For Such a Time as This: Esther Spills the Beans
Esther 7-8
Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
9-06-2020
Radar Trap
In the 1930s, Scottish physicist Robert Alexander Watson-Watt was looking for ways to help airman detect and avoid thunderstorms.
His system Radio Detection and Ranging, or “radar” for short, was approved by the RAF in 1939 and turned the tide in the Battle of Britain.
Watts was knighted and awarded $140,000 dollars, the largest sum ever awarded for a war time invention.
Years later, he was pulled over for speeding in a radar trap!
Pastor Alistair Begg shares a verse that Watt wrote about this event:
Pity Sir. Watson-Watt
Strange target of his radar plot
And thus with others I could mention
A victim of his own invention.
This morning we are going to watch things go from bad to worst for Haman as he becomes a “victim of his own invention” and we will see the truth of Proverbs 26:27 play out in real life:
“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.” (Prov 27:26)
Review
Let me give you a short review of what we have learned so far.
Xerxes has a series of banquets to prepare for war with Greece. At the end of a drunken seven day party, he summons queen Vashti to come to the hall dressed in her royal crown, and only her royal crown. She refused and Xerxes advisors recommend that she be disposed as Queen.
Xerxes goes off to war against the Greeks and returns four years later, beaten and humiliated. In order to cheer the king up, his attendants suggest holding a contest to find him a new queen.
Remember this wasn’t a “Miss Persia contest.” 400 girls were kidnapped and taken to the king’s harem were they were systematically raped night after night.
Esther finds favor with not only the eunuch in charge of the harem but she wins the king’s heart and becomes the new king.
Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, learns of a plot to assassinate the king, and tells Esther who warns Xerxes. The plot is averted, the conspirators executed, but nothing is done to reward Mordecai.
Haman is elevated to second in command in the empire and is absolutely enraged that Mordecai will not bow.
If you remember from our study, Haman was an “Agagite” and Mordecai was a descendant of King Saul. The Amalekites and Israelites had been enemies for thousands of years. Mordecai simply could not, would not bow to Haman.
In respond to this slight from Mordecai, Haman decided to commit genocide on every Jew in the empire! He talks Xerxes into signing off on this edict, although he doesn’t tell him what group of people would be slaughtered.
The edict went out to all the provinces provoking public weeping and mourning in sackcloth and ashes.
Mordecai sent word to Esther that she needed to go to the king and beg for her people’s lives. Up until this time, Mordecai had encouraged her to keep her Jewish nationality a secret.
After sending Mordecai a message stating that she can’t go to the king uninvited because she will be killed, Mordecai says some of the most famous words in the Bible;
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:4b)
It’s time for Esther to make a decision. She’s been trying to walk the line between being a Jew and a Persian Queen.
The die is cast. She commands Mordecai to gather the Jews and fast for her for three days. She will do the same with her attendants, which means she will tell them she’s Jewish. At the end of the three days, she will go to the king uninvited and with courage she said, “If I perish, I perish.”
At the end of the three days, she approached the king uninvited and he held out his golden scepter and asks her what is it she desires.
Esther was subtle and shrewd putting her plan into action. She invited Xerxes and Haman to a feast that night. At the end of the dinner, the king again asked what she wants and she invites both of them to another banquet the next night!
On the way of the palace, Mordecai refused to bow to Haman and after drunkenly ranting about how important he is to his family and friends a suggestion is made to build a pole 75 high and impale Mordecai it. He stays up all night supervising the building of this absurdly tall pole in his front yard.
Haman wasn’t the only one who stayed up all night. Xerxes couldn’t sleep and asked his attendants to bring him the book of the chronicles. As the attendants droned on, suddenly Xerxes sat straight up in bed.
They were reading about an assassination plot that was foiled five years before by a scribe named Mordecai. He discovers that Mordecai was never rewarded for this and when Haman came in to ask permission to kill Mordecai he asked him, “What should be done to the man the king delights to honor?”
Of course, Mordecai thought he was talking about him so he suggested that this man don a royal robe the the king has worn and ride a horse the king has ridden, and be led through the streets by someone yelling, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.”
The king thought this was a good idea and told him to go at once and do everything that he had suggested for Mordecai the Jew, a scribe the sits a the king’s gate.
Mordecai is dumbfounded. He cannot believe his ears!
Instead of killing Mordecai that morning, he ends up leading him through the city streets proclaiming that this is what is done for the man who the king delights to honor.
He goes home with his head covered in shame and his wife tells him that there is something extraordinary about the Jewish people and fighting against them in useless. He’s doomed.
Just has she says this the king’s eunuchs arrived to take Haman to the second banquet.
Things are about to go very badly for Haman. What a difference a day can make!
Turn with me to Esther 7. We are going to go through two chapters again this morning, so let’s dive in.
Prayer.
Esther Comes Clean
“ So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” (Esther 7:1-5)
Have you ever had something to tell someone but was nervous about telling it?
28 years ago last week, I got down on one knee in a hot air balloon as we floated high above the Blue Ridge mountains while a brilliant sun rose in the east.
Just before I popped the question my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest! I finally got the words out and then she just stared at me in completely disbelief and didn’t answer for a good 30 seconds.
I considered throwing her overboard if she said no, but lucky for me she finally said yes.
Nine years of preparation comes down to this moment. Esther’s heart was probably pounding and her hands were trembling as the king asked again, now for the third time, what is was he could do for her.
She begins respectfully - “If I have found favor with you…if it pleases the king.”
Then she answers him using his very words - “petition” and “request.”
Her petition? “Grant me my life…”
Her request? “Spare my people…”
“My people.” She is now fully identifying with her Jewish brothers and sisters although she doesn’t name them specifically yet.
She understand that she is walking a tightrope. The king agreed to Haman’s edict but she wanted to make sure that she places all the blame on Haman himself.
She tells the king that her people have been sold for a lot money had been offered to the king’s treasury.
She also using the exact wording of the edict - destroyed, killed, annihilated.
She makes it clear that this a life or death situation. If they had simply been sold into slavery, she wouldn’t bother the king with such a problem.
Esther’s words are ironic since she had been kidnapped and held in the haram against her will!
Xerxes is perplexed. He literally has no idea what she is talking about. Who were her people? Who would want to kill the queen?
His words at staccato and one commentator said that in Hebrew these words sound like machine fire. “Who is he? Where is he - the man who has the audacity to threaten my queen?!
Esther’s Accusation
“Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.” (Esther 7:6-7)
Esther took a deep breath and pointed her finger at Haman and said, slowly and methodically, “An adversary and an enemy.” She spells out his role and his character.
This man is your enemy as well, O king. He doesn’t have your best interests in heart.
She finally says the name - “This vile [wicked, evil] Haman!”
Can you imagine the scene? All the blood rushed out of Haman’s face. He was filled with terror.
As he watched the king stalk out into the garden, he knew that look. He had seen it many times before.
The story is told that Xerxes had a friend in the empire that donated many times to his military campaigns and even hosted the king in his own house.
He had five sons and this man asked the king if he could excuse the oldest son from military service so he would assured that his family line would be carried forward.
This infuriated Xerxes and he had that young soldier cut in two and his platoon had to walk in-between the two halves.
Haman knew by the look on the king’s face that he was doomed.
Haman had no good options. He could follow the king out into the garden and try to explain himself. He could run but he would have been caught. Or he could plead for his life at the feet of queen Esther.
That’s the route he takes. Isn’t this rich?
Haman signed the edict to kill all the Jews because Mordecai wouldn’t bow to him. His wife had ever said that Mordecai would cause his fall. And now he finds himself groveling that the feet of the queen - a Jew!
What was King Xerxes thinking in the garden?
How do I get out of this mess?!
Can I punish Haman for a plot that I authorized myself?
How can I not lose face with the other leaders?
How can revoke an irrevocable law?
How do I choose between my prime minister and my queen?
He is between a rock and hard place. For a brief minute in the garden he is in the eye of the hurricane.
But when he goes back in the banquet hall he will find a situation that makes the decision of what to do easy.
Xerxes Find a Way Out
"Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” (Esther 7:8)
Xerxes walks back in and finds Haman “falling on the coach where Esther was reclining.”
Men were not allowed to be alone with any of the women in the haram let alone the queen. In fact, a male couldn’t be within 6 steps of the queen.
Xerxes’s eyes must have lit up. Here was his way out of the mess!
“Are you kidding me? You even have the gall to rape my wife in my own house?”
Now, was Haman trying to rape Queen Esther? No! But it was very convenient for Xerxes to accuse him.
Haman looks up at the king with sheer terror! He probably started trying to defend himself. But he was interrupted by Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs.
Haman is Hanged
“As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”
The king said, “Impale him on it!” So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.” (Esther 8b-10)
Harbona announces to the king that there is a pole in Haman’s front yard.
“I’ve heard that the pole was erected to kill a scribe named Mordecai. You know, the Jew that save your life, O King.”
Xerxes, turns and glares at Haman? Why would you want to kill Mordecai other than you were sympathetic to the assassins that we caught and executed? He’s a traitor as well!!!
The reversal is complete. Haman is impaled of the very pole that he had set up for Mordecai that very morning.
What a difference a day makes!
Esther and Mordecai are Elevated
“That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.” (Esther 8:1-2)
That morning, Haman was at the palace early to ask permission to impale Mordecai on a 65 foot pole.
By the end of the day, his lifeless body is impaled on that pole and his entire household is now owned and managed by two Jews - Esther and Mordecai!
In the Persian empire, convicted criminals property were claimed by the king and given to whoever he wants.
Esther is given Haman’s, “the enemy of the Jews” entire estate. She would need someone to be the manager over this property so she brought Mordecai into to meet the queen and explained that he was her cousin and guardian.
The king elevated Mordecai into Haman’s position of prime minister, wearing the very signet ring that was probably still warm from being on Haman’s hand!
Everything okay now, right? Haman the horrible is dead and can no longer torment the Jews. Mordecai is second in command. It’s time to celebrate.
Not so fast. There is still an irrevocable law in place that calls for the Jews annihilation in 8 months from then.
Esther and Mordecai may be safe but the rest of the Jews scattered throughout the Persian empire are not.
Esther Pleads for her People
“Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. (Esther 8:3-5)
Esther is on a mission. She enters the palace again uninvited and again Xerxes spares her life.
The first time she came before the king, she was calm and composed. But this time, she could not contain her emotions. She wept at his feet and literally begged. Him to revoke the death sentence that Haman had put into place with his edict.
Again, she’s so respectful of the king:
If it pleases the king
If he regards me with favor
Thinks it’s the right thing to do . By the way, that word “right” is where we get the word “kosher.” Isn’t that interesting. The girl who had pretended to be Persian for nearly a decade now is talking about is kosher?
And if he please with me.
Notices that she makes it personal - regards me with favor. Pleased with me.
She is in emotionally turmoil:
“For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?” (Esther 8:6)
She is heartbroken over the face that she would hav to stand idly by and watch the Jews in the empire be slaughtered.
The King says…Whatever
“King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” (Esther 8:7-8)
The king basically says, “What else do you want me to do? I’ve had Haman executed and given you everything he owned. You’re safe. Who cares about all the other people.”
You really don’t see this in the English but the Hebrew is very terse.
That’s how lives his life. It is only about himself. He cares for no one else.
But he can see in Esther’s eyes that this answer isn’t good enough.
He knows he cannot revoke Haman’s edict, for the laws of the Meades and Persians are irrevocable.
But…
He could allow Mordecai to write another edict, what seems best to you, and may the best edict win.
Mordecai writes another edict and has it translated into all the different languages of the empire but especially into Hebrew. This edict was taken by couriers riding the fastest horses in the empire. Although the genocide of the Jews was still 8 months away, there was no time to waste.
The Avengers
What did Mordecai’s edict say?
“The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.” (Esther 8:11-13)
This edict would allow the Jews to defend themselves against anyone that would raise up arms against them.
Mordecai uses the same language that Haman did - destroy, kill, and annihilate.
If attacked, they could use self defense against their enemies. This edict allowed them to kill the men who would do harm to them and…their wives and children and property.
Now, hold on a minute. This doesn’t sit right with our modern ears.
But remember this is bigger than Haman and Mordecai. The Amalekites had ambushed the nation of Israel as they came out of Egypt. God had foretold their destruction and when King Saul didn’t carry out the complete destruction of this people, God removed him as king.
This is to be holy war. The Israelites were not the aggressors but they could vigorous defend themselves.
[What we know from chapter 9 is that they didn’t kill any women or children]
Mourning into Dancing
“When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.” (Esther 8:15-17)
At the beginning of chapter 4, Mordecai wore sackcloth and ashes.
In chapter 8, he is arrayed in royal robes and a royal turban.
In chapter 4, the Jews were mourning, fasting, weeping and wailing.
In chapter 8, it was a time of “happiness, joy, gladness, and honor.”
In chapter 6, the Jews were fasting.
In chapter 8, the Jews are feasting.
Throughout the book of Esther it is implied that being Jewish was something was looked upon by the Persians.
Now they are lining up to join them! Most commentators don’t believe this was a example of real conversion but because of fear and respect of the Jews.
We are almost done with the book of Esther but let’s stop here and make some observations.
Haman - The Destiny of the Wicked
We all love to see the bad guy get what’s coming to them in the end. I asked for examples on Facebook and here are some villains that we enjoyed seeing “get it in the end!”
Hans Gruber in Die Hard
The Name that Must not be Mentioned in Harry Potter
President Snow in The Hunger Games
The Emperor in Star Wars
Prince Humperdink in The Princess Bride
Karate Kid - Sweep the Leg
Thanos in Avengers:End Game
Scar in the Lion King
One of my favorite lines in any movie is from Lethal Weapon II. A South African diplomat named Rudd is being investigated by the cop duo of Riggs, (Mel Gibson) and Murtough (Danny Glover).
Every time they get closer to catching Rudd, he claims diplomatic immunity.
At the end of the movie, Rudd shoots Riggs multiple times and as the camera pans back to Rudd he laughs and says, “Diplomatic Immunity.”
At this point, Murtough shoots him in the head and dryly says, “It’s just been revoked!”
I’m sure there was a little smug satisfaction when you heard that Haman had been impaled on the same pole he build to impale Mordecai on. That’s called poetic justice.
The scribe Asaph understands this feeling well. In Psalm 73, he begins by saying,
“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3)
He was becoming discouraged watching the bad guys win.
He continues by describing these bad guys:
“They have no struggles;? their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from common human burdens;? they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;? they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;? their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;? with arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,? and their tongues take possession of the earth.
1
Therefore their people turn to them? and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, “How would God know?? Does the Most High know anything?”
This is what the wicked are like—? always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.” (Psalm 73:4-12)
Asaph actually admits that he his jealous and maybe his quest to do the right thing and keep his heart pure wasn’t worth it:
“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.” (Psalm 73:13-14)
But something shifts in his song in the next verses:
When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deep until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! (Psalm 73:16-19)
Asaph says when he entered the sanctuary of God, he understood that these people are doomed. They will be swept away in a New York minute. They will be completely destroyed.
David wrote in Psalm 37:
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. (Psalm 37:1-2)
Solomon wrote:
“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.” (Prov 26-27).
I love the way that Eugene Peterson paraphrases Proverbs 16:18:
“First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (Prov 16:18)
If you have been alive for very long, you know it is true. The “bad guy” does usually gets what coming to him. It may not be in this life but certainly the next.
Before we move to Mordecai, let me just remind you that I am a lot more like Haman than I would like to admit.
My pride gets me into trouble and I was things done my way a lot of the times. I can hold grudges and if you cut me off in traffic you might hear me losing my religion.
What am I trying to say? There are only two kinds of the people in the world and the categories are not “good” and “bad.” The Bible teaches that we are all “bad” - that we all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The only two types of people in the world are saved and lost. In order for your to be saved, you have to acknowledge your “Hamanness.”
Mordecai - The Watchful Eye of God
Mordecai saved the kings life and what did he get for it? Nothing at the time. But five years, five years!, later, he was made second in command of Persia.
As we talked about last week, good things do come to those who wait.
But Mordecai represents much more than that!
Esther may have felt alone at times but there was always someone watching over her - Mordecai.
Let me quote from the Bible Study that Maxine is doing right now from Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth and Robert
Wolgemuth:
“Mordecai’s watchful care over his adopted cousin is a picture of the God who is the Keeper of those who belong to Him. He faithfully watches over us, never sleeping. When we are “imprisoned in circumstances out of our control, even if the result is our own doing, we are never alone; we are not invisible.
We may feel like we are at a dead end , trapped, no way out, no future or hope. But our heavenly Mordecai is there. Though often unseen by us, His care is certain.
Unlike Mordecai, who paced outside the palace seeking any tidbit of news about Esther, God isn’t powerless to help us. He is working behind the scenes , making arrangements, putting everything in place. And in time, He will be the means of upending our enemies objectives and fulfilling God’s holy purpose for our lives.”
3. Esther - Tears
There’s the main point I want to make. Esther was distraught at the thought of her people being destroyed. Yes, she was safe but her people were not.
She goes before the king and begs for their lives. She does so with passionate tears. She persists until the King gives an answer.
For those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have been rescued from an edict of death because of our sins.
We are safe. But does that mean that we just celebrate that and let everyone else go to hell? Absolutely not.
We pray every week for needs and most of those are physical in nature. But each of us has people in our lives that we love that don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And apart from Christ, they are bound for hell.
Hell is real and real people go there. Jesus actually talked more about hell than He did heaven.
When’s the last time you came before the Father and pleaded passionately for the salvation of your wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, family member, friend, co-worker, or neighbor?
When’s the last time you prayed with tears for them to know the love of the Father through the cross of the Son?
In Numbers 21, the Israelites start to grumble against God, imagine that,
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Numbers 21:5)
In response,
“…the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.” (Numbers 21:6-7)
In response to Moses’ prayer:
“The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” (Numbers 21:8-9)
Imagine that you have been bitten by one of these snakes. You find out that if you look to the bronze snake, you are healed. What would be your response? Would you simply stand by and watch others die of their snake bites or would you tell everyone you know to look at the snake and live?
The Apostle John picks of this theme in the New Testament:
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:14-18)
C.T. Studd wrote, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell.”
Pastor and blogger Tim Challies gives us some direction about how to pray for our unsaved friends and family members:
1. Pray that God would open their hearts to the Gospel
“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” (Acts 16:14)
2. Pray that God would remove Satan blinding influence.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor 4:4)
3. Pray that God would grant them repentance.
"Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26)
4. Pray that God would put His Spirit in them and give them a heart of flesh.
"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 11:19)
5. Pray that they would be saved.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
As we pray for them, we can pray that God would give us:
6. A burden to pray for their souls faithfully and persistently:
“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
Maxine prayed for her father for 30 years before he came to Christ.
We can pray to develop a relationship with them, for opportunities to minister to them, for boldness, and for other believers to encounter them.
7. Pray that God would use any and every circumstance to do His work in them.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the story that going to jail or to rehab saved not only saved a person’s life but saved their very soul.
Let’s pray with confidence and a holy expectation.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16)
[Hope Found in Jesus video]
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