Day 20: God's Direct Number

Day 20: Dialing God's Direct Number 

Goal: To dial God's Direct number every day.

Thought for the Day: As believers in the Gospel, we have direct access to God through prayer at every moment of the day. Therefore, pray, and “call on Jesus” at all times. 

Text: Jeremiah 33:3

God’s Direct Line

Wouldn’t it be great to have God’s direct cell phone number today? You could drop him a message or send him a text message at any time of the day, knowing that He is always available twenty-four hours a day. You would feel comfortable and safe, knowing that “He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” You would feel at home knowing God wouldn’t gossip or share the secrets and struggles in your life. God’s direct phone number … who wouldn’t want to have it? It would be sort of like having a “Life Line” on the hit show, “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” A life line … Do we really need one today? What difference would it make in your life if you had one? Would you resort to God’s direct number more often if you had actually had it?

Jeremiah 33:3 is God’s direct phone number, and it is easy to remember. Jeremiah 33:3. Three three three. Here’s what it says:

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Here is God’s direct line. It is an open invitation to come boldly and daily to the Great Giver of Gifts and the Healer of broken hearts and spirits. It is an invitation to enter into an ongoing conversation with God. God wants to hear from us. He wants to hear our victories, struggles, joys, triumphs, and sorrows. The great news is that God is always available to us through prayer. When we feel discouraged, God encourages us through prayer. When we feel sad, God gives us joy through prayer. When we have grown pessimistic because of circumstances, God changes our outlook and makes us optimistic through prayer. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes people. Prayer changes the world. It’s a wonder we don’t pray more.

So there you have it? God’s direct cell phone number is now in your hands. When you call, he will answer you. He will not have his secretary or an angel answer on His behalf. No, no, no. Your prayer is so important that God Himself wants to hear it for Himself and answer you personally. His line is open twenty-four hours.

Dial those Digits

How do we get started? What are the ABC’s of prayer? Here is a short summary of biblical principles for prayer, God’s direct line:

1. Pray to God the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray to God the Father. His example is our model for talking to God every day in prayer. Matthew 6:9; John 14:13-14

2. Pray in the name of Jesus’. Jesus encouraged us to ask in His name. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are a family. When you pray in Jesus’ name, it’s like calling your best friend’s father and asking him to do something for you because you know his very own son. Praying in the name of Jesus is the signature that Jesus asks us to sign each prayer with. It means believing, accepting, and experiencing Jesus as the Messiah, Christ, and Savior of the world. John 14:13-14

3. Pray to God yourself. Since there is no longer earthly mediators between God and man, pray to God yourself. You don’t need to go through a pastor, priest, or bishop. You pray, and watch the difference it makes in your life each day. 1 Timothy 2:5

4. Pray every day. Make communication with God a daily joy, not a task. If you had the phone direct phone number of the Commander and Chief of the United States of America, the U.S. President, don’t you think you would call him every day, especially if he is your very best friend? 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Luke 18:1

5. When you pray, tell God what is on your heart and mind at that very moment. Peter prayed, “Lord, Save me!” When he was drowning. Jesus prayed that the cupnof suffering might pass from Him, when he was in Gethsemane approaching the crucifixtion. When you pray, don’t tell God what you think He wants to hear, tell God what is really going on in your life. Tell Him your fears, worries, triumphs, joys, sorrows, and ask Him to give the assurance of His eternal Presence. Jeremiah 33:3

6. Believe that prayer works! “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” These are the words of Jesus. Prayer works not because of magical words or how worthy you may feel. Instead, prayer works because God, the Creator and Only Circumstance changer in the universe, is the recipient of every prayer uttered in faith, trust, and simplicity. So pray, and see miracles happen in your life! The greatest miracle may be God’s grace, faith, and love in your heart today! Matthew 7:7-11.

God’s Desideratum

God’s greatest desire, His Desideratum (Latin for greatest desire), is to dwell and live among his people. In today’s terms, we could say “God’s greatest desire is to hear from you each day in prayer.” Dial his direct line, and speak to him in prayer. Every day, receive his text messages delivered directly to you in the Bible. So are you ready? We have talked a bit about God’s Direct Line. How about trying it for yourself? The secret of prayer is in doing it, not is learning or hearing about how it works. May you be blessed today as you dial God’s direct number in prayer and tell God what is in your heart and on your mind.

Conclusion

God’s number. It sounds to easy. You can just dial those numbers and God will answer on the other line. Scared? You don’t have to be. God, the one who loves, is waiting to hear from you today. In fact, your phone call in prayer will bring joy to God’s heart.  “He rejoices over you with singing!” Zephaniah 4. So go ahead, dial God’s number and talk to the Most Powerful and the Most Loving person in the world today: G-O-D .

Practical Steps

1. Pray in the morning when you arise.

2. Pray in the evening when you prepare to end your day.

3. Pray in between at every moment and in every place possible.

4. Pray for your family and friends.

5. Pray for strangers and your enemies.

6. Pray for yourself.

7. Pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6)

8. Pray the Great Prayers in the Bible: John 17, Daniel  9, Nehemiah 9.

~ Pastor Sal Garcia