Fasting Friday – Queen Esther

Welcome to the 3rd Fasting Friday! This week we have been learning about God’s protection. Please read Wednesday’s post, “God’s Protection, Why Pray?” if you struggle with the times that God allows something bad to happen even when we pray for protection. We cannot control how God responds to our prayers, but we need to have faith that our prayers are heard. God also says that “we have not because we ask not”. We must never be afraid to approach the throne room of God and boldly ask for what we want. Let’s take a look at the story of Esther to see how God protected the nation of Israel because of the prayers of a nation and a brave woman.

I love the story of Queen Esther. In a time where women were almost considered just property, the Lord raised up a young girl to deliver the entire nation of Israel from complete annihilation. Esther was beautiful, brave and did not hesitate to risk her life to save her people. In Esther 4, Queen Esther learns of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews. When Mordecai tells her of the plot, her response was this, “”Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Esther 4:16 (NKJV). Not only does she ask the nation to pray to the Lord for protection, but she asks them do a 3 day total fast where they ate nor drank anything. Now that’s a fast that I have never tried. I find it difficult to fast one meal while drinking water, but have never done a complete fast. These people were serious about moving the hand of God. I wish that American Christians would get serious about moving the hand of God for our nation.

You know the end of the story. God saved the nation of Israel and Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had set up for Mordecai. Queen Esther then established the holiday of Purim, which the Jews still celebrate today. They still fast on this day to remind them of how God protected them when they fasted and prayed for protection. I we want to see revival and spiritual awakening in America, the churches need to set aside our differences and pray and fast in one accord to the Lord. We need to become a united body of believers rather than disconnected denominations. It is time to set aside our differences and work together to fulfill the Great Commission.