Friday Faithfuls Two: Esther

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

"Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  I and my maids will fast as you do.  When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish."   -- Est. 4:16

That is a quality decision.

In the face of a life and death situation, Esther made a life and death decision...she would do the illegal thing and go before the king without an invitation.

No food and no drink (not even water?) for three days is an extreme fast. It is a stop-everything-and-pray-around-the-clock event. 

When you are desperate, desperate measures are called for.

So the Jews of Susa and Esther and all her serving girls stopped everything and prayed for three days, all agreeing on one thing...that the king would give her favor and stop the coming slaughter of all the Jews throughout the territory of the Medes and the Persians, which would have pretty much annihilated the entire Jewish race.

There have been a couple of times in my life I have been on a 'desperation fast'...but nothing at that level.  More of a 'we have to do the right thing' so we pray for wisdom and discernment...but the life of the nation depended on God moving on their behalf.

And we think our times are stressful.  We are not to that place yet.

But I would hope and pray that we would know how to pray and hope in a desperate situation.