by anthonybuzzard@mindspring.com

One can appeal to the man mediator, Jesus (John 14:14, not KJV). According to the apostle Paul, New Testament Christians were everywhere praying to Jesus. “Paul…to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:1-2). It appears that Paul includes himself among those who called upon the name of Jesus. These prayers directed to Jesus were universal. And the present tense of “call” suggests that the prayers were ongoing.

“Call on” means to address, or to pray to, as in 1 Peter 1:17: “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (NKJV).

Another place where “call on the Lord” is used is in 2 Timothy 2:22: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

The Greek word here, ἐπικαλουμένοις (epikaloumenois) is in the present tense, which in this case gives the verb “to call” a durative sense. The nature of the verb “to call” accords with this use, and nothing in the context or the grammar suggests otherwise. These Christians were likely frequently (continually) “calling” on the Lord. Other texts that describe believers as calling upon the Lord include Acts 9:14, 21; 22:16.