What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?

Les explains that calling upon the name of the Lord does not require shouting it to a crowd or from a housetop. It can be spoken in the privacy of a prayer closet, while driving down the road, or washing dishes over the sink. The person verbally says, “Lord, I’m a sinner, save me, because I believe that You’ve done everything that needs to be done.” That is what the verse means. The promise is that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Les says he cannot understand it, but the Book says that if we call upon Him, we shall be saved. He uses the childlike illustration of a swimming pool on a hot summer afternoon, with many kids screaming and laughing. A lifeguard’s ear is trained for a feeble cry, “Help!” and then the lifeguard goes into the water to save the sinking child. In that simple form, Les pictures God constantly listening for the feeble call of a sinner who says, “I want to be saved.” The minute, the second God hears that, He is there. That, Les says, is what salvation is all about and exactly what this verse means.