Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
“Can you hear me now?” The mobile phone generation is all too familiar with this phrase from a series of TV ads in 2001. Busy signals, party lines, expensive long-distance fees, and answering machines are all forgotten challenges of making a simple call. God knows the importance of a call, and he sent his son to remove all obstacles to making the call to him at any time, day or night.
It is an astounding and undervalued fact that the creator of the entire universe knows you, and even more astonishing is that he wants to hear from you. And if that were not incredible enough, he promises to answer when you call. His promise is this: when you call, there will be no prerecorded message, no busy signal, He will answer and listen. Jeremiah reveals that God is attentive, caring, and responsive. He is not distant or uninterested but actively engages and listens to those who call upon his name.
Jeremiah 29:11’s proclamation of God’s good plans is an often-quoted scripture, but it is only a portion of God’s complete promise. Like so many of God’s promises, verses 11-13 contain a “I (God) will do this so you can do that” statement. Not a transaction but an empowerment. He does indeed have good plans for you; that is His part. But those plans are to empower us, set us free from fear and worry, to then call upon Him and seek Him with our whole heart. Verse 12 begins with ‘then’, meaning that because He has good plans for us, we can now freely call on him, and He will listen.
God the Father is inviting you to enter a personal, intimate relationship without any fear of the future. Without fear of the future, we are free and unrestrained to discover a deep, growing relationship by seeking and pursuing Him. Often, our calls to Him, our prayer life, consist only of a list of concerns, needs, and wants. But God is inviting us to immerse ourselves in His love, His goodness, and His faithfulness without any worries about current or future needs. He is calling us to seek Him, not just look for answers to prayers. He promises he has good plans and “will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
God hearing our prayers doesn’t depend on praying long enough or hitting all the right phrases. Prayer isn’t a formula you have to get right. Prayer is an open invitation to call out to your Heavenly Father, who knows your needs before you even ask and longs to hear your voice. God hears you and responds to you because He is faithful. He desires a close, personal relationship with you.
When you are feeling pressed on every side – your spiritual, physical, and emotional endurance tested to the limit – it is time to make the call. “Then I called, ‘Lord, help me! Rescue me!’ And He did! His light broke through the darkness, and he led me out in freedom from death’s dark shadow and broke every one of my chains. So, lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness and for his miracles of mercy for all those he loves!” Psalms 107:13-15.
Rest in God’s plans for you, call out to Him, seek Him with all your heart, and He will be found. He will listen.
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Gary and Sandy Anthony
Jeremiah 33:3 NASB Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21 NLT Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Psalms 120:1 NIV I called on the Lord in all my troubles, and he answered me.
Psalms 145:17-19 NIV The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 50:15 GNT Call to me when trouble comes; I will save you, and you will praise me.
Isaiah 65:24 TPT Before they even call out to me, I will answer them; before they’ve finished telling me what they need, I’ll have already heard.
Psalms 91:14-16 TPT For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: Because you loved me, delighted in me, and have been loyal to my name, I will greatly protect you. I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will feel my presence in your time of trouble. I will deliver you and bring you honor. I will satisfy you with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!
Psalms 139:1-4 NLT Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid your hand on me!
2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
1 Peter 3:12 NIV For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
John 15:4-5 TPT So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine. I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless.
Isaiah 41:10 TPT Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.
Psalms 118:5-6 AMP Out of my distress I called on the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
2 Samuel 22:2-4, 7 NLT The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
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