26 Bible Verses about Convincing

So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and assembled the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said: How long will you balance (bounce back and forth) between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, then give worship to him. If Baal is, give worship to him. The people did not answer him. Then Elijah said to the people: I, even I, am the only living prophet of Jehovah but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.read more.
Let them give us two bulls. Let them take one for themselves and have it cut up, and put it on the wood, but put no fire under it. I will get the other bull ready, and put it on the wood, and put no fire under it. You pray to your god and I will pray to Jehovah. The God who answers with fire is God! All the people answered: It is well said. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: Take one bull for yourselves and get it ready first, for there are so many of you; and make your prayers to your god, but do not light the fire. So they took the bull that was given them, and made it ready. They cried out to Baal from morning till the middle of the day. They said: O Baal, give ear to us. But there was no voice and no answer. They jumped up and down before the altar they had made. In the middle of the day, Elijah made sport of them, saying: Give louder cries, for he is a god; he may be deep in thought. He may have gone away for some purpose. Perhaps he is on a journey. By chance he is sleeping and must be woke up. So they gave loud cries and they cut themselves with knives and swords till the blood came streaming out all over them. They went on with their prayers from midday till the time of the offering; but there was no voice, or any answer, or any who gave attention to them. Then Elijah said to all the people: Come near to me. Then all the people came near. He repaired the altar of Jehovah that was broken down. Elijah took twelve stones, the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Jehovah said: Israel will be your name. He used the stones to make an altar to the name of Jehovah. He dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on there. Then he said: Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time, and they did it a second time. Then he said: Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time They did it a second time. Then he said: Do it a third time and they did it a third time. The water went all round the altar until the drain was full. Then at the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be seen this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things by your order. Give me an answer, O Jehovah. Give me an answer so that this people may see that you are God. That you have made their hearts come back again. Then the fire of Jehovah came down. It burned up the offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and drinking up the water in the drain. When the people saw it, they all went down on their faces. They said: Jehovah is God! Jehovah is God!

The word of Jehovah came to Jonah a second time: Arise and go to the great city, Nineveh. Proclaim to it the proclamation I give you. So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Nineveh was a very important and large city, a three days' walk [from one side to the other].read more.
Jonah began to enter into the city, a day's journey walking, and he shouted: Nineveh will be overthrown in Forty days. The people of Nineveh believed God and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. The news reached the king of Nineveh. He left his throne, and took off his robe and covered himself with sackcloth. Then he sat in ashes. He made proclamation and published it in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not eat, nor drink water. Let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast. Let them sincerely call on God! Let them turn away each one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows whether God will turn back and change his mind, and turn away from his fierce anger that we will not perish?

To whom can I speak and give warning that they may hear? Their ears are closed and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of Jehovah has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.

He appeared before King Ahab. The king asked him: Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not? Attack! Micaiah answered. You will win. Jehovah will give you victory. But Ahab replied: Tell the truth when you speak to me in the name of Jehovah! How many times do I have to tell you that? Micaiah answered: I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. Jehovah said: These men have no leader. Let them go home in peace.read more.
Israel's king said to Jehoshaphat: Did I not say to you, He will prophesy about me? It is always something bad! Micaiah continued: Now listen to what Jehovah says! I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. Jehovah asked: Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and be killed at Ramoth? Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else, until a spirit stepped forward, approached Jehovah, and said: I will deceive him. How will you deceive him? Jehovah asked. The spirit replied: I will make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. Jehovah said: Go and deceive him. You will succeed. Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. Jehovah made these prophets of yours lie to you. He has decreed that you will meet with disaster! The prophet Zedekiah went to Micaiah and slapped his face. He asked: Since when did Jehovah's spirit leave me and speak to you? You will see when you go into an inner chamber to hide. Micaiah replied. The king of Israel said: Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon, the ruler of the town, and to Joash, the king's son. Tell them: 'It is the king's order that this man is to be put in prison and given prison food till I come again in peace.' Micaiah said: If you come back at all in peace, Jehovah has not sent his word by me.

When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him: Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not? Attack! Micaiah answered. You will win! Jehovah will give you victory. Ahab replied: When you speak to me in the name of Jehovah, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that? Micaiah answered: I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. Jehovah said: These men have no leader. Let them go home in peace.read more.
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat: I told you that he never prophesies anything good for me. It is always something bad! Micaiah continued: Now listen to what Jehovah says! I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne in heaven. All his angels were standing beside him. Jehovah asked: Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and get killed at Ramoth? Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else, until a spirit stepped forward, approached Jehovah, and said: I will deceive him. How? Jehovah asked. The spirit replied: I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. Jehovah said: Go and deceive him. You will succeed. Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. Jehovah made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he has decreed that you will meet with disaster! Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah and slapped his face. He asked: Since when did Jehovah's spirit leave me and speak to you? You will find out when you go into some back room to hide, Micaiah replied. Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers: Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash. Say: This is what the king says: 'Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.' Micaiah said: If you really do come back safely, then Jehovah was not speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!

I have sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again. They said: Turn from your evil ways, do what is right, and do not follow other gods in order to serve them. Then you will live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors. However, you refused to listen to me or obey me.

I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn children. Tell them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: Whether these rebellious people listen or not, they will realize that a prophet has been among them.

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. Amos said: Jeroboam will die by the sword. Israel will surely be led away captive (in exile) out of his land. Amaziah said to Amos: Go, run away, you seer. Go into the land of Judah. Eat bread and prophesy there.read more.
Do not prophesy any more at Bethel for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a royal house.

Even though he performed many miracles in front of them they did not believe in him. The word of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: Jehovah who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1) Isaiah revealed the reason they could not believe:read more.
He has blinded their eyes. He hardened their heart. Otherwise they would see with their eyes and perceive with their heart. Then they would turn and I would heal them.

THIS IS THE PEOPHESY ABOUT THE MESSIAH. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm (power) of Jehovah been revealed?

This people's heart has become calloused. They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.(Septuagint)

I speak to them in illustrations (stories) (parables) (allegories), because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear. They just do not understand. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. 'By hearing, you shall hear, and shall in no way understand. By seeing you shall see, and shall in no way perceive. The heart of this people is callous and dull. Their ears are plugged. They cannot hear. They closed their eyes and cannot see. They cannot see nor hear nor understand with their heart. They should turn around and I would heal them.'

When he was alone his followers including the twelve asked about the illustrations. He told them: The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you. Illustrations are spoken to outsiders. So that seeing they may see and not perceive. And hearing they may hear and not understand. Otherwise they might repent and be forgiven.

He said: You are meant to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. I speak to the rest in illustrations, that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand.

He said: Go and tell this people: 'Hear constantly but do not understand. See constantly but do not perceive.' This people's heart has become calloused. They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.(Septuagint)

Some in Jerusalem asked: Is this he whom they seek to kill? He spoke openly and they said nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ? How is it we know where this man is from but when the Christ comes no one will know where he is from?read more.
Jesus shouted in the temple: You know me and from where I came. I did not come on my own. He who sent me is true and you do not know him. I know him because I am from him and he sent me. They looked for a way to capture him. But no man laid his hand on him. This is because his hour had not yet arrived. Many in the crowd believed in him. They asked: When the Christ comes will he do more signs than those this man has done? The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things concerning him. The chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to capture him. Jesus therefore said: I am with you a little while. Then I go to him who sent me. You will seek me and will not find me. You cannot come where I am going. The Jews said among themselves: Where will this man go that we shall not find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What is this word that he said: 'You will seek me, and will not find me; and you cannot come where I am going?' On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and shouted in a loud voice: If any man thirst let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will flow from the innermost being of the man who believes in me. This is according to the scriptures. He spoke this by the Spirit. Those who believed in him were to receive the Spirit. The Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words some of the crowd proclaimed: This truly is the prophet! Others said: This is the Christ. But some asked: Does the Christ come out of Galilee? Do the Scriptures say that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David was? So there arose a division in the crowd because of him.

God's angel said to Philip: Arise, and go toward the south the way that goes from Jerusalem unto Gaza through the desert. He went and an Ethiopian eunuch (government official), a man of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was returning and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.read more.
The Spirit said to Philip: Go near, and climb on this chariot. Philip ran to him, heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said: Do you understand what you are reading? How can I, the eunuch said: unless someone explains it to me? He invited Philip to come and sit with him. The Scripture he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. Who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip: Please tell me of whom is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? Then Philip began at the same Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. On their way, they came to a body of water and the eunuch said, See, here is water. What prevents me from getting baptized? Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may. He answered: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He commanded the chariot to stop. They both went into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 6:12)

For the love of Christ compels us to judge, that one died for all and therefore all died. He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for their sakes and rose again.

It is for this reason that I suffer these things. But I am still full of confidence, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to keep safe until that day what he has entrusted to me.

He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

Paul went in, for it was his custom. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures for three Sabbath days. He explained and proved that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. And that Jesus is the Messiah. Some of them were convinced (believed) and joined with Paul and Silas. A large crowd of the devout Greeks and of the prominent women also joined.

He entered the synagogue and spoke boldly reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months.

Then Agrippa said to Paul: In a short time you would persuade (convince) me to become a Christian. Paul replied, I pray to God, that you and also all that hear me this day were altogether such as I am, except for these bonds.

So they set a date with Paul. A large number of them came that day to the place where Paul was staying. From morning till night he explained his message about the Kingdom of God to them. He tried to convince them about Jesus by quoting from the Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets. Some of them were convinced by his words, but others did not believe.

We know what it means to respect the Lord so we persuade others. God knows us and I hope that you know us in your hearts (consciences).