THE PLUGGED IN PRAYER LIFE: Call! | God's Open Line

Have you ever tried calling someone repeatedly only to get voicemail? Or wondered if your number was blocked? Unlike our often-frustrating human communications, God offers an always-open line.

The invention of the telephone in 1876 revolutionized how people connected, eliminating distance as a barrier to conversation. Similarly, prayer eliminates the distance between us and God, offering instant access without wires, Wi-Fi, or physical proximity. Throughout Scripture, God gives us His "phone numbers" – Jeremiah 33:3 says "Call to me and I will answer you," Isaiah 65:24 promises "Before they call, I will answer," and Psalm 91:15 assures that "When he calls to me, I will answer him." These aren't just poetic words but promises from our God who actively invites connection.

This episode explores the third concept in our Plugged In Prayer Life series: after powering up (recognizing God as our source) and plugging in (turning our hearts toward Him), we're now invited to call on Him through prayer. Our theme verse, Jeremiah 29:12, proclaims this promise: "Call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen."

What makes this concept especially powerful for discipleship is how it speaks the language of today's tech-savvy generation. Children who instinctively understand phones and expect instant digital access can easily grasp the concept of calling on God. Every time we reach for our phones can become a reminder to whisper a quick prayer – a thank you, a simple request, or just acknowledging God's presence with "Lord, I'm here" or "Lord, I need you."

Join us in this conversation about maintaining an open line with God, and discover how to use everyday technology as a spiritual prompt for yourself and the next generation. Check out our coordinating conversation guide at familydiscipleme.org to deepen your understanding and application of this transformative truth.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you ever tried to call someone and gotten
voicemail for the 50 millionthtime?
Have you ever wondered if yournumber got blocked?
Or you're trying to callsomebody and had the wrong
number?
In our world today,communication can sometimes be
well frustrating, even withphones in every hand and pockets
full of devices.

(00:21):
But let me take you back to atime before that was even an
option.
On February 14, 1876, two men,elisha Gray and Alexander Graham
Bell, both filed patents forthe same invention the telephone
.
There's debate about whoactually invented it, and even

(00:44):
Congress got involved in 2002when they credited an Italian
immigrant named Antonio Meuccias the first to create the
device.
Whoever truly invented it, onething is clear the invention of
the telephone changed thehistory of the world.
By the early 1900s, telephonelines were stretching across the

(01:07):
United States, connecting homeslike never before.
Just like electricity hadpowered the nation, just like
the electrical outlet had giventhe common person the ability to
access that power, now voicescould travel across cities and
states.
And with each improvement, fromrotary dials to cordless phones

(01:31):
, to flip phones, to smartphones, with each advancement in
technology came one essentialfunction, that is, to call.
And that brings us to today'struth in the Plugged In Prayer
Life conversations.
In our first conversation wetalked about power up.

(01:52):
We recognize that God is oursource.
He is mighty, he is strong, heis capable, he is able.
Nothing's impossible for Him.
He is the one to whom we canturn in prayer.
And then in our lastconversation, we talked about
the next point of plug in, wherewe turn our hearts to Him,

(02:16):
where we draw near and weconnect to Him.
And now with that we come toour next conversation, where we
are invited to call, and notwith a phone but with prayer.
Hi, my name is Tasha Williamsand I'm delighted to get to
spend a few more minutes withyou here as we go through this

(02:38):
collection of conversationsabout prayer.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast.
You're in the right place to beequipped, challenged and
blessed in Jesus' name.
The mission of the FamilyDisciple Me ministry is to
inspire devotion-drivendiscipleship, which is something
we believe every Christfollower can do.
Discipleship starts with aconversation, so today, let this

(03:04):
podcast episode encourage youto seek Him, speak Him.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Let's be honest, one of the kindest things a friend
can say is call me anytime.
It's personal, it's open, it'sreassuring, it's engaging.
And that's exactly what Godsays to us, not just once but
over and over and over again inscripture.

(03:33):
You could say that God has lotsof phone numbers.
His phone number 333, says callto me and I will answer you.
That's Jeremiah 33, that is.
And then well, his phone number6524 says before they call, I
will answer.

(03:53):
That's Isaiah 6524.
And then there's 915 that sayswhen he calls to me, I will
answer him.
That's Psalm 91, 15.
Zechariah 13 9 says they willcall on my name and I will
answer them.
All these phone numbers, allthese verses, well, they're not

(04:16):
just poetic, they're not just,well, phone numbers.
They reveal the heart of a Godwho invites us into connection.
This connection totallycorresponds with our theme verse
for today, which is Jeremiah,chapter 29, verse 12, that says
call on me and come and pray tome and I will listen.

(04:41):
Now, before the invention of thetelephone, if you wanted to
talk to someone you had to walkto their house or perhaps send a
letter or some sort of message.
That wasn't just inconvenient,it created distance.
But when the phone arrived.
It brought access Suddenly.
People could check in and say Ilove you or give an update or

(05:05):
ask for help.
The line was open.
Prayer does that as well.
We don't need wires or Wi-Fi.
We don't need to see God withour eyes, to talk to him with
our hearts.
We can trust that our God hearsus when we pray.
We don't get his voicemail,we're not blocked.
His line is always open andhe's always listening.

(05:30):
As we consider this particularconcept in the Plugged In Prayer
Life series, as we meditate onour theme verse today of
Jeremiah 29, verse 12, Iencourage you to spend some time
in the accompanyingconversation guide.
Spend some time in the seek him, asking God the questions what,

(05:53):
why and how.
Call on him.
Say God, what are you saying tome through this scripture?
Call on him and ask him God,why does this scripture matter
for my life?
And then talk to him about howdo you want me to apply this
truth to my life?
And then, as Christ followers,seek him must always lead to

(06:16):
speak him.
So how do we teach this truthto the next generation?
This, to me, is where it gets sogood, because, well, phones are
everywhere.
Kids know how they work.
I even watch my grandbabieshold a phone and somehow they
know exactly what to do.
Kids call, kids text.

(06:38):
Kids expect instant accessthrough their phones.
That's what makes this such anincredible discipleship
opportunity.
When we say something likecalling God is like making a
phone call, we're speaking theirlanguage is like making a phone
call.
We're speaking their language.

(07:01):
I've told my kids stories about,well, the massive phone that my
parents gave my sister and Iback in college.
It was one of the originalcordless phones and it was as
big as a suitcase.
They gave it to us so that wecould have connection with them
as we were driving back andforth between our college and
our home.
But thing is, it was so bigthat we left it in the back seat

(07:23):
.
It was so complicated we neverused it.
That's not the way phones arenow and that's definitely not
the way prayer is.
My husband's funny because hegrew up in rural Kentucky back
when they still had party linesand well, that's kind of a
curious thing I neverexperienced.
But he can use that to talk toour kids and the next generation

(07:46):
about the fact that we can cometo God together in prayer.
I don't know what your phonestory is, but I'm pretty sure
that you have at least a few ofthem is, but I'm pretty sure
that you have at least a few ofthem For all of us.
We can use these as a bridge toreach into the next generation
and talk to them about callingon the name of the Lord through

(08:07):
prayer.
This is how we don't just seekhim, but we also speak him.
So let me give you a challengefor this week Every time you use
your phone, take a moment topray.
That's what I'm doing Justwhisper a short call to God.
It might be a thank you, arequest or just a Lord, I'm here

(08:30):
.
Or it could be as simple asLord, I need you.
Lord, I need you.
Prayer doesn't have to beformal or fancy Like a good
phone call.
It just needs to be honest.

(08:50):
So, since phones are now a partof our daily life, let's use
them as reminders for us and forthe next generation to engage
in spiritual communication aswell as physical communication.
Just like we teach our littleones how to dial 911 in an
emergency, let's teach them tocall on God in every moment, big
or small.
And well, let's do thatourselves, and not just for

(09:14):
emergencies, but staying pluggedin and calling continually.
God's promise In Jeremiah 29,verse 12, is an invitation for
today.
He says call on me and come andpray to me and I will listen to
you.
So, friend, let's engage thatkind of prayer life and then

(09:38):
let's model that kind of prayerlife for the next generation.
Let's live it, let's speak it,let's make it real, one call at
a time.
Right now, I want to call onGod.
Let me live it, let's speak it,let's make it real, one call at
a time.
Right now, I want to call on God.
Let me pray this for us rightnow.
Scripture says, and I pray, Ihave not stopped giving thanks
for you, remembering you.

(09:59):
In my prayers, I keep askingthat the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious Father, maygive you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation so that you mayknow him better.
I pray that the eyes of yourheart may be enlightened, and I
pray that prayer, that power,that hope, that joy, that

(10:20):
understanding over each of ustoday as we lean in to the
plugged-in prayer life.
Oh, friend, god bless you, beencouraged, keep calling on Him
and until next time, stayplugged in.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
Thanks for joining us in this podcast episode.
Be sure to check out theCoordinating Conversation Guide.
The heart of the FamilyDisciple Me ministry is to meet
with God in our own lives.
Then make Him known to thosehe's entrusted to us.
You can go tofamilydisciplemeorg for more
information about our ministry.
God bless you, friend.

(11:00):
Now go seek Him, speak Him.