Prayer for Today – Page 22

Friday 3rd October 2025

“Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him. ⁵“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?” ⁷King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸Now write another decree in the king’s name on behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring – for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” Esther 8:3-8 NIV

Lord God Almighty,

The king was in a hard place. His document sent by Haman and sealed with his royal ring could not be revoked. Yet he desperately needed to stop his wife and the man that had saved his life being put to death at his command! So he gave them permission to gather and to defend themselves. We may think it a terrible loss of life but we do not live in their kingdoms.

But even if we find the ending a little bloodthirsty for our liking. It does speak about making oaths and promises at another’s request without checking their motivation and consequences. Perhaps the king should not have been so rash in the first place to put a people to death? Perhaps we should be careful not to be motivated unknowingly by someone else’s selfish motivation. Give us eyes and ears to see what is really going on. Stand for the right. Revoke bad decisions when we are wrong and humbly change our behaviour. Can I admit it when I am wrong? Lord with Your help I pray so.

In Jess name we pray, Amen

Worship Friday 3rd October 2025
No other way to come . . . even after many years of growing and knowing Jesus . . .

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind;
Yes, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, (Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down);
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Lyrics: Charlotte Elliot

Thursday 2nd October 2025

Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: ⁸If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” “Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. ¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, ¹¹Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. ¹²“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. ¹³But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” ¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.” Esther 5:9-14 NIV

Lord God,

This passage in Esther does remind me of Romans 12: 19-20 where it states we should let You avenge us and we should do good to our enemies. And Matthew 5:33-38 where Jesus tells us to love our enemies (not what they do), so we can be seen to be like You more and more.

Esther makes Haman feel special. She used only the truth with the King. So Mordecai could be thanked for his past deeds. It is Haman’s own wickedness, nothing to do with Esther, that leads to him suffering what he wanted to do to Mordecai. You troubled the King’s sleep so he read the Chronicles of his reign. And there was reminded of Mordecai’s loyalty. It was You, Lord that moved the King and Esther to then find a way to counteract an unchangeable law.

Sometimes we are not recognised for what we have done. Sometimes others are jealous of what we have achieved. Sometimes we do good and our own situation seems to get worse. Sometimes several things go wrong one after the other when we have done nothing to deserve them. You remind us in Peter t to be alert and of sober mind. Because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (5:8). Help us to use our common sense and our faith and seek You first. I have been wronged and unable to put it right even with the truth – but You know God and it is in Your hands. I must keep on forgiving and not allow it to poison my heart.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 2nd October 2025
One hymn I can usually remember most of the verses of! And which reminds me You are always there restoring us.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
in purer lives Thy service find,
in deeper rev’rence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with Thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!

Lyrics: John Greenleaf Whittier

Wednesday 1st October 2025

“⁶So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. ⁹ Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” ¹²When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”” Esther 4:6-14

Our Father and King of Kings,

What a difference between Vashti the first queen and Esther. One refusing to go to the King and one afraid to go. Both were kept from the kings presence but for different reasons. Today we do not have to hope that You our King will extent the gold sceptre towards us depending whether You are in a good mood or not! Jesus stands as our eternal and ever open door to Your throne. Ensuring we always have Your attention and love and holiness. Help us not to hold any stubbornness in our hearts and also no fear. You know the best answers to our requests.

We too have been born for such a time as this. To do Your will, whatever it is. In royal circles or humble abodes. And if we stay silent who knows what may happen. I heard an evangelist say that I may never lead thousands to Christ – but no one hardly remembers who led Billy Graham to meet Jesus! With You, God it is not about numbers it is about individuals. You cared about Esther as well as the many found in Jesus. Thank You that we can instantly be in Your presence and ask for nations – and for individuals by name.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Worship Wednesday 1st October 2025
THis says it all. It is challenging . . . and melodic and beautifully scripture

Now, all I have is now
To be faithful, to be holy
And to shine lighting up the darkness
Right now, I really have no choice
But to voice the truth to the nations
A generation looking for God

For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will, whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here, and I am His
For such a time as this

You, do you ever wonder why
Seems like the grass is always greener
Under everybody else’s sky
But right here, right here for this time and place
You can live a mirror of His mercy
A forgiven image of grace

For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will, whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here, and I am His
For such a time as this

Can’t change what’s happened till now
But we can change what will be
By living in holiness
That the world will see Jesus

Chorus
Repeat

Lyrics: Wayne Watson