HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 52 - The Esther Series: Prayer, Preparation, and Providence (Esther 5:1-8 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 52

Share episode

Queen Esther demonstrates remarkable courage and wisdom as she approaches King Xerxes after three days of fasting, risking her life to save her people. Her strategic approach reveals how God works behind the scenes, orchestrating divine timing even when His name isn't mentioned in the story.

• Esther prepares physically and spiritually before approaching the king, fasting for three days and wearing her royal robes
• The king immediately shows favor to Esther by extending his golden scepter, granting her audience
• Rather than making her request immediately, Esther strategically invites the king and Haman to a banquet
• Esther's selfless petition focuses on saving her people rather than securing personal gain
• The timing of Esther's banquets allows for crucial background events that will help her cause
• God orchestrates circumstances perfectly even when we can't see what He's doing behind the scenes
• Our prayers reveal our priorities—do we pray for personal comfort or world-changing outcomes?

What is God doing in your life right now behind the scenes that you don't yet know about? Join us for our next episode where we'll see how God uses King Xerxes' sleepless night to further His divine plan.

Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan When You Don't See Him: Lessons From the Book of Esther

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word


Please visit our website at healingstrong.org to learn more about our mission and community groups.

HELP US GROW:

Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here.

Speaker 1:

When we pray, whatever it is, we pray for the most. So if you stop right now and think, what is it that I pray for the most before my King? What do I petition Him for the most? If you got what you ask for, would it change the world or would it just change you?

Speaker 2:

Well, hey, there I'm Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strong's Around the Word. We are friends sitting around the table who love God and love digging deep into His Word. Each day you'll hear me reading a Bible passage and then you'll hear our discussion on that passage. Today I'll be reading Esther, chapter five, verses one through eight, from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us around the word. Esther, chapter 5, verses 1 through 8.

Speaker 2:

On the third day, esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked what is it, queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you, if it pleases. The king replied Esther, let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him. Bring Haman at once, the king said, so that we may do what Esther asks. So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared, as they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther now, what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even to half the kingdom, it will be granted. Esther replied my petition and my request is this If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet. I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question.

Speaker 2:

That was our Bible reading for today. Now let's listen in on the discussion around the word. Today's our big day in the story, the day that Esther's been fasting for the day she's going to be before the king. It's a big moment. I mean, it's do or die for her right now. So what did you all see in this?

Speaker 3:

Esther, she's just so brave, you know, I just see this woman. Well, first of all, she's not seeing her husband, like you said, in 30 days. And so what does she do? She does her very best that she can do. She fasted for three days, and not only was it, it was a dry fast, so there was no water and no food for three days. So I think about what that's going to do to her body. Physically, she's going to go in, probably radiant. Her physical being, she's probably radiant. She's clothed in her best robes and then she knows that it is either going to be life or death when she's standing in front of the king. How brave is that.

Speaker 2:

That stood out to me too, that she said she put on her royal robes. So that could infer that she was either wearing sackcloth and ash or she was wearing something different than her royal robes those three days as well.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, she's going to give him her very best. You know, I think about. Wow, if I really want to make a petition to the Lord, am I going to him at my very best? Am I surrendered? Am I fasting and praying? Am I seeking him with that kind of a heart like Esther had as she went to the kingdom?

Speaker 2:

So did it seem almost a little anticlimactic once, like she stands there, he sees her immediately, he sees favor and invites her in and gives her the golden receptor yes, I was going to say receptor, the golden scepter. And I'm like I don't know, at least the way I read it that way I was like, wow, she's been praying, she's I I mean, obviously they were worried about the scenario she, before she even fasted. She's like I could lose my life for this and you know how we build something up.

Speaker 3:

You know it wasn't just her who was fasting, she had the whole kingdom. Yes, you know she knew how serious this was, so she didn't. She knew the gravity of what could happen before she walked into that room.

Speaker 2:

But look at the grace that happened, though. Whenever she did finally go, she took her position, she walked forward and immediately he's got favor on her and he extends that sector. So it's like, in other words, sometimes we worry, we freak out about something and make it enormous and I'm not saying this wasn't, this was huge, and in her mind it was huge. But do you think Xerxes was thinking like, oh, if Esther shows up, I'm going to kill her, you know?

Speaker 3:

like, in other words, no, but you know, she knew that it could go that direction, you know it could be one or the other, and so she was going to do everything she knew to do to get ready for that moment. And of course, then we read it, and what he does is just extend the golden scepter. And it was that quick, it was over. Whew, what relief.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and now she's got to make the petition, though, she did everything she knew, susie, spiritually and naturally.

Speaker 3:

Physically yeah.

Speaker 1:

Physically, yeah, physically, yeah. So she tended to her spirit first with the fasting and praying, and had others alongside her. So we can use that in our everyday lives. No, we're not going to face a situation like this. I don't think. But with any of our situations, tend to yourself spiritually, get others that are like-minded to come along with you and then do the things you need to do in the natural to make your best presentation, going before the king in whatever you do like, even in your daily jobs. You know the scripture in the New Testament says do your job like you're doing it under the Lord. So this should be a daily practice for us, even though we're not facing life or death.

Speaker 2:

I also like that she didn't react quickly, meaning when she got the news from Mordecai. My nature is just like I'm going to go take care of this right now and I could make assumptions even about the king. I'd be like I know I haven't seen him in 30 days, but I am his wife and he's going to see me and I'm just going to tell him what's going on. I'm going to be forthright, I'm going to tell him everything. And no, she was wise about it, she. She literally brought prayer into it. She brought the Lord into the situation and she brought her friends, like y'all said.

Speaker 2:

But I love that. She was not. She was quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. That verse, and that's true, because so many times we'll get devastating news and then some of us react and we react quickly. But she intentionally took three days to really get prepared for this. I think that speaks a lot to wisdom whenever we're hit with bad news or something, to take a step back, bring the Lord into it and see how he leads and what direction. And I bet he's the one that gave her the course of action in what she did. So, jeff, what did you see in any of this?

Speaker 4:

Well, the thing I saw that stood out to me is he recognized the king, recognized that something was troubling Esther, and so he immediately, through the grace of the golden scepter being, you know, offered to her. He said what's troubling you, queen Esther, and his heart was compassionate towards her. It wasn't like she was dressed up for a nice evening dinner. She was obviously troubled, but she still presented herself in the best light, and so she had his attention to the seriousness of her request. And so he, being just human, says you know what, I'll give you, whatever it is, to help you, up to half of my kingdom. And she was still resolved of what was at course.

Speaker 4:

And I wonder sometimes, was Satan trying to tempt her with distraction? You know what? This guy just offered you half of the kingdom. You could take that and be done. But she was resolved in the mission and the quest of what was at hand. And so she really she completely ignored that and wanted to proceed. This is the reason I'm here. I want you and Haman to come to a dinner that I have prepared.

Speaker 2:

So interesting. She's inviting Haman too. She's not just having a one-on-one with Xerxes to say what Haman did. I find that interesting. What do you think would be the reasoning?

Speaker 1:

Well, I don't know about that, but this is what I'm thinking. I'm thinking Esther went before the king and what she asked of the king was and his response to her was so selfless she could have taken, like Jeff said, the whole kingdom, but what she chose instead, and the path she was taking, was for the good of her whole entire nation, her tribe of people. So we could ask ourselves, when we go to our king, when we pray, whatever it is we pray for the most. So if you stop right now and think, what is it that I pray for the most before my king? What do I petition him for the most? If you got what you ask for, would it change the world or would it just change you? And I think so. Esther's selflessness. She could have had the whole, you know, half of the kingdom, or this or that or whatever, and I think there's a possibility she would have been spared, even though she was a Jew. But she chose to petition her king for a bigger cause, for the good of her people.

Speaker 2:

I love that, I love that. And I also noticed too in. He asked her what does she want? And then she says she's going to, she's wanting to invite him to another banquet. You know, is it no? No, no, she's invited to the first one. Yeah, yeah, so she wants to invite him to the first. So, ok, so she's not going to? Yeah, what is up with that? She's not going to just make her request right then and there. What do you think the strategy might have been? To invite Him and Haman to a banquet, like you've got an issue with an enemy. The enemy is right there in front of you.

Speaker 1:

It has to be just divine intervention. It has to be providential that she does that. I don't think she would have wanted really to be if it were me. You know why it is why.

Speaker 3:

Because the next day is whenever you know. That night the king goes to bed and that's when he reads the Chronicles and realizes wait a minute, whatever happened to Mordecai? So he wasn't through yet orchestrating things before the demise of Haman, so he directed Esther to have a little party Right To hold off time.

Speaker 1:

So Esther, so Esther— so the gallows would be built. Yeah, you feed them and you know there's probably lots of wine and lots of food. She served the best, probably for him, and loosened them up a little bit and then said we want you to come again for another banquet. So all the while that's going on and I'm sure Esther is just that can't be a comfortable time for her. You know, getting that banquet ready, but all the time the other side of the story is getting ready for the Chronicles to be read, gallows are being built.

Speaker 2:

And she doesn't even know about any of this yet because it hasn't happened yet. That's super cool. So, again, we don't see God's name in this, but he is absolutely a hundred percent like orchestrating everything that's going on, especially when you see what starts happening tomorrow. So stay tuned. So I have a question for you, listener what do you think God is doing in your life right now, behind the scenes, that you don't even know that he's doing? Let me let you in on something God is always at work, even when we don't see what he's doing, and we will see in our next episode what he's doing in Queen Esther's life, and it has a big thing to do with King Xerxes having a sleepless night.

Speaker 2:

So, anyway, thank you for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. We hope you were encouraged to read and explore God's Word, because it's awesome. It's better than movies and books. It is the best-selling book, by the way, and please visit us at healingstrongorg, where you can find out more about our mission in our amazing community groups. Until next time, remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.