Introduction – The Call to Stand
Last week we saw Esther’s victory and Haman’s fall.
But there’s more to the story.
Before there was a banquet, before the gallows were reversed, there was a woman on her knees saying, “If I perish, I perish.”
Every victory begins with somebody willing to stand in the gap.
Somebody willing to say, “Lord, I’ll pray when no one else prays. I’ll believe when no one else believes.”
Esther is a type of the church in this hour.
We don’t need celebrities—we need intercessors.
We don’t need another spotlight—we need people who know how to get hold of the hem of His garment and not let go until heaven answers.
Scripture Reading – Esther 5:1–2
“On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, facing the entrance.
When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight, and he held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.”
She’s been fasting for three days—no makeup, no perfume, no comfort.
But now she dresses like royalty.
She walks into danger looking like a queen.
Faith doesn’t wear sackcloth to the throne—it puts on royal robes and expects favor.
>> The Garment of Royalty
When Esther “put on her royal robes,” it wasn’t fashion—it was faith.
It was her way of saying, “I belong here. I’m not a slave; I’m the bride.”
Child of God, you don’t crawl into God’s presence like an orphan—you walk in like a son, like a daughter, because the blood of Jesus has already opened the way.
You are clothed in righteousness.
Hell trembles when a blood-bought believer remembers who they are!
We’ve spent too long dressing in fear and self-doubt.
It’s time to put on the garment of praise and stand in the inner court!
>> The Inner Court
Esther didn’t stay in the outer court gossiping about the crisis—she walked into the inner court where decisions are made.
That’s what intercession does.
Anybody can complain about what’s wrong, but intercessors take it to the King.
You may not have political power or social power, but you have prayer power.
When the church steps into the inner court, hell loses its hold.
We don’t fight battles in the streets first—we fight them in the secret place.
Prayer rooms shake palaces.
Altars change nations.
And one believer on their knees can shift history.
>> The Scepter of Favor
The king held out the golden scepter.
He didn’t have to. The law said he could have her killed.
But when she walked in, something moved his heart.
That’s grace!
That’s favor!
She touched the top of the scepter, and in that moment everything shifted.
Beloved, we have a greater King, and He has already stretched out His scepter through the cross.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
You don’t beg for favor—you receive it.
You don’t earn access—you’ve been given access.
Illustration – The Pastor Under Attack
A young pastor once told me how radicals stormed into his house during dinner.
They beat him in front of his wife and children, poured gasoline over him, and tried to burn him alive.
But as his neighbors prayed, every match failed to ignite.
The men fled, and the pastor lived.
When I heard his story, I thought: That’s what standing in the gap looks like.
When hell tries to light the fire, prayer blows the flame out.
Standing in the Gap – Ezekiel 22:30
“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”
God is still looking.
Not for the talented, but the willing.
Not for the famous, but the faithful.
When the enemy builds walls of hate and fear, God looks for someone to build walls of prayer and faith.
Intercession is not polite prayer—it’s warfare.
It’s holding one hand on God and one hand on a broken world, pulling the two together until mercy meets need.
>> The Travail of Intercession
Isaiah said, “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
Travail means labor—it’s the prayer that costs you something.
Revival doesn’t come from easy prayers; it comes from broken hearts.
Amos warned, “Woe to those at ease in Zion.”
We’ve wept over our bills more than we’ve wept over souls.
But when the church begins to travail again, births will happen again.
Salvations, restorations, reconciliations—they’re born out of travail.
Illustration – The Farmer’s Umbrella
Texas drought. Months with no rain.
Believers call a Friday-night prayer meeting.
On his way, a farmer fills up at the gas station. In his back seat—a big umbrella.
The attendant laughs, “Why carry that? It hasn’t rained in forever.”
The farmer says, “We’re praying for rain. I’m bringing what I’ll need when God answers.”
That night, thunder rolled, lightning flashed, and rain poured down.
Faith doesn’t just pray—it prepares.
>> From Outer Court to Holy of Holies
Most of the church lives in the outer court—busy, noisy, distracted.
But the real authority is found in the inner chamber.
Martha cooked for Jesus; Mary sat at His feet.
Jesus said Mary chose the better part.
Outer-court religion burns out; inner-court worship burns brighter.
God is calling His church back behind the veil, into His glory.
When you get alone with God, you start to carry His fragrance.
People can smell the difference between someone who’s been in meetings and someone who’s been in the presence.
>> Authority Flows from Presence
Esther didn’t demand power; she received it because she had been in the king’s presence.
The church doesn’t need more programs—it needs more presence.
When you’ve touched the scepter, you carry His authority.
Demons don’t flee from talent—they flee from people who’ve been with Jesus.
Jesus said, “Behold, I give you authority.”
He wasn’t giving us a license to shout louder; He was giving us access to His power.
Authority isn’t volume—it’s victory!
>> The Cost of the Call
“If I perish, I perish.”
That’s not a slogan—it’s surrender.
Esther walked into that court with a funeral in her heart and faith in her eyes.
Some of us want resurrection power but not crucifixion obedience.
But every crown comes through a cross.
Every miracle rides on the shoulders of someone who was willing to die to self.
Paul said, “I die daily.”
If you want resurrection, you’ve got to lay something on the altar.
>> The Response of Heaven
When Esther stood in the gap, heaven moved.
The king’s heart turned, Haman’s plot collapsed, and deliverance came to a whole nation.
When the church stands in the gap, cities change, families heal, prodigals return.
No prayer is wasted.
No tear is ignored.
The incense of intercession still rises before God’s throne.
>> Our Call Today
We stand between heaven and earth in this generation.
Between mercy and judgment.
Between life and death.
The culture is shaking, but the church must be standing.
If we hide, others perish.
If we stand, deliverance comes.
Maybe you’re tired, but hear me: your prayer still matters.
The devil doesn’t fight what doesn’t threaten him.
If hell has been hitting you hard, it’s because you’re standing where the fire falls.
>> For Such a Time as This
Esther’s courage didn’t make her famous—it made her faithful.
You don’t have to preach to multitudes to stand in the gap.
You can stand for your children, your marriage, your church, your city.
You can be the hinge God uses to turn a generation.
God didn’t put you here by accident.
You were born for this season.
You were born for such a time as this.
Closing Appeal
The King is still on the throne.
The scepter is still extended.
The invitation still stands.
Will you stand in the gap?
Will you pray when others sleep?
Will you believe when others doubt?
God’s looking for an Esther.
He’s looking for a Mordecai.
He’s looking for you.
When the church moves from comfort to courage, the world will see revival.
When we move from words to warfare, the heavens will open.
So come boldly.
Touch the scepter.
Stand in the gap—and watch God move.
Benediction
Go forth in peace.
Be of good courage.
Hold fast to that which is good.
Fight the good fight of faith.
Support the weak.
Lift the broken.
Love and serve the Lord in the power of His Spirit.
And may the favor of the King rest on you as you stand in the gap for your generation.
Amen.
