1 Kings 1:17 (NKJV)
“Then she said to him, ‘My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’”’”

First of all, we must acknowledge that the Lord is Almighty and all sovereign. His sovereignty is such that nobody can make Him do what He does not want to do, and even the most earnest prayer is only helpful if aligned with His will.

And yet, the Lord calls us to put Him in remembrance (Isaiah 43:26, NKJV). In that same passage, God invites us to state our case, “that we may be acquitted.” In the NIV, God actually says, “state the case of your innocence.” What an invitation!

God invites us into a holy dialogue where He is not upset when we state our case before Him, as though in a court of law with Him. In fact, in the NKJV, that verse reads, “Let us contend together,” which is translated in the NIV as, “Let us argue the matter together.”

We are children of the Most High. We are not outcasts seeking the presence of the King. We are insiders. We have holy rights in the presence of the Holy God. While we tremble in His presence, we tremble out of holy reverence and not paralyzing fear.

We enter the Holy of Holies to discuss with our Father, to present our case, to negotiate with the Lord of Hosts, to remind Him of His promises to us. In this call to contend with God, it is the contending of love by a beloved with his Beloved.

When David asked Bathsheba what she wanted, she did not immediately start by reporting Adonijah and asking for redress for her son. No, she was wiser than that. She knew the power behind a king’s promise, and that’s where she started.

She said, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God, to your maidservant.” She reminded David of his pledge, his vow, his word. A king’s honor lay in fulfilling his promise, and she knew that if David was reminded of his oath, that was enough.

Remember Herod and John the Baptist? Herodias needed to get rid of John, and the way to do that was to get her daughter to so please Herod that he would make a pledge in the presence of witnesses. Then she asked for John’s head, and he had no alternative.

Our God never forgets. In your holy conversations with Him, one useful tool of discussion and negotiation is to remind Him of His Word. What has God spoken to you? What has God revealed in His Word? He is committed to fulfilling what He has spoken.

Know God’s Word. Record God’s personal word to you. Then take it back to Him in holy conversation. In respectful contention, remind Him of what He has spoken, and then watch Him move into action concerning your situation.

@ChineduOranye
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