The opening prayer of worship that calls upon God's name and presence. The biblical practice of calling upon the LORD is ancient: Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD (Gen 4:26, the first instance after the murder of Abel). Acts 2:21 (citing Joel 2:32) declares the gospel-age promise: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13 reinforces. The invocation prayer in Christian liturgy gathers the congregation's scattered attention and consciously places the assembly before the throne of grace at the beginning of worship. Typical elements include a recognition of God's presence, a confession of human unworthiness, a plea for the Spirit's presence and illumination, and a closing through Jesus Christ. Even non-liturgical traditions usually open worship with some form of invocation, though they may not name it as such. The form embodies the foundational biblical posture: worship begins not with us reaching for God but with our calling on the God who is already near to all who call upon Him in truth.