Short prayers based on the book of Esther
<aside> 🙏🏻 “He displayed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the magnificent splendour of his greatness for a total of 180 days.” (Esther 1:4)
Lord, the splendour and glory of the world is all arounds us, and we confess that we can’t help but be impressed by it. The extravagance and abundance of the royals and the rich, the celebrities and the influencers, appeals to our sinful nature and draws us in. Our God, we need your Spirit to remind us, when we are tempted, of the danger of craving after wealth and how it has led to people wandering away from the faith. May we not be deceived by the false promises that wealth offers. Keep us from the sin of materialism. Help us to remember that the lasting and more fulfilling life is following the Lord Jesus and seeking first His kingdom. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Memucan said in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the officials and the peoples who are in every one of King Ahasuerus’s provinces.” (Esther 1:16)
Our God, you have made both men and women equally in your image. They are both one in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you want your church to be a place where this is displayed, with men and women relating to one another in a way that is honouring to you. Father, stop us from going along with the standard of the world in how we treat those we are not married to, and instead be pure and faithful in our attitudes and actions towards one another. Would, in this local church, the older men be looked to as like fathers, the younger men as brothers, the older woman as mothers, and the younger women as sisters. Holy Spirit, give us the strength we need to pursue righteousness, love, and peace in this area of our lives, and to fight the temptation to lust after unlawful and immoral pleasures. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite.” (Esther 2:5)
You, our great God, fill the heavens and the earth. You are everywhere. We cannot escape your Spirit nor flee from your presence. We find comfort in this because it means that you can be close to us, and be with us wherever we are and wherever go. Lord, we need this assurance because your Word tells us that in this life and in this world, as your people, we are strangers and exiles. This is our experience. We feel out of step with the culture around us, as we should, and we know what it is like to be in the minority, as one of the only followers of Jesus at work, or at school, or in our family. Holy Spirit, help us to stand firm in the faith, to not be ashamed of the gospel, and to live such good lives which show that we love the Saviour who will one day bring us home. Help us as local church to support one another and encourage one another to keep going. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.” (Esther 2:22)
Sovereign God, you are working all things according to the purpose of your will. You ensure that the right people, are in the right place, at the right time, to bring about what you have decreed to happen. Lord, you are doing so many things that we cannot see, or cannot know about, and yet we can trust that they will be for your glory and our good. Help us to see that nothing which happens in our lives is by accident, and to know that you are leading us to the places where you want us to be. Wherever we find ourselves today, help us to be faithful and to keep in step with the Spirt by doing all that you call us to do in your Word. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.” (Esther 3:2)
Father, being your children in this world is not easy. We feel the pressure each day to compromise our faith and bow down to the idols of this world. We are tempted to go along with what those around us are doing instead of what Christ has called us to do. To worship you alone, to pay homage to you our God, especially when it costs us, is hard to do. So we pray, that by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, Lord, you would give us the faith, the courage, the wisdom, the boldness, and the strength we need do whatever Jesus calls us to do in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. As we trust you with our lives and our future, may it lead to opportunities to share with others the reason why we will not bow down or pay homage to anyone or anything that is not the one true God. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.” (Esther 3:13)
God, we pray for persecuted believers all over the world. May they not lose heart and not lose hope. Be their protector and provide them with peace that surpasses all understanding. Give them wisdom and discernment in how they approach every situation they face. Help them to rely on you, and not on themselves. Please restrain the wickedness of those who plan to do them harm. May they know that their suffering will lead to glory as they follow in the footsteps of your Son and their Saviour. And for our suffering sisters and brothers who don’t have access to any kind of spiritual encouragement, may the gospel be even more precious and real to them. Please be near to them and help them in every way they need. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favour, and plead with him personally for her people.” (Esther 4:8)
Lord, our greatest need is for a mediator. One who stands before you and pleads for mercy on our behalf because there is an impassable gulf separating us. You are holy and we are not. We cannot ascend the hill of the Lord nor stand in your presence for we have sinned and done what is evil in your sight. We praise you for the wonderful news that there is one who can. More than that, that the one who can is Jesus Christ our Intercessor, the perfect Saviour and Deliverer, who pleads for God to have mercy on us when we trust in Him. Thank you that we who were far away can be brought near when we call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He, the Righteous One, brings us to God, who shows us favour by accepting us. Our greatest need you have provided for us in Christ and we give you our thanks. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)
We praise you, our great God and King, that all your purposes will be accomplished. We praise you that a day is coming when you will bring a great multitude that no one can count from every nation, tribe, language, and people to gather around your throne in the new creation, where they will worship you, enjoy your salvation, and be with you forever. We praise you that our suffering here and now does not compare with the glory that will be revealed in us on the day. Lord, you are sovereign over all the details of our lives. You have put us where we are, at this particular time and in this particular place with the particular circumstance we are going through so that you purposes are accomplished. Help us to be obedient to you today. Help us to do all that you want us to do no matter how costly it is. Help us to encourage one another, to make the most of the opportunities we have to speak of Christ, and to seek first your kingdom and righteousness. We pray this for your glory and praise. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favour with him. The king extended the gold sceptre in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the sceptre.” (Esther 5:2)
Loving Father, we pray that you would bless all our efforts as we serve you and your people. We long that there would be fruit from our labours, but we know that they will all be in vain unless you are at work building and growing. Lord, in your mercy, would you show us your favour and give us success in what we do for you. May the plans we come up with be in line with your will for us, both individually and as a church. Thank you Jesus that you have said that you will build your church and nothing can stop you from keeping this promise. Be pleased to use our efforts to make disciples as you do your work of seeking and saving the lost. Amen.
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