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Pleading & Argument Before God (Doing ACTS - Thursday 9/14)

Posted by ru4jc @ Thu 14 Sep, 06, 04:24PM under Doing ACTS
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Dear All,

The title for today's meditation is "Pleading & Argument Before God". Today's meditation is taken from several Scripture passages. They are listed below. I hope you will find this helpful in bringing our prayers and request before God, in the heart of wanting to see our prayers prevail. God bless your meditation.

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Isaiah 1:18

18 “ Come now, and let us reason together,”
      Says the LORD,

      “ Though your sins are like scarlet,
      They shall be as white as snow;
      Though they are red like crimson,
      They shall be as wool.

Isaiah 41:21

21 “ Present your case,” says the LORD.
“ Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

Job 23:3-5

3 Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!

4 I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say to me.

Genesis 18:22-33

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

There is a sense in which prevaling with God can take the form of holy-reasoning - yes, even presenting holy arguments before God. Spurgeon once preached: "The man who has in his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benediction in answered prayer. This holy argumentation with God is not done in a negative, complaining spirit or a critical heart, but of a heart burning with love for God, for His name and for His glory.

1. God seems to be interested to in hearing us, and reasoning with Him. It's not that He likes a challenge, but sometimes you need that sort of approach to come to a point of trying to understand why. Does God resent our argumentative attitude? Take a father-child relationship, where do you think comes a place for us to debate/discuss with them? In the place of close relationships, we can approach God and make it a point to pour our heart's desire (with no meaning of disrespect), but out of concern and love for Him.

2. Abraham knew what he was looking for. In this case, he was there to plead for God's mercy over the wicked nation of Sodom. What do you have in your heart to plead God for? What's pressing you to see Him move? Are you driven to ask God to stop in His tracks so that mercy can be shown where judgment has been pronounced?

a) Text reference taken from vv25, "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”"

b) Text reference taken from vv23, "And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" and vv25, "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”"

c) Text reference taken from vv25, "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”"

d) Best reference is Genesis 18:23-25, "23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”"

James 2:23

23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God.

How is your relationship with God? Relate this to your relationship with your earthly parent/father, how does intimacy support the case of bringing a need to the daddy with the response that comes thereafter? Some food for thought...

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I hope you had a blessed read. Take greatest care, and may the thoughts and meditation above help us to pursue God in prayer.

God bless!

Agape,

Roland

"Success in the Kingdom is building into the lives of others..."

http://ru4jc.textmalaysia.com/

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