PRAYpared

August 9

Esther 3-5

Psalm 89:38-45

Proverbs 20:3-4

I Corinthians 15:35-58

PRAYpared

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:15-16 NIV

Esther was a young girl who was humble and wise beyond her years. When she was taken to the palace, she had to complete a year of beauty treatments to prepare her to go before the king. When it was her turn, she was allowed to take anything with her that she wanted. Instead of assuming she knew how to best attract the king, she wisely consulted the king’s eunuch, who oversaw the harem. He had known the king for some time and knew what he liked. Esther did exactly what he said. As a result, the king was attracted to her more than any of the other women and made her queen. In today’s scripture, we read about Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews because of his hatred of Mordecai. When Esther found out about the edict, Mordecai asked her to go to the king and beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Esther was understandably scared because she knew the consequences of going before the king without being summoned. The memory of what the king did to Queen Vashti was still fresh in her mind. Mordecai told her that if she remained silent, deliverance for the Jews would come from another place, but she and her family would perish. And he told her that the reason she became queen may have been for that very moment so that God could use her to deliver His chosen people from destruction.

Again, Esther exhibited incredible wisdom. Instead of rushing in immediately to see the king, she took time to prepare. She spent three days fasting and praying asking God to help her. She also recognized that she needed the prayers of others, so she asked Mordecai to have all the Jews fast and pray for her during those three days as well. We aren’t told what she prayed during that time, but I think we can assume she prayed that God would soften the King’s heart and that he would allow her to come before him. And then she probably prayed for a plan to tell him. Instead of just rushing right in and tattling on Haman she invited the King and Haman to a dinner party. During that time God was at work reminding the king of the time Mordecai had saved his life and making him favorable to Mordecai. Esther did not know what God was doing behind the scenes, but she trusted Him. She had been raised in a faithful Jewish family and becoming queen did not make her forget her heritage. She is an excellent example for us to follow. Instead of reacting immediately to circumstances, we need to take time to pray and seek God for wisdom, direction, and a plan to proceed. We get ourselves in trouble when we react quickly out of emotion instead of preparation. It is also important to ask others to pray for us as we seek God. Esther was prepared because she was PRAYpared.