Life can strike so hard it feels like drowning. The waters churn, your chest tightens, and no matter how hard you fight, you can’t tell which way is up. Fear turns to desperation. The psalmist once prayed, “The cords of death entangled me… then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘Lord, save me!’” (Psalm 116). That cry is raw and real.
Prayer is often just that. It’s not a polished speech, but a cry from the depths. And the good news is this: God bends low to listen. He steadies, restores, and lifts us when our strength is gone.
But here’s the challenge: many of us treat God as the last call instead of the first. We exhaust ourselves. We reach for friends, fixes, or distractions before lifting our voice to Him. What if we flipped that? What if our instinct in both joy and crisis was to call on His name first?
Don’t wait until you’re gasping for air. Build the altar now. Choose a space, a moment, a rhythm where His presence comes first. Give Him the opening minutes of your day, even five. You’ll be surprised how quickly five minutes becomes more, and how steady your soul feels when the waters rise again.
Because His name is more than a label. It reveals His nature. And when you call on His name, you learn who He is: not only the One who rescues, but the One who walks with you daily.
Read: Psalm 116:1-4; Romans 10:13
Psalm 116:1-4 —
1 I love the Lord, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”
Romans 10:13 —
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Reflect: When the waters rise in your life, what would it take for you to call on God first?
Based on the message, “Call Upon the Name of the Lord” by Pastor James Marano
