Esther: Proceed With Prayer

I continue on with my study of Esther in Chapter 4.  Again so simple, yet profound. 

Esther is confronted with a  problem.  A big problem.  Her people, the Jews, have a price on their heads and the date for their assassination has been set.  Her uncle asked Esther to intervene, to use her position to influence the King and possibly change his mind about the edict he had signed.  Esther had a problem and a decision to make.  Would she intervene?  And if she did, would she be accepted by the King or rejected?  If she didn't intervene, the Jews would all be killed, and as she was reminded of by her uncle, she would also be killed once her nationality was discovered.  If she did intervene, Esther was taking the chance of being rejected by the King and killed.  She had a lot to think about. 

The thing I love about this is with all this urgency, with all this stress, with all this burden, Esther did not rush to a conclusion or an answer.  She did not make a snap decision.  She did not even seem to panic.  In fact, she did the opposite.  She slowed down.......

........And proceeded with prayer.

I love that, because I don't often proceed with prayer right away in the middle of my stress or as I feel the heaviness of a burden on my shoulders, or I am needing to make a decision. I usually panic, question, cry, fret, worry......you name it, I probably do it.  I try to figure it all out on my own.  What am I going to do?  How can I possibly fix this?  I weigh the pros and cons and try to look at every angle.....

........And I exhaust myself.

It is always at the end of my rope that I finally pray.  I hate to admit it, but it is the truth.  It is at the point of complete exhaustion that I say, "Daddy, God, help me.  Tell me what to do."  I desire to be like Esther.  I'm sure she felt some of those same emotions I do, especially in her situation;  which quite frankly is WAY worse than anything I have ever dealt with.  I am sure she had a sense of worry, concern, fear........

........And yet her first step was to pray.

She didn't seem to necessarily give into her feelings.  She said, "You know what?  I need to pray.  I need to go to the Author and Finisher of my faith and ask Him what to do.  That is my first step."  And not only that, but she gathered others around her to pray, seek, and fast as well.  It was not her last option to turn to........

........Prayer was her first option.

There is no need to worry, not need to fret, no need to exhaust myself when prayer becomes my first option.  When it is all laid down at the feet of my Father, then there is no longer any room for worry.  At His feet, in His presence, and under His care and provision there is simply peace even in the midst of the chaos.