Esther 7:5 – 6
After spending three days in communion with God, Esther came out of her prayer closet armed and dangerous. She came out cloaked in the quiet, unshakable, immovable peace of almighty God Himself. She came out shod with a heavenly power that challenged every demon of agitation and distress that had come against her people.
That quiet power so overwhelmed the king that he offered to give her anything she wanted. And in the wisdom only peace can give, she knew exactly what to ask. She said with the gentleness and unfading charm of a peaceful spirit, “I don’t want half the kingdom. I just want you and Haman to come to dinner.”
How did Esther have the presence of mind to make what proved to be such a perfect request in that moment of pressure?
Peace kept the confusion of the Devil away from her so that she could make the right decision. Peace kept her dignified and poised so that she knew just what to do.
As a result of her dinner invitation, Haman, who had orchestrated the scheme to annihilate the Jews, ended up being hanged on the gallows he had built—the gallows upon which he had planned to execute Esther’s cousin, Mordecai.
If we’ll walk in God’s peace, we’ll see that same kind of thing happen to our enemy, the Devil. Peace will pull the plug on his effectiveness. It will turn the tables on him. He’ll end up hanging himself on his own rope.
“But, Lynne,” you might say, “I just don’t know how to get hold of that kind of peace right now. I know I’m not supposed to fret or have anxiety about anything, but the things I’m dealing with are so serious, I just can’t seem to help it.”
God understands that. He is a good and sympathetic Father. That’s why He doesn’t just say to us, “No! Don’t do that! Don’t worry! Don’t fret! Don’t … don’t … don’t!”
Anybody who has ever had children knows that doesn’t work very well. It’s too negative. It keeps little ones focusing on what they’re not supposed to be doing and before you know it, they are turning that negativity back on you, shaking their heads and saying, “No, no, no!”
God doesn’t make that mistake. He doesn’t just tell us what not to do; He tells us what we should be doing. He doesn’t just say, “Don’t do this.” He says, “Do this instead.”
Think again about Philippians 4:6: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but [instead, do this]… in everything, by prayer and petition make your wants known to God” (Amp).
Don’t worry. Do pray. That’s the simple secret that will send your problems to the gallows while you’re having dinner with the King.
Scripture Reading: Esther 7:1 – 10
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”