Sunday July, 18 2021 Devotional
"On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And the king said, "What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" The king's young men who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him.'" - Esther 6:1-3
After all the Jewish people had prayed and fasted for three days, suddenly things began to happen. Esther successfully approached the King and invited him and Haman to a special dinner, where she planned to beg the king to save the Jews from Haman’s murderous plan.
The devil went into action to make sure his evil plan would not be stopped. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, was suddenly “inspired” to ask for permission to hang Mordecai just before that dinner. The devil’s plan was to get Mordecai out of the way and at the same time demoralize the Jews, including Esther, to the point that they wouldn’t be able to put up any resistance.
That very night before the dinner the King couldn’t sleep and called for something really boring to be read to him. They brought out the book of the Chronicles of his own kingdom and “just happened” to read the story of how Mordecai had uncovered and exposed a plot to assassinate the king, but had never been properly rewarded for this. Just at that moment, Haman came in to ask for permission to hang Mordecai…. and so it went. (You can read the story in the Book of Esther.)
Prayer works, setting things in motion that we can’t imagine. God’s timing is perfect. We have learned over the years to suspect when we can’t sleep that God may be calling us to prayer. Our own lives have been spared many times over the years when someone was moved to pray for us at a certain time.
If ever there was a time to pray for the deliverance of God’s people, it’s now! Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s call to prayer. Plots are being created and put into place against the Kingdom of God and against the Jewish people, too, today. You and I stand in the gap.
In Nigeria, a country that has a Christian majority, more than 16,000 Christians have been slaughtered and thousands more taken into slavery because of their faith in Jesus. In our own country, Christians are having their freedom, their wealth and their livelihood taken away for refusing to bow to the anti-Christian agenda. What’s next? Where will it go from here? Pray!
Lord, we see the plots against those who love You all around the world. In some places they are just gaining traction; in others they are advanced to the point of open persecution. Lord, deliver Your people today! Frustrate the Hamans of this world again. Deliver us and give us peace so that Your Word can be freely proclaimed and souls rescued for Your Kingdom still, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles