God is simply telling us to do anything we can to get His attention especially in the day of trouble. Remember, God is a Spirit and it takes only the spiritual to call upon Him and get a response. The question, therefore, is how do we call upon Him to get His attention? Looking at some life practical examples, there are so many ways people call attention to themselves on different occasions. For instance, when you are in distress, the most commonsensical move you make is to call an emergency number or send an emergency signal. In this wise, God is simply saying dial my number. Another instance is a toddler that is feeding on breast milk, when he is hungry and he does not know how to express himself verbally, the best he does many a time is that he begins to cry, make a gesture, or goes close to his mother and starts uncovering the mother's breast to send an emergency signal. Another instance is a prostitute at night in search of customers, the best they do to get the attention of the passersby is to dress naked and position themselves strategically on the street to attract their victims. In the like manner, we can attract God attention to ourselves in different ways. Considering the examples given above, there is a need to dial God's emergency number, express ourselves in gestures like that of a toddler, and strategically position ourselves to attract God's attention, especially In times of trouble. 

With these illustrations in mind, various ways to call upon God include prayers, fasting, singing, sacrificial giving, and faith. 

God's attention can be called verbally and expressed in prayer. There are so many instances in the bible where prayer was used as a device to dial the emergency number of God. A typical example is found in the book of Acts 12:1-5, "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2, And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3, And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4, And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5, Peter, therefore, was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him". Prayer is seen here as a means of getting God's intervention to deliver Peter from the hands of Herod. God was called and He answered accordingly. You must understand the efficacy of prayer in this present dispensation of trouble. Call on God in prayer, He will never disappoint you. Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". 

As mentioned above, singing as a way of expressing God's goodness, kindness, majesty, power, sovereignty and supremacy in a melodious tune voiced from the lips of men to God is another way of getting God's attention. This tool can be used to communicate our heart request to God even when we are in trouble. Like a toddler when hungry, could not express himself verbally but, make some gesture to send an emergency signal to the mother, so also when praises of God is sung from our hearts, it does send an emergency signal to God when we are in distress. After Paul and Silas were arrested, the Bible says in Acts 16:25-26, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26, And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed". Paul and Silas were able to get God's attention by praying and singing to God from their hearts. How often do you sing praises to God from your heart? It is unfortunate many Christians only listen and dance to praise and worship songs in the church, or while playing on tape just for a fleshly satisfaction of self and not to the praises of God. Singing is a powerful tool to attract God's attention to ourselves in times of trouble when it is done from the heart and with understanding. Psalm 47:7, "For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding". 

Faith as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is an important tool to call upon God in times of trouble. The instrument of faith is so effective that the Bible says in Galatians 3:11, "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith".  This has been proven on many occasions as seen in the Bible. For instance, the woman with the issue of blood never opened her mouth in prayer, neither did she sing any song of praise. All she did was to purpose in her heart an intention to make a gesture by touching the hem of Jesus garments like a hungry toddler sending an emergency signal to his mother for instant response and she was duly attended to. Matthew 9:20-21, "And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his garment: 21, For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole". Faith is incomplete without an accomplishing action. The woman in the scripture above spoke in her heart and accomplish the thought with a corresponding action that led to her deliverance. What are you doing about that trouble that is giving you sleepless nights? What are you saying or thinking in your heart could be done to receive victory over those challenges? Take a bold step of faith, move according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and gain your victory over tribulations besieging your life.

Another instance of faith is seen when a man sick of the palsy was brought to Jesus for healing. However, his handlers found it difficult to gain entrance into the building due to a large number of people present in the house. They, therefore, climb the house roof and let down the sick man with a rope in front of Jesus Christ. This person did not pray, neither did they fast nor sing. They only thought in their heart, agreed on what could be done and carried out the corresponding action based on their faith in the power of God. They were duly rewarded for their faith. Remember, the just shall live by his faith. Read the story in the book of Mark 2:1-5, "And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2, And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3, And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4, And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5, When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee". Give faith a chance in your life. There is no mountain your faith can not surmount. 

Fasting is another way by which we can call upon God. We have seen it used on several occasions in the Bible. For instance, when Haman was seeking to kill all the Jews in Shushan because of Mordecai disagreement with him. Esther the queen had to request a fast from all the Jews present in the land in order to appear before the king so as to plead their cause against Haman's evil projection without being harmed for flouting the normal procedures. She never asked them to pray but fast. They did and the testimony is still evident to date. Read Esther 4:15-17, "Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17, So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him". Fasting can be used as a device to send an emergency signal to God especially when you are in trouble. How often do you fast? There are issues in your life that will not go until you fast and pray. Jesus told the disciples after their unfruitful encounter with a demoniac in Matthew 17:21, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting".

King Solomon showed us another instance of how God can be called in the day of trouble. He has been appointed as the king in Israel, he was young and lack the wisdom to carry out his duties as King. He called upon God not just by praying but by making sacrificial giving on many occasions that provoke instant responses from God. 

1 Kings 3:3-5, "And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4, And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5, In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee".

2 Chronicles 7:5, 12, "And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

12, And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice". Each time King Solomon did this, he got an instant response from God. This shows that sacrificial giving offered with a heart of worship to God will always trigger quick attention from God. Do you have any pressing issues in your life? Have you been led to give a sacrificial offering in order to get a response from Him? Then, what are you still waiting for? Release it to God and experience God in a new dimension. 

All the above-mentioned strategies do not fail when they are practically carried out with understanding.

How do you call on God, brethren? Call upon Him today using the tool of prayer, singing, fast obedience to divine instruction, faith and sacrificial giveng.