Why Great Women in the Bible Prayed: Miracle Stories of the Power of Prayer - Esther
Have you asked yourself why great men and women in the Bible, powerful as they were, still prayed?
We’ll share stories from three prayerful characters in the Bible:
- Joseph
- Daniel
- Esther
Esther - Once An Orphan
Esther was a member of a large Jewish community forced to relocate to Persia. However, she refused to return to Judah as it was a dangerous place.
As such, she remained in Shushan, Persia. Mordecai, a royal official, adopted and raised her with a good home and upbringing.
Have you experienced being adopted? Or, do you know someone who has grown up like this? What is it like?
Then A Beauty Queen
Beauty queen? How?
Continuing the story, the Persian Empire had a beauty pageant (Esther 2:1-4, ESV). It was something like what we know today as the “Miss Universe.”
Are you a fan of this show? How much do you follow and support your country’s candidate?
Going back, King Ahasuerus was looking for a new wife, hence, this search for the most beautiful woman. Esther joined the pageant (verses 5-14).
Guess what? You’re right! Esther won the crown (verses 15-18). Significantly, she succeeded by making friends and influencing people. Meanwhile, the other contestants served as concubines or perpetual widows.
And Eventually A Great Heroine
Five years later, Ahasuerus had Haman as his chief advisor (Esther 3:1, ESV). This advisor persuaded the king to sign a decree to kill all Jews. Why do you think he did this?
Mordecai knew about this decree (2:19-23). Hence, he was not on good terms with Haman. As such, it would significantly affect Esther and her nation.
Can you imagine how difficult it was for Esther? She was between two dilemmas being in a good relationship with the king and his stepfather.
With this, Mordecai pleaded for Esther to intercede for the Jews (chapter 4). However, she thought she had no right to reconcile since the king didn’t ask her for advice.
True enough, the king didn’t call her to the palace for a month. What would you think if you were in this situation?
Nevertheless, Esther spent time praying to God. Then, she went to the king and invited her to two successive banquets (chapters 5-7).
In the second one, Esther took the chance to present her matter privately. With this, the king discovered that the decree was Haman’s plot.
Hence, King Ahasuerus ordered Haman to suffer the same plot he had built against Mordecai. Then, Mordecai replaced him as the chief advisor.
Yes, Esther saved the Jews (chapter 8)! She had changed the future of her nation forever. What a great heroine!
Why did these great men and women feel the need to pray?
Joseph, Daniel, and Esther are just a few of the Bible’s best examples of prayer and faith.
In the case of Joseph and Daniel, you can see that prayer was significant in interpreting dreams. As humans like us, they had no power to determine their prophetic meanings.
Hence, they needed God’s wisdom because only He knows the future. He is in control of the universe and everything that happens in it.
Meanwhile, Esther knew she had no power to control her king’s decision. Neither could she convince Haman to take down his deceitful plan.
Thus, prayer was all that she had to get through the trial. As you have seen from her story, she did her part and surrendered the rest to God.
Heroes Bible Trivia Guest Blog Post
Heroes 2 is a Bible trivia game released by the Hope Channel. It is a sequel to the game, Heroes, which was released in 2013. The latest game version is on 3D graphics and animation, enhanced with unique features and more challenging Bible questions. It comes in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. The game is available on both iOS and Android.
