Happy New Year 2010

Lessons from Queen Esther

By Lillian Penner

In Esther, chapter four we read that when Haman made a decree to kill all the Jews of Susa because Mordecai would not bow down to him, Mordecai asked his niece, Queen Esther to go to the king, beg for mercy, and plead for her people. However, Esther said she could not go unless she was invited by the king to come into his presence and she had not been invited for 30 days.

“Mordecai sent this message back to Esther, ‘Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for such a time as this?’ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai, ‘Go and gather the Jews of Susa and fast three days for me. . . My maids and I will do the same. Then though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king.  If I must die, I am willing to die.’  So Mordecai went away and did as Esther told him.”?

Queen Esther placed their problem in God’s hand when she asked the Jews of Susa and her maids to fast and pray with her for their lives to be saved. Their prayers were answered when King Xerxes invited Queen Esther into his presence and she had an opportunity to share her concerns with him. King Xerxes found favor with Queen Esther, revoked the edict and the lives of the Jews of Susa were saved.  Esther was willing to risk her life and become an intercessor for her people.

God may not ask us to risk our lives to pray for our grandchildren.  However, He may ask us to give up our own agendas to spend more time in prayer for them. It seems like the enemy is always trying to distract us and keep us busy so we won’t take the time to be intentional intercessors for our grandchildren.

God has placed us, as grandparents in the sphere of influence of our grandchildren to love and nurture them for such a time as this just as God had placed Esther in her royal position. God gave you your specific grandchildren and He gave me my grandchildren.

As grandparents, we can make a significant difference in the world today by deliberately praying for our grandchildren and their parents in 2010 and see what God is going to do in their lives. We have an opportunity to powerfully touch the lives of another generation for eternity.  Just as Esther stood in the gap for her people, we can stand in the gap with prayer for our grandchildren for such a time as this in 2010.

The Christian Grandparenting Network would like to challenge you to start a G@P group (Grandparents@Prayer), an intercessory prayer group where grandparents come together to pray for each other’s grandchildren and families. I will be happy to send you resources to help you start a “Grandparents@Prayer” group.  Click here for our contact form.

? Esther 4:13-17 NLT

©2010 Lillian Penner