Drama – A Lesson from the Book of Esther
I open my heart Holy Spirit
to teach me new perspectives that produce boldness and effectiveness in my
prayer life.
Luke’s comment that men should always pray
and not lose heart refers to the Parable of the Persistent Widow. Jesus taught the
disciples to be persistent in their petitions to God. It does not matter when we
pray. Just be we are unwavering in worship, praise, and petitions.
An example of this prayer principle occurred
in Acts Chapter 12. When Herod threw Peter into prison to please the Jewish
leaders, the disciples prayed to God for Peter’s release. An angel released his
chains. Peter walked past the guards and out the prison doors to freedom.
When the scripture says speedily, it does not
always mean according to our timetable. Nevertheless,
each answered prayer fits into the Father’s timetable for blessing,
deliverance, justice, and provision.
Timetable
– a schedule showing a planned order or sequence
We often wonder if God knows that we
exist during a challenging situation. Yet, the Lord is everywhere and knows all about us from birth to death. This
truth gives us hope and confidence that our prayers are heard and will be
answered because He loves us.
Prayer is difficult when we do not know the period between asking and
receiving a request. Our world has changed from planting a seed and watching it
grow culture to going to the store and paying for a product culture. If we
purchase a product, payment is expected immediately. When we consider the
waiting process for an answer to our prayer, we must acknowledge God’s timetable
and His authority over our lives.
References: Matthew 6:9-15, Luke 11:1-4, John 3:16-17,
Romans 8:34-35, 37-39; Ephesians 2:4-9, I John
3:1a
Hindrances to praying to the Lord might include:
·
Lack of knowledge
- To help with your prayer life, select prayer resources, such as books, CDs,
and DVDs. The disciples had this issue, as well. They asked Jesus to teach them
how to pray. He gave them the model prayer called the Our Father prayer. Also,
we can pray the scriptures, such as repeating the Psalms as a prayer to the
Lord.
·
Impatient
- Prayer is not an automated process. For example, we do not push a prayer button,
and our request is disbursed from a prayer vending machine every time we pray. The
Lord's timetable entails our past, present, and future events.
·
Lack of
faith - If we are honest, there are occasions when we hesitate to pray because
we do not want to hear: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Therefore, we ask the
Lord for help, but not in faith.
·
Unapproachable
God - When we compare God’s omnipotence with our sinful lives, fearing Him can grip
our hearts and cause us not to pray. However, our fears cannot separate us from
His love. His love for us sent Jesus to the cross for our sins. He loves us and
calls us “His” children.
Unthinkable or unbelievable – not capable of being grasped by the mind, being contrary to what is
reasonable, desirable, or probable, being out to the question: Incredulous
Incredulous – unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true;
credulous is ready to believe, especially on slight or uncertain evidence: Unfamiliar
Unfamiliar – not
well acquainted or not well known, strange
Are you
confident that the blood of Jesus gives you access to the heavenly throne room
through prayer? Why or why not?
References: Numbers 22:5-7, 13; Numbers 23:18-21, I Samuel 4:1-5, 10-11
We can lose heart because of misplaced expectations regarding the
outcome of our prayer. People walk away from the Lord when He does not meet
their terms and conditions, including their stipulations and timetable. Mistakenly,
people assume the Lord is obligated to give them an outcome that pleases them.
Trust in things
For example, Israel fought against the Philistines at Ebenezer and
Aphek. The priests believed the Ark of the Covenant would protect them from
harm. However, the presence of the Lord was not in the Ark. The Israelis lost
the battle due to misplaced expectations. The Philistines killed over thirty
thousand Israelites and captured the Ark of the Covenant.
We must examine our faith, attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle to ensure
our expectations of the Lord are not grounded in false assumptions. Instead, we
create false beliefs, failing to consider the consequences of sins on our
prayer's outcome.
Misplaced – to put in a wrong or inappropriate place
Expectation – to expect something: Expect - to consider bound in duty or
obligated
Trusting in the abilities of others can cause
misplaced expectations. For example, Balak, the king of Moab, charged Balaam, a
diviner, to curse Israel when they returned from Egypt. However, he
misunderstood the extent of Balaam’s power. As a result, the Lord commanded
Balaam to bless Israel, which he did much to Balak’s dismay.
Beware of Balak’s deception. He thought the
power to curse or bless belonged to Balaam. That is, using someone to entice
the Lord to give us what we want. We must not practice divination for our
needs, wants, or desires, expecting too much from the prayers of others.
References: Psalms 100; Hebrews 4:16; Luke 18:10-14, Luke 18:17; Proverbs 11:2; Hebrews 4:16; Esther 8:4, Philippians 4:4-7
Prayer is the door that we walk through to receive grace and mercy from
the Lord. Grace and mercy give us the power to endure situations without
fearful anticipation.
Receive – Acquire; to come in possession of;
find
A. Worship - We should create a distraction-free zone to worship in prayer.
Worship
– An act of showing reverence or honor; lavish admiration
A. B. Confident – We are the heavenly Father’s children.
He loves us and desires the best for us. Therefore, how we see ourselves in our
natural family can be how we will see ourselves in our spiritual family. List your
thoughts on how you see yourself in God’s eyes.
Confident
– having or showing assurance and self-reliance
Expectation
– to expect something: Expect - to
consider bound in duty or obligated
D. Humility - We do not come before the Lord in pride based on our religious performance.
Humility – free from pride or arrogant; state of being Humble
Humble – not assertive
References: John 14:25-26, Philippians 4:4-7
Dealing with the fear of praying is similar to facing a door to the unknown (see earlier discussions). The enemy sows fear in our thoughts to keep us from spiritual communication with the Lord. When fear is in our hearts, we come before the Lord in anxiety. The prayer journey must begin toward the Father’s throne despite our apprehension. He is the only one that can help our situation.
Anxiety – apprehension, uneasiness, or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill
References: Matthew 6:31-34, Isaiah 61:1-2a, Colossians 1:9
Kingdom things are spiritual things such as grace, mercy, the fruit of
the Spirit, deliverance, and healing (physical, spirit). Jesus said to seek the
kingdom of God and His righteousness first before anything else. Therefore, we
should continually pray for kingdom things. He knows if we are asking to
receive earthly things or because we love Him and are seeking to do His will. Unfortunately,
we tend to be persistent in prayer when our basic needs and well-being are in
jeopardy.
References: Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:17, Romans 8:26-27
Jesus did not leave His followers on earth without a mentor. His name is Holy Spirit. He is always with us and knows how to pray for us. He merges what is in our hearts harmoniously with the will of the Father.
Harmonious – having all parts agreeable, interweaving different accounts into a single narrative
Our prayers should include spiritual issues, such as unforgiveness,
emotional hurts, and pride. Here are some questions for you to answer.
a.
Apathy -
lack of feeling or emotion, lack of
interest or concern, indifferent (especially for the things of God)
b.
Complacency
- self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual
dangers for deficiencies (as in not understanding the danger of a slack prayer
life)
c.
Feisty -
touchy and quarrelsome (bad attitude toward others with the expectation of God’s
forgiveness and grace without any consequences)
2.
Are
worldly things the focal point of your prayer expectations?
a.
Expectations -
something expected;
basis for expecting; assurance
(praying for material things to consume on oneself)
3.
What is
your faith position in prayer: confidence and bold or fear and timid? Do you
come before the Lord by faith as a:
a.
Worshiper
b.
Little
child
c.
Trespasser
d.
Captive
(to carnal things)
4. Are you persistent in prayer, communicating
with the Lord throughout the day?
a. Warrior – citizen-soldier of the kingdom of
God
5. Do you intercede for others when you pray?
a.
Ambassador
(looking out for the interest of others)
b.
Watcher or
sentry to protect spiritual assets (people)
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And
into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
Father, settle it in our spirit that we have an open door to You for persistence
through prayer. Through the door of prayer are love, wisdom, peace,
forgiveness, and self-control. You are waiting for us to come into Your
presence to receive grace and help in our time of need.
A Seat at the Well
There is a well located on the West Bank of Israel
where Jacob gave to the sons of Joseph. This region was called Samaria. There
was a city of the same name in Old Testament times. In this region, Jesus
visited the town of Sychar. He had several teachable moments with the disciples
during this visit.
Jesus walked with His disciples on their way back to
Galilee and went through Samaria. When they came to the outskirts of Sychar, He
sat down by the well dug by Jacob long ago. While He rested by the well, the
disciples went into the city to purchase food. When they returned, Jesus was
talking to a Samaritan woman. He reveals many things about the kingdom during
this encounter.
Jesus
gave us an example of who the Father wants in His kingdom. He wants everyone,
including adulterers, women, and Gentiles. Jesus went to Samaria intentionally.
According to God’s promise to Abraham, Samaria is Israeli territory by
covenant. It is the region given to Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. After
conquering this territory, the Assyrians moved most of the people to the
various areas of their empire. Therefore, during Jesus’ time, the Samaritans
were a mixed race who desired to embrace the God of Israel. However, many of
the people served idol gods.
Lesson 2
The
Israeli custom was to have no or minimal contact with Gentiles, women, and
sinners during Jesus’ time. The disciples were surprised that Jesus was talking
to a woman. I’m sure this behavior made the disciples uncomfortable and left them
speechless. Yet, Jesus continued His conversation with her in public. He showed
no hostility toward her or apprehension because the disciples were present.
Instead, He patiently answered her questions and dove deep into her brokenness.
The Jewish Messiah showed the love and acceptance of the Father for all people
groups.
Lesson 3
Knowing the woman
of Sychar’s rejections, Jesus came into her territory and personal space at the
well. The first question she asked was why He was talking to a Samaritan. She
knew the Jews had no dealings with her people. Nevertheless, the woman felt
comfortable talking to Jesus simply because He asked her for a drink of water.
Imagine how powerful this was to her.
Firstly, Jesus
sat at a well where the Gentiles came to drink. Secondly, Jesus was willing to
drink from a utensil used by an outcast. Finally, He was talking to her and not
at her. She perceived that Jesus was different from other Jewish people. She
called Him a prophet. No one holds a lengthy, personal conversation with
someone who condemns and rejects them. She felt His uniqueness and became
inquisitive.
Lesson 4
The woman of
Sychar desired to know the truth and live truthfully. Therefore, she answered
Jesus honestly when asked about her husband. She had no husband. To her
surprise, Jesus confirmed her answer and went deep into her life with men. He
told her about the five past husbands and the sixth she was committing adultery.
Once
the woman realized Jesus knew all truth, she began to ask other questions. His
answers provided clarification and set her on the path to the reality of
salvation through the Messiah.
At the well,
Jesus spoke of the kingdom. The woman looked for the Messiah who would reveal
all truth. She knew Jesus was the Messiah after their conversation. This
encounter is one of the few recorded scriptures where Jesus confessed to an
individual that He is the Messiah.
The woman
testified to the people in the city that Jesus was the Messiah. So they came to
the well to hear Him for themselves. This event was an incredible sight — a
Jewish rabbi associating with Samaritans in their territory. After hearing Him
teach and preach, many believed He was the Messiah. So they came to the well
based on the testimony of an outcasted woman.
Therefore,
if we tell one person the good news of salvation through Jesus, people will
come to the Lord and tell others the good news of the kingdom.
Lesson 6
The conversation
with the woman leads Jesus to introduce a special Gift of God that only He can
give her. He emphasized that she could ask for Living Water. Do we realize how
much the Lord desires to provide us with living water? We only need to ask Him.
The
living water comes to us through Holy Spirit. He dwells in us and fills us with
the essence of life as God has it. The living water is the nutrition our reborn
spirit requires to live in this world. It produces an existence for us now and
into eternity. However, we must ask Jesus for living water.
Lesson 7
The woman asked
for clarification on a dispute between the Jews and Samaritans. The
disagreement was about where the Samaritans should worship the God of Israel.
Jesus replied that the Samaritans did not know what they worshipped, even
though they believed Jacob was their ancestral father.
Jesus stated that
the Jews knew what they worshipped. Salvation comes from the Jewish lineage of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, Moses and the prophets documented their
worship by commandment from God Almighty. Not so with the Samaritans. Men
created false gods for them to worship.
Samaria was one
of two regions in the Kingdom of Israel that the Lord divided because of
Solomon’s sin. So King Jeroboam did not seek the Lord on how they should
worship. He feared the people would want to reunite with the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin in Jerusalem at the feasts. Therefore, he made two idols for the
people to worship—one in Bethel and the other in Dan (1 King12:26-33).
This lesson shows
how generations of people can be persuaded into false worship by one wrong
decision from someone in authority. The good news is not everyone worshipped
the false gods in the Samaritan region. For example, Elijah, the prophet, was
from Gilead, located in the Samaria region (1 King 19:14, 18).
We
must know “what and who” we worship in this day and time. God is Spirit. He is
not bound by any territory. Therefore, our worship must be in spirit and truth.
Lesson 8
Jesus revealed to
the disciples the spiritual harvest is everywhere, even outside their traditional
territory. Therefore, He shared the kingdom of God with the Samaritans for two
days. No doubt, His actions seemed inconsistent to the disciples. After all,
Jesus said that the gospel must be preached to the Jews first.
Jesus let the
Samaritans know that the Messiah accepted them. He stayed with them two days
before continuing on His journey to Galilee.
Like the disciples, the souls around us are ready to be harvested for the kingdom of God.
Drama – A Lesson from the Book of Esther
When we embrace salvation through Jesus, we must be diligent not to go along with the evil plots of the people around us. Proverbs 1:10 (emphasis added) states, “If sinners entice you [to do evil], do not consent.” The consequences of being involved in drama instigated by a person, a people group, or a gang of people have repercussions far beyond our control. Our family, friends, and others will be affected by the drama set in motion.