Week: Justice – Esther
Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Mighty God, open our eyes, stir our hearts and teach us how, ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly’ with You today. (Micah 6:8)
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Kate
Psalm 33:5
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Psalm 33:5 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
In today’s Bible passage, Esther’s cousin Mordecai discovered Haman’s plans to destroy the Jews, and he knew that Esther was one of the few people who might be able to change the King’s mind.
Read by Kate
Esther 4:13-14
Then Mordecai sent back word to Esther: ‘Just because you live in the king’s palace, don’t think that out of all the Jewish people you alone will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, someone else will help and save the Jewish people, but you and your father’s family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this.’
Esther 4:13-14 (NCV)
What a difficult position Esther found herself in. She knew that the Jewish people were in danger and she was one of the only people who could approach the King. However, she also didn’t know how he would react if she asked him to save them. She must have been pretty afraid that if she spoke up for justice she’d be punished.
It’s easy to stay quiet when we are afraid, especially if we don’t know how others will react. But what if God might be calling us to be His voice for justice? How can we find the courage to make a stand?
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What is the scariest thing we’ve ever done?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others…
God of Justice and Mercy, we know that there are times when You call us to stand against the injustice we see in our world… or in our classrooms, or even in our homes. We ask You to help us to always seek the truth and to speak the truth, even when we are afraid.
Certain groups of people around the world are still at risk of being killed, just like the Jews were in today’s story.
Father God, we ASK that You would prevent all evil plans to destroy groups of people. Protect those who are in danger today, and put women and men in the right place to stand up for justice.
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
Esther 4:13-14
Then Mordecai sent back word to Esther: ‘Just because you live in the king’s palace, don’t think that out of all the Jewish people you alone will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, someone else will help and save the Jewish people, but you and your father’s family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this.’
Esther 4:13-14 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, Your heart is always for the kind of justice that means everybody gets to live a full and free life. We say YES, may Your justice come. And we also say YES to standing up for it, even when it might cost us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 33:5
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Psalm 33:5 (NIV)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Kate lives in Melbourne Australia, with her parents, younger sister, and puppy Leo. Kate loves visual arts, reading, playing basketball and spending time with her family.
