Torah Trails #5 Life of Sarah

Torah Trails

Rabbi Yehudah “Tochukwu” ben Shomeyr

Kristopher Shoemaker

#5 Hayyei-Sarah (Life of Sarah)

Gen. 23:1-25:18

I Kings 1:1-31

John 17

Memory Verses: Gen. 24:27, I Kings 1:29, Matt. 1:17

Gen.24

Abraham’s servant must have been a very special guy. It’s clear he had a very intimate relationship with the God of Abraham. When one thinks of religion or spirituality or God, especially when it comes to prayer, it’s usually within the confines of religious ritualistic structure; praying before and after meals, when we go up to read the Torah in synagogue, when we don tallit and tefillin, when we pray from the siddur, etc. But this guy kept a continuous open line of communication and dialogue with God. When you read the narrative, you almost forget he’s praying because it reads like he is simply having a conversation with a friend. And that’s exactly how prayer should be. That’s what I believe Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul) meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17).

Do you pray only when you are expected to, Shacharit, Mincha, Ma’ariv, Bedtime, at meals, when called upon in a group, etc. Or do you include God in your day by conversing with Him about everything? If you don’t; START! If you do, I bet you’ll see an increase of the miraculous and answers to prayer in your daily life.

I Kings 1:1-31

A Prophet was just that type to always be communicating with God. He had to in order to receive prophetic words and able to advise kings in order to know what to do, like this passage when Adonijah tried to become king.

It doesn’t say in the passage, but I believe when Nathan the Prophet heard what was going down he likely said, “LORD, what should I do!?”  As a result he advised Bathsheba exactly what to do in order to squash Adonija’s coup and rightfully place Solomon on the throne.

John 17

What a beautiful conversation between Father and Son! Even moreso than what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” we read this and really learn how to pray, converse and be intimate with the Father.

This passage is so cool because Yeshua actually prays for us! Me and you! Yeah, me who wrote this devotional and you who are reading it right now! Check this out!

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. – John 17:20-23 KJV

“Abba YHWH Elohim, Teach us not to just “pray” but to simply talk to You and include You in our every moment of our everyday, In Yeshua’s Name. Amen!”