READ Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.

INSIGHT
“I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther’s decision still takes great courage.

PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
You are clothed with majesty and splendor.  
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
Spreading out the sky like a canopy,
May sinners vanish from the earth
And wicked people be no more.  
My soul, bless the Lord! Hallelujah!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35).

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but there is darkness;
For brightness, but we live in the night
(Isaiah 59:9).

But you, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up;
Then I will repay them (Psalm 41:10).

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God,  
The firstborn over all creation.  
For everything was created by him,  
In heaven and on earth,
The visible and the invisible,
Whether thrones or dominions
Or rulers or authorities —
All things have been created
Through him and for him
(Colossians 1:15-16).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Greater love for non-Christians
• The work of missions in Asia
• Those who are persecuted for their faith

Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the love of God,
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:13).