Title: Let's Go Forward with Prayer
Contents
Let's go forward in prayer
Esther 4:13-16
On April 12, 1945, a shocking event occurred.
The then-President Franklin Roosevelt passed away suddenly.
As the man who led the Second World War to victory with his outstanding leadership, the United States and the Western world were engulfed in shock.
But there was one person who was very surprised: Harry Truman, the vice president who was supposed to succeed Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, who was born in rural Missouri, and whose abilities have not yet been tested, survived the Great Depression, was elected president three times for the first time in history, and led World War II to victory. Truman, who had to take the presidency on behalf of Roosevelt, who was such a myth, was terrified.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you have ever prayed once in your life, please pray for me now.”
In 1952, he enacted the National Day of Prayer as a law and made all the people pray together for the country.
He was going forward in prayer towards the important events of national rule.
That's right. When you start something, you have to start it with prayer so that you can do it successfully.
And if you go forward in prayer before important things, you will eventually be victorious.
Today, when the Jews living in the land of Persia were on the verge of death due to Haman's plot, King Ahasuerus of Persia, king of Persia, issued a decree throughout the country, deceived by Haman's tactics. Kill, slaughter, annihilate, and seize their property, regardless of the women.
When Esther became queen, she heard the desperate news at the palace, and Mordecai told Esther to plead with the king to spare the people of Judah.
However, Esther could not come before the king, and if anyone goes before the king without being called, he will be killed. Now, for the 30th day, she has not been called by the king.
Esther informed the king that she could not go to the king, and Mordecai sent another message to Esther. Esther heard this and told Mordecai again.
“Go, gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days or three nights; and after I have fasted like this with my maid, I will go to the king against the ordinance, and if I perish, I will perish.” Mordecai I was asked to do it and everything was done.
The only way for the people of Israel to be in danger of being annihilated is for Queen Esther to go to the king and ask for salvation, but this also fails.
Even if he was called by the king and went to the king, he had no idea how the king would react.
In the midst of this desperate situation, Esther asks for prayer, and she also asks to fast for three days.
He also went to the king with his maids in the royal palace, fasting and praying before God for three days.
In a word, Esther goes to prayer to save the nation, and this prayer has the following characteristics.
1. A prayer that knew the time
In today's text, Mordecai emphasizes this point when he instructs Esther to say, "Who knows whether it is not for this time that you have obtained the position of queen?" Think about why God made Esther, a Jew, the queen of Persia. is that
Next, Esther responds to Mordecai and mentions the time, saying, "Go, gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for me, but neither eat nor drink for three days night or day." We ask you to fast and pray, in other words, now is the time to pray.
It is important to know the time well. You must know when to pray and pray.
If you don't pray when you pray, you may find it difficult to go the easy way.
Conversely, if you pray when you pray, you will be able to go through difficult roads easily.
That's right. When you pray, you must pray. So you can successfully undertake critical tasks. However, if you miss the time to pray, you will inevitably fail.
Now, in front of the church's important task of relocating the temple, we must pray. If you pray at this time, you can achieve it successfully. Dear all! I hope you will be able to discern when to pray.
2. Prayer Together
In verse 16, it says: “Go, gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for me…” He is asking Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Shushan together and to fast and pray for him.
He was able to pray and go out on his own, but he is asking all the Jews in the city of Susan to gather them together in one place so that they can fast and pray together for three days.
Esther knew the power of praying together.
That's right. The power of praying together is a fact known to those who have prayed deeply.
It is a secret, not a secret, that those who have not experienced prayer deeply can never know.
Jesus taught this to us, but in Matthew 18:19-20, “Truly again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth to ask for anything, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Wherever are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” He revealed the secret of united prayer.
If two people work together to pray, God will do anything.
Not only that, but our Lord is also there as a spirit in the place of prayer.
During World War I, British Air Force fighters were almost wiped out by Luftwaffe fighters.
The secret was the formation strategy. This is a strategy in which two units sortie together.
British fighters sortie one by one, but German fighters always struck two by two.
That's why British fighters were often shot down.
This strategy was discovered by a German fighter pilot while reading a Bible.
In Deuteronomy 32:30, “How could one chase a thousand, and two make ten thousand flee?” Reading this verse, I thought it would be better if two of them formed a squadron to fight. So I did an experiment right away.
When one plane fired a machine gun, the plane that came within the figure eight went down.
However, when two aircraft form a formation and attack, the plane that enters within the circumference of several ships, not within the circumference of 16 characters, will crash.
It was this strategy that nearly destroyed the RAF fighters.
Prayer is like this.
The power of prayer is greater when two people pray together than when praying alone.
When more people than two people pray together, the power of prayer is unfathomable.
The early church members knew this secret.
So, all members of the church often gathered in the temple to pray together.
Dear all! We need this prayer today as well. We must gather together in the temple to pray.
The members should pray together with the same prayer subject.
3. Prayer with action
In verse 17, it says: “Mordecai went and did everything Esther commanded.” Mordecai said that Esther's prayer request was fulfilled.
All the Jews of Susa were gathered in one place. Then he fasted and prayed for three days.
Of course, Esther did so with her maids in the royal palace.
And 5:1 says on the third day.
It is said that after thoroughly practicing prayer for three days in the city and in the royal palace.
After enough prayers as promised, Esther went to the king, ready to die.
As long as you pray, there is an answer.
Because God values our prayers.
Because he listens carefully to our prayers.
Dear all! Do not hesitate to pray.
Pray at a time when you are hesitating whether to pray or not.
You should pray, but don't just make up your mind. Pray as you please.
Prayer is practice.
It is to go to the place of prayer, get down on your knees in prayer, and cry out to God.
Because it's for the Lord, it's for the church, and above all, it's for yourself.
And if you've made up your mind, make a plan.
Be specific about how you will fill the time you have set aside.
And do what you plan.
Now, our prayers will gather and gather to form a great stream of prayer just as each raindrop gathers to form a stream and a great river. And it will do great things.