Prayer Without Obedience — Jeremiah 37:1–21

The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.

In this message

Wanting God’s help while refusing God’s voice is a dangerous place to live.
Desperation can make people ask for prayer, but desperation does not equal repentance.
Temporary relief in circumstances is not the same as true deliverance from God.
Faithfulness to God’s truth can bring opposition, and speaking truth may cost something.
God’s mercy is real, but mercy always calls people back to obedience.

The passage

The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 37 in full.

Jeremiah 37:2

2Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.”

Jeremiah 37:6

6Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:

10 For a brief moment the Babylonian army withdraws. Why? Because Egypt is marching north. Suddenly everyone in Jerusalem starts celebrating. “See? God saved us!” The false prophets were probably saying, “Peace is coming! Babylon is retreating!” Egypt is marching north. The people start saying, ‘See! God saved us! Jeremiah was wrong!’ But God sends Jeremiah with a very sobering message.

Prayer without obedience becomes self-centered and leaves a person wanting God’s help while refusing God’s voice.

What we have seen

Church, the world has never had a shortage of popular voices.
Jeremiah suffered for truth. Have you?

Why did King Zedekiah ask Jeremiah to pray if he wasn’t obeying God?

King Zedekiah wanted God’s help without God’s authority. Crisis and fear made him suddenly want prayer, even though he had no intention of obeying the Word of God. He wanted protection without correction, and help without repentance. Jeremiah 37 presents that as the posture of asking for prayer while refusing God’s voice.

What does Jeremiah 37 say about prayer without obedience?

Prayer without obedience can become self-centered. Proverbs 28:9 is cited to warn that turning a deaf ear to God’s instruction makes a person’s prayers detestable. Listening to God’s Word is what teaches a person to pray rightly. Jeremiah 37 frames Zedekiah’s request for prayer as empty because he refused to pay attention to God’s message.

What was the false hope in Jeremiah 37 when Babylon withdrew for a moment?

False hope in Jeremiah 37 came from reading circumstances as if they were God’s promise. When the Babylonians withdrew briefly because Egypt was marching north, people celebrated and treated it like deliverance. Jeremiah’s message was that the issue was never Babylon but Judah’s rebellion against God. Charles Spurgeon is quoted: it is fatal to build hope on circumstances instead of the Word of God.

Does a short season of relief mean God has solved the deeper problem?

Temporary relief is not the same as true deliverance. Circumstances can ease for a moment without any heart change taking place, like a warning light being cleared while the underlying problem remains. Judah wanted the pressure removed but did not want repentance, and the chapter treats that as the real issue. God’s goal is not only to change circumstances but to change hearts.

Why was Jeremiah arrested and mistreated in Jeremiah 37?

Faithfulness to God often brings opposition. When the siege lifted temporarily and Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem, he was arrested, falsely accused of defecting to Babylon, beaten, and thrown into a dungeon. The reason given is that he told the truth, and he did not soften the message even after suffering. David Guzik is cited to highlight Jeremiah’s courage in continuing to speak what God gave him.

What was Jeremiah’s message to Zedekiah when the king asked for a word from the Lord?

Jeremiah’s message to Zedekiah was direct: the king would be handed over to the king of Babylon. The chapter presents Jeremiah as choosing suffering for truth rather than prosperity through lies. Zedekiah secretly asked for a word, yet still resisted what God was saying. Jeremiah’s consistency shows he was not controlled by public opinion but by God’s truth.

Why does Jeremiah 37 emphasise popular voices and false prophets?

The world has never had a shortage of popular voices, but what is needed are faithful voices that speak truth even when it costs something. Jeremiah contrasted with prophets who told the king what he wanted to hear, claiming Babylon would not come against the land. Their failure exposed that Jeremiah’s only “offense” was faithfully telling the truth. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 is cited to connect this impulse—rejecting sound doctrine and gathering teachers to suit desires—to the last days.

What does the chapter show about Zedekiah’s attitude toward Jeremiah?

Zedekiah is described as struggling: hard toward Jeremiah’s message but somewhat soft toward Jeremiah personally. He did not like the message, yet he respected Jeremiah as a man who would tell the truth even when it cost him something. That respect showed up when he moved Jeremiah to a more humane place of imprisonment and arranged daily bread for him. The chapter portrays a conflicted king who asks for prayer and a word, yet resists obedience.

What question does Jeremiah 37 force on someone who wants God’s help?

Jeremiah 37 asks whether a person wants God’s help or God’s authority. Many people want blessing, protection, and provision while resisting instruction, correction, and discipline. The chapter’s crisis-driven prayer request exposes how someone can seek relief without repentance. The closing application presses a simple question: will you listen when God speaks?

Where else scripture speaks

Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.

Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:

2 Timothy 4:3–4 — Don’t Ask God If You’ve Already Decided

Take this with you

Near the end of World War II, Allied troops were liberating towns across Europe.