What Does It Mean to Call on the Name of the Lord?

Have you ever noticed that calling on the name of the Lord is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible? God’s people have called on His name for centuries. In fact, the first mention of this practice is in Genesis chapter 4.

But what does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? 

Since this phrase is mentioned so frequently in God’s Word, surely it deserves our attention. In this post, we’ll use verses and notes from the New Testament Recovery Version to see what calling on the Lord means, and why it’s so important for our Christian life.

The meaning of call in Hebrew and Greek

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek. These languages are very rich and sometimes convey more in a single word than English can. For instance, in Hebrew, the word translated as call in English means to call out to or to cry unto. And in Greek, it means to invoke a person, to call a person by name. So by definition, calling on the Lord is audible. It’s to say His name aloud, even to cry out unto Him.

For example, when a little boy falls off a swing, he immediately calls out, “Mommy!” When his mother hears his cry, she runs to him, wipes away his tears, and soothes him. Children cry out to their mothers and fathers when they’re hungry, tired, or scared; they call on their parents to get the help they need.

In the same way, we can cry out to the Lord when we’re spiritually hungry or thirsty, or when we need His care. We can call on Him in every kind of situation, and be assured that He will respond with exactly what we need. 

A brief history of calling on the name of the Lord

In the Old Testament

As we mentioned, the practice of calling on the Lord began long ago, with the third generation of mankind. Genesis 4:26 says:  

“And to Seth [Adam’s son] also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of Jehovah.”

Why did men begin to call on Jehovah’s name at that time?

The meaning of the name Enosh gives us a clue: it means frail, mortal man. Because of mankind’s fall away from God, man became frail and mortal. By the time Enosh was born, human beings realized they were vulnerable, even fragile, and that their life was limited. They were keenly aware of their mortality, and they recognized their need for God. 

So they began to call upon Jehovah, the name of the Lord. Jehovah means I am that I am. This indicates that Jehovah is ever-existing; He alone is the eternal One. Frail, mortal human beings called upon Him because they knew they needed the eternal God.

Many Old Testament verses show us that calling on the name of the Lord continued after Enosh with Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, and many others, including the psalmists and prophets.

In the New Testament

Then in the New Testament, calling on the name of the Lord is first mentioned in Acts 2:21:

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In the New Testament, the name of the Lord is Jesus, which means Jehovah the Savior. The early believers practiced audibly calling on the name of the Lord Jesus everywhere. In fact, Acts 9 tells us that Saul, before he believed in Jesus and became the apostle Paul, was zealous for the Jewish religion. He persecuted Christians and had the authority to imprison all who called upon the Lord’s name. Saul found believers to arrest by hearing them call on the name of Jesus. This shows how prevalent the practice of calling on the Lord was in those days.

After he was saved, Paul himself practiced calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, and he highlighted this practice throughout his epistles. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul addressed the believers in Corinth:

“To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours.”

This verse shows us the early believers even called on the Lord in every place!

The results of calling on the name of the Lord

The practice of calling on the name of the Lord can greatly benefit us in many ways. Let’s look at a few of these ways that are mentioned by Paul in Romans 10.

Being saved eternally

Romans 10:9 says:

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

This verse speaks of both our heart and our mouth. The moment we first believed in Jesus with our heart and confessed His name with our mouth, we were saved eternally from God’s judgment. We were forgiven of our sins and born again with the divine life of God.

Enjoying the riches of Christ

Paul then went on in Romans 10:12-13:

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; for ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

The Lord is certainly rich in who He is, but He also wants to be rich to us. Calling upon His name is the way we can experience His riches. 

In the New Testament Recovery Version, note 1 on calls in verse 13 is very helpful. It tells us that calling on the name of the Lord Jesus is important not just when we’re first saved, but also afterwards:

“Calling on the name of the Lord is the secret not only to our salvation but also to our enjoyment of the Lord’s riches. Beginning with Enosh, the third generation of mankind, and continuing all the way down to the New Testament believers, God’s chosen and redeemed ones enjoyed Christ’s redemption and salvation and all His riches by means of this secret.”

Christ is so rich in so many ways—as comfort, peace, love, hope, patience, kindness, endurance, long-suffering, strength, faith, and every positive thing in the universe. And simply calling on His name, “Oh, Lord Jesus!” is the secret to enjoying His riches every day of our life.

Being saved daily

Again, Romans 10:13 assures us that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But saved from what?

When we first confessed Jesus as Lord, we were saved eternally. But we also need to be saved daily from many negative things, including anger, impatience, sadness, discouragement, and anxiety.

Calling “Oh, Lord Jesus!” isn’t the same as reciting inspiring words or positive affirmations to improve our mood. Instead, when we call on the name of Jesus, we contact the living, resurrected Lord who is dwelling in our spirit. As we call on His name, we experience Him, and He meets our need. 

Actually, we’re saved from negative things by enjoying what the Lord is to us. Note 2 on saved in verse 13 explains:

“To be saved here means to be brought into the enjoyment of the riches of the Lord. The Lord is rich to both Jews and Greeks. All who call on the Lord’s name enjoy this rich Lord; as a result, they are filled with Him and express Him.”

So when we call on the Lord Jesus, we’re saved by being brought into the enjoyment of His riches. As we enjoy Him, we experience Him and are even filled with Him. Then, instead of expressing ourselves in our anger or impatience, we express Him to those around us. And the secret is simply to call on His name, “Oh, Lord Jesus!”

A lifelong practice

Calling on the name of the Lord is an essential practice for our whole Christian life. Even though we’ve been saved from God’s judgment, we’re still just as frail and mortal as those in Enosh’s time. Life is often confusing, overwhelming, and full of turmoil. We’re often reminded that we’re limited, both physically and psychologically. We need the Lord and all His riches to fill us.

Even if we don’t have a particular need, we can contact the Lord in our spirit by calling, “Oh, Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus, I love You!” And we can call on Him anywhere, anytime, in good times and bad. We can call loudly or softly, by ourselves or with other believers. When we do this, we’ll be refreshed, satisfied, and strengthened. He’s so rich to all who call on Him!

You can learn more about this enjoyable practice in chapter 4 of Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vol. 1, a free e-book you can download from anywhere in the world here.

And if you live in the US, you can order a free copy of the New Testament Recovery Version here to read all the wonderful notes on the verses mentioned in this post.