Thursday, August 7, 2014

Pleading Your Case

 (Isaiah 43:26); “Present your case, says the Lord. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob” (Isaiah 41:21).

From the aforementioned scriptures, it is clear that God wants us to plead our case before Him. King Hezekiah pleaded his case before God and got his life extended for another 15 years; he overruled a death sentence passed on him (2 Kings 20:1-6). David never lost a battle in his entire lifetime because he was master in pleading his case before God.  Apostle Paul pleaded his case so intelligently before King Agrippa that the king confessed he would have set him free had he not appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:32). The following are some ways we can plead our case in the courts of Heaven:
Praise, worship and offer thanksgiving: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). In praise we acknowledge God’s greatness, in worship we acknowledge His holiness and worthiness, and in thanksgiving we acknowledge His goodness. This trio softens the ground for us as we embark on pleading our case.
Leverage on the Blood: The blood of Jesus is our merit before God not our righteousness or our good deeds. Every born again child of God has a credit charged to his account in heaven by reason of the blood of Jesus. We activate our credit in Heaven by pleading the blood of Jesus. The blood has a voice and every time we approach God pleading the blood of Jesus, we procure for ourselves mercy, forgiveness, justification, and pardon. Scripture reference: Hebrews 10:19-23.
Enlist the assistance of the Holy Spirit:  It is true every Christian without exception needs the help of the Holy Spirit to pray aright. Our Wisdom and Enabler in pleading our case before a just God is the Holy Spirit which is resident in every believer. The Holy Spirit adds flair and flavor to our prayers. He knows the mind of God and He pleads on our behalf (as we allow Him) in harmony with God’s will (Romans 8:26-27).
Advocate with the Word: The Word of God is a personality (Revelation 19:11-14) and a powerful voice in pleading our case. Jesus is the Living Word; the scriptures are the written Word. We invoke the name of Jesus (the Living Word) in prayers and we quote relevant scriptures in pleading our case. God said bring your strong reasons that you may be justified (Isaiah 41:21).
Declare His faithfulness in the past: Note that what God has done before He is able and willing to do again. Testimonies are prophetic. King David was fond of always recounting past victories thereby declaring God’s faithfulness to him and his nation. He often used this as a basis for God to perform again, and this strategy always worked for him. His faith always received a boost in the process of recounting.
CONCLUSION: To plead our case appropriately before God, a humble disposition is mandatory.  We must be willing to submit to the will of God. Non-Christians should submit to Jesus wholeheartedly while Christians must also submit every area of their lives to God. It is our month of new beginnings in Jesus name as we plead our case in the place of prayer.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN

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