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<v SPEAKER_00>Hey everybody, this is Pastor Barry here, and today we're on day 11 for our 21 days of prayer devotionals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And so today we're gonna be talking about making room for obedience.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Today we'll be in 1 Samuel chapter 15, verse 22, and it says, But Samuel replied, What is more pleasing to the Lord?

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<v SPEAKER_00>Your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Listen, obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than the offering the fat of rams.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Have you ever been in a moment where you felt God asking you to do something but you hesitated?

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<v SPEAKER_00>Maybe you tried negotiating with God or delaying or even convincing yourself you know a better way.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Obedience to God is something we talk about often, but if we're honest, it's one of the hardest things to constantly live out.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Many of us genuinely want to obey God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We want to follow Him, honor Him, and say yes when He speaks, but desire doesn't automatically create obedience.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Making room does.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Making room in our hearts, making room in our schedules, making room in our priorities and habits.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Obedience grows where room is made for it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is where many of us struggle.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We want to follow God, but we are so full of our own plans, full of our own opinions, full of fear, full of pressure, full of noise.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's not that we don't care about obedience, we just don't create the margin required to walk it out.

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<v SPEAKER_00>When our lives are cluttered, obedience becomes something we try to squeeze in instead of something we build around.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We see this played out in 1 Samuel chapter 15.

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<v SPEAKER_00>God gives King Saul a clear, specific command.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Saul hears it, Saul understands it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>When the time comes to obey, Saul chooses to follow some of what God said while ignoring the rest of what God told him.

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<v SPEAKER_00>When he is confronted by Samuel, Saul says, But I did obey the Lord.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Saul is truly believed that he had done enough to call it obedience.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Samuel responds to Saul in this moment and says this in 1 Samuel chapter 15, verse 22, says, What is more pleasing to the Lord, your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Listen, obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In other words, God is not impressed by what we offer him if we're not willing to obey him.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Partial obedience, obedience on our terms and our timing, and our comfort, it's still disobedience.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But here's the hard truth.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Saul didn't fail because he didn't love God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He failed because he didn't make room in his heart to obey God fully.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He allowed the fear of people, desire for control, and his own judgment to crowd out God's voice.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Saul wasn't too wicked to obey, he was too crowded to obey.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And that's the danger for us today.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Obedience becomes optional when our hearts are full of other things.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Obedience becomes delayed when our schedules are too packed, obedience becomes negotiable when our pride is in the way, and if we want to be people who obey God, we must become people who make room for God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Obedience begins by making room for God to speak.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It starts with a quiet heart, an uncluttered mind, and a willingness to say, Lord, whatever you ask, I've already given you my yes.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So today, ask yourself, where do I need to make room so obedience can grow?

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<v SPEAKER_00>What voices am I letting crowd out God's?

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<v SPEAKER_00>What areas have I been giving partial obedience instead of full surrender?

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<v SPEAKER_00>As Samuel said to Saul, I say to you, obedience is better than sacrifice.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Let's pray.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Lord, today give me a heart that obeys you.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Help me to trust you more than myself.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I surrender my plans, my fears, my hesitations.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Lead me and I will obey.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In Jesus' name.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Amen.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Thank you guys for joining us today.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We'll see you guys back tomorrow for day 12.