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How to Pray Effectively by Ps Steve Cioccolanti

I enjoy the following passage written by Ps Steve Cioccolanti which is extracted from website of Discover Ministries.

When we pray, we are entering into a courtroom - the Heaven's throne!

ISAIAH 43:26 [AKJ] Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare you, that you may be justified.

God invites us to "plead" with Him. What does "plead" mean? To plead is to "state or set forth your case." The picture is one of a courtroom. In court, the best case wins. So build a case for yourself before you come to Heaven’s throne!

The more Scriptures and Scriptural reasons we have for what we want, the better the case we build or present before God. God is not only wanting you to agree with Him, but God also wants to agree with you! You've got to give Him something to agree with. Plead with Him, state your case, give Him your reasons, and present Him your Scriptures!

People intuitively know how to build a good case in life, but when it comes to talking with God, they seem to forget their skill and get awkward in prayer. For instance, lets say you wanted a new job, how are you going to get that job? You need to build a case! Why are you valuable? What can you do for the company? Generally, it's not enough to say, "I can study" or "I have a degree." The boss is interested to know: Can you fix problems? Can you work in teams? Are you accountable? Do you know how to train others? If you build a good case with good reasons and supporting evidence, you will get the job!

It's no different with effective prayer! Build a good case for what you want with good reasons and supporting evidence - that's the Scriptures. Don't just say, "I base all my prayers on one Scripture, Matthew 7:7, Ask and you shall receive." It is generally not a strong or sufficient case. The devil is also pleading against you. Remember the devil is the “false accuser of the brethren.” He’s trying to pile up evidence on his side. But God wants to agree with you, not the devil, so God invites you to "plead" your case with Him.

God said in Jeremiah 1:12 (ASV), “…I watch over my word to perform it.” Once you learn how to plead your case, you will be adept to highlight your own Scriptures, build your own case with God, and get your own answers for anything you need!

Pleading your case is part of the “prayer of faith” or the prayer to change things and circumstances in your life.

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