Calling on the Name of the Lord in Prayer Contexts
Calling on the name of the Lord in prayer contexts refers to the act of crying out to God for help and engaging in direct address to Him [1, 9]. This practice is deeply rooted in biblical tradition, appearing in both the Old and New Testaments.
The phrase "call upon the name of the Lord" signifies an invocation of God's revealed character and presence [12]. For instance, Psalm 116:4 states, "Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul" [4]. Similarly, Psalm 116:13 speaks of taking "the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord" [2]. The Geneva Bible also records the instruction to "Praise the Lord and call upon his Name: declare his works among the people" in 1 Chronicles 16:8 [6]. This act is not merely a final desperate plea but is intended to accompany a lifelong commitment of worship, service, and fellowship with God [11].
In the New Testament, this concept continues to be central. Acts 2:21, 7:59, 9:14, Romans 10:12, and 1 Corinthians 1:2 all refer to believers calling upon the name of the Lord [1]. Stephen, for example, invoked Jesus directly, saying, "Lord Jesus" [13]. Paul also refers to those who "call on the Lord" in 2 Timothy 2:22, linking it to having "pure hearts" [10]. The apostle Paul further emphasizes that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord... shall be saved" (Romans 10:13) [12]. This calling implies worshiping Jesus Himself or God through Christ [12].
While the "Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) is the only form of prayer explicitly taught by Christ to his disciples, it does not contain allusions to the atonement or the Holy Spirit's offices [5, 7]. However, it serves as a foundational type of prayer, embodying various spiritual requirements in a simple form [5, 7]. The broader biblical understanding of prayer, including calling on the Lord's name, involves direct communication with God, whether oral or mental, and can be occasional or constant [9]. It presupposes a belief in God's personality and His willingness to engage with humanity [9]. The terms "Hallelujah" and "Alleluia" themselves mean "praise the Lord," reflecting this invocation [3, 8].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Call — (1.) To cry for help, hence to pray (Gen. 4:26). Thus men are said to "call upon the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:21; 7:59; 9:14; Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 1:2). (2.) God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Ex. 31:2; Isa. 22:20; Acts 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace (Matt. 9:13; 11:28; 22:4). In the message of the gospel his call is addressed to all men, to Jews and Gentiles alike (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Rom. 9:24, 25). But this universal call is not inseparably connected with salvation, although it leav”
- Psalms “Psalms 116:13 (Geneva1599) — I will take the cup of saluation, and call vpon the Name of the Lord.”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Hallelujah — praise the Lord”
- Psalms “Psalms 116:4 (KJV) — Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Lord's Prayer — The name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matt. 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matt. 6:13. This prayer contains no allusion to the atonement of Christ, nor to the offices of the Holy Spirit. "All Christian prayer is based on the Lord's Prayer, but its spirit is also guided by that of His prayer in Gethsemane and of the prayer recorded John 17. The Lord's Prayer is the comprehensive type of the simplest and most universal prayer."”
- I Chronicles “I Chronicles 16:8 (Geneva1599) — Praise the Lord and call vpon his Name: declare his workes among the people.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Lords Prayer — the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) "In this prayer our Lord shows his disciples how an infinite variety of wants and requests can be compressed into a few humble petitions. It embodies every possible desire of a praying heart, a whole world of spiritual requirements; yet all in the most simple, condensed and humble form, resembling, in this respect, a pearl on which the light of heaven plays."--Lange. "This prayer contains four great general sentiments, which constitute the very soul of religion,--sentiments which”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Alleluia — praise the Lord”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- 2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 2:22: 2:22 those who call on the Lord: Cp. Ps 99:6; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21; 22:16; Rom 10:12-13; 1 Cor 1:2. • with pure hearts: Cp. 1 Tim 1:5.”
- Joel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Joel 2:32: 2:32 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved: Calling on the name of God should not be a final act of desperation; it accompanies a lifelong commitment of worship, service, and fellowship with the Lord (see Gen 12:8; Ps 105:1; Isa 12:4; Rom 10:13; 12:1-2). • Those whom the Lord has called are his chosen remnant, the survivors of judgment who worship him (see 2 Kgs 19:31; Ezra 9:8-15; Isa 10:20-22).”
- Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 2:10: at the name--rather as Greek, "in the name." bow--rather, "bend," in token of worship. Referring to Isa 45:23; quoted also in Rom 14:11. To worship "in the name of Jesus," is to worship Jesus Himself (compare Phi 2:11; Pro 18:10), or God in Christ (Joh 16:23; Eph 3:14). Compare "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (that is, whosoever shall call on the Lord in His revealed character) shall be saved" (Rom 10:13; Co1 1:2); "all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (compare Ti2 2:22); "call on the Lord"; Act 7:59, "calling up”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 7:59: calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, &c.--An unhappy supplement of our translators is the word "God" here; as if, while addressing the Son, he was really calling upon the Father. The sense is perfectly clear without any supplement at all--"calling upon [invoking] and saying, Lord Jesus"; Christ being the Person directly invoked and addressed by name (compare Act 9:14). Even GROTIUS, DE WETTE, MEYER, &c., admit this, adding several other examples of direct prayer to Christ; and PLINY, in his well-known letter to the Emperor Trajan (A.D. 110 or 111), s”