Authentic Prayer from James MacDonaldSample

Call to Me The average person speaks 34,000 words a day. You talk a half a book every day! If we're all talking a half a book a day, is there even a page of dialogue with God? When was the last time you gave half a chapter in a single day to the God who says, “Call to Me?" Notice the word call. That's an invitation to intensity. God invites us not to whimper to Him. God is not, "Say something to Me." “How do you want us to talk to You, God?" "I want you to call." That's an expression of urgency, intensity, and fervency. It’s an invitation to shameless and loud intimacy! God says, “Call to Me.” The implication of God’s invitation is that it allows us to call any time and all the time. The situation in which Jeremiah found himself when this invitation was issued holds a significant lesson for us. “The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time while he was shut up in the court of the guard” (v.1). That’s a way of saying he was under guard—in prison. In one way or another he was restricted. Based on parallel experiences, we can say we sometimes find ourselves in some kind of a prison. We can identify with being “shut up in the court of the guard.” We listen in as God says, "Hey, Jeremiah, how's it going for you today?" "Not great. Things are not looking up. What do you want me to do now?" "Call to Me, son; call to Me." Can you hear God extending that same standing invitation to you? “Call to Me, My child!” Prayer: Father, You knew where Jeremiah was and how he was feeling when this was written. You came to him. Thank You for all the times when I’ve been so consumed and distracted by my circumstances and You’ve “shown up” in some unexpected way that caught my attention. In Jesus’ name, Amen.