Prayer

Opening Thought: The Power of Obedience Over Blind Faith
“We are often told that faith alone is enough for our prayers to be answered, but Scripture reveals that obedience plays a central role.”

• Key Question:
  Why are some prayers answered, and others are not?

The Common Misconception

• Belief: Faith alone is enough.
• Reality: Faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
• Explanation: Obedience to Yahuwah’s laws is essential to receiving His promises.

What Scripture Says About Prayer and Obedience

1. Proverbs 28:9
   • “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.”
   • Obedience to the law is crucial for prayers to be heard.
2. Psalms 119:142
   • “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”
   • Yahuwah’s truth is rooted in His law.

The Covenant of Obedience

1. Exodus 23:25
   • “And ye shall serve Yahuwah your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”
   • Blessings come through service and obedience.
2. Exodus 15:26
   • “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yahuwah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight… I will put none of these diseases upon thee.”

Why Some Prayers Go Unanswered

1. Jeremiah 7:16-18
   • Yahuwah told Jeremiah not to pray for those who disobeyed Him.
   • Lesson: Disobedience blocks prayers.
2. Key Insight:
   It’s not about lacking faith but failing to walk in obedience to Yahuwah’s commands.

The Promise of Obedience

1. Deuteronomy 28:1
   • “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Yahuwah thy God… that Yahuwah thy God will set thee on high.”
   • Obedience brings blessings and answers to prayers.
2. Exodus 33:19
   • Yahuwah shows mercy to whom He wills, but His promises are tied to His covenant with the obedient.

Faith Alone Is Not Enough

• James 2:26
  • Faith without works is dead.
• Example: Obedience is the “work” that completes faith.

How to Ensure Your Prayers Are Heard

1. Pray According to His Will
   • Study Yahuwah’s laws to align your prayers with His commands.
2. Obey His Commandments
   • Keep the laws that are applicable today.
3. Repent and Seek Righteousness
   • 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people… shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways…”

The Simplicity of Obedience

• Point: Obedience is not burdensome (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
• Encouragement: Align your life with Yahuwah’s commands and watch how He fulfills His promises.

Yahuwah, the Covenant Keeper

• Key Verse: Psalm 89:34: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”
• Message: Yahuwah’s faithfulness ensures that obedience leads to blessings.

Call to Action

1. Reflect on your walk with Yahuwah.
2. Commit to obeying His laws.
3. Trust in His promises as a covenant keeper.

Closing Scripture

• 1 Kings 8:23:
  “There is no God like thee, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.”
• Final Thought: Walk in obedience, and Yahuwah will hear and answer your prayers.

This sermon emphasizes obedience as the key to effective prayer, supported by Scripture. It challenges traditional notions while inspiring alignment with Yahuwah’s laws for a deeper relationship with Him.