Queen Esther’s Way With the King

Three days remain until our holiday Purim—when the lot was turned, and the hidden hand of God saved His people.

Three days before Queen Esther crossed the threshold of King Ahasuerus in Persia, she called for a fast. Today, on the anniversary of Queen Esther’s call, with sober hearts in light of the war with Iran (Persia) beginning, we, like Esther, enter three days of prayer and fasting for the salvation of our people Israel.

Before Queen Esther makes her requests known, she pours forth loving-kindness. She leads us in the way of beauty and love to honor our King. In the beauty of holiness, we worship the LORD:

Yehovah, You are holy, oh LORD God, Almighty, the Alpha, and the Omega, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come. Yeshua, You love us, and wash us from our sins in Your own blood. Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain! Glory, honor, power and might belong to You! Oh how we love You, LORD!

My Beloved, fiery in love and dazzling in holiness. Your head is like the finest gold, filled with wisdom and understanding. We trust Your leadership, and we will not be afraid. Your gentle, peaceful eyes are like doves, steadily looking upon the ones You love. Your words to us are most sweet. You are altogether lovely, my Beloved, my Friend.

Like Esther, we draw near in love before we speak our plea: “If I have found favor in Your sight, O King… let my life be given me—and my people at my request.” Esther 7:3

With the cry of intercession we lift our voices:

Abba, let Your Kingdom come in Israel and in Iran, as it is in Heaven. Save Israel. Liberate the Persian people. Grant our leaders wisdom and revelation. Protect and direct our pilots and all our soldiers.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. As the armies of Israel and the USA stand their posts, we, too, will stand at ours by not being silent before the courts of Heaven.

We intercede for salvation, for liberation of the Persian people, and for protection of Israel.

Our help comes from You Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Keeper of Israel, You neither slumber nor sleep. Watch over Your people, the apple of Your eye. LORD, You will keep us from all evil and keep our lives.(based on Psalm 121)

Beloved Shepherd of Israel, arise and cause Your face to shine. Let peace dwell within our walls of Jerusalem and throughout all Israel. ❤️🙏🏻

Draw Me After You

“Draw me after You, and we will run together.” - Song of Songs 1:4

Reading time: 2 mins 21 secs

Yeshua, I have known the kiss of Your tender words spoken to my heart, and I have delighted in the fragrance of Your Anointing that binds up the brokenhearted and delivers the oppressed and needy. You have captured my affection.

Draw me away with You into Your chambers, my King of Glory, into the tabernacle of the Most High God where streams of Your Anointed Presence make my heart glad. (Psalm 46:4) Your nearness is my good. (Psalm 73:28)

The high vision of my life is to love You with all I am and to pour forth love into others as I deepen in my union with You. (Matthew 22:37-40, John 15:4) In light of this, make me Your extravagant worshipper who is drawn by Your cords of affectionate lovingkindness. And make me Your anointed partner who can run with You in intercession and shepherding Your people with Your heart. (John 4:23, Hosea 11:4, Hebrews 7:25, Jeremiah 3:15)

Give me the grace to fulfill the vision of the Two Great Commandments, to love You and others, and the Great Commission, to disciple the nations. (Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 28:19-20) Grant me comprehension of how You love me with all Your heart, soul, mind, and strength so that I may love and worship You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. (I John 4:19, Matthew 22:37)

Draw me away into Your secret place, oh Lover of my soul, that I may abide under the shadow of Your wing. My God in Whom I trust, cover me with Your feathers that I may take shelter in Your presence. (Psalm 91)

Yeshua, I cannot come unless You draw me. (John 6:44) So I set my face like flint and cry for You to pull me towards You with Your kindness and the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 50:7) I seek Your face and will not let go until You bless me. (Psalm 24:6, Genesis 32:26) As a deer pants for water, my soul pants for You! Draw me away!

My soul thirsts for You, for You, the only Living God. (Psalm 42:1) The nations' idols made by human hands have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, and ears, but cannot hear. They cannot breathe. (Psalm 135:15-17) Yeshua, breathe on me and allow Your Good Spirit to enter the recesses of my being. (John 20:22)

You Who has the voice of many waters, deep calls unto deep at the thundering sound of Your songs within me and Your words of life like the torrents of Niagara waterfalls crashing over my soul. (Ezekiel 43:2, Psalm 42:7) All Your words like roaring waves and white-tipped billows are utterly consuming me. (Psalm 42:7) Yah the Lord, You command Your lovingkindness in the daytime, and Your songs of deliverance will be with me in the night. (Psalm 118:14; 42:8 & 32:7)

When shall I come and appear before You, my Beautiful God? My tears have been my food day and night. Be that as it may, I look up to You, Yeshua, and am not cast down within. (Psalm 42:2-6) Lover of my soul, I silence my disquieted soul and allow hope to arise, a hope that You will answer my cry and lift the light of Your countenance upon me. (Numbers 6:26, Psalm 42:5)

I Have Not Forgotten You

Psalm 44

For ones who are suffering or even facing martyrdom.

(Reading time 3.7 minutes)

Within Psalm 44 there are countless, insightful treasures in how to sustain a heart during suffering. These golden nuggets of wisdom direct us into a faithful heart of love that remembers our God Who spoke holy vows to us in an everlasting covenant.

“You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those all around us. You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. My dishonor is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me, because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, because of the enemy and the avenger.”

“All of this has come upon us and we have not forgotten You and we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant. Our heart has not turned back and our steps are not deviated from Your way. Yet, You have crushed us…and covered us with the shadow of death.”

Psalm 44:13-19

Oh the beauty of a suffering heart that remembers the tender affections and promises of her God. Oh the endearment of the Bridegroom God Who gave His hand to us in an everlasting covenant of compassionate love, justice and faithfulness.

The sons of Korah, the authors of Psalm 44, are not strangers to feeling crushed. Their father Korah, a Levite, led a rebellion and their young eyes saw the earth open and swallow their father and friends alive after Moses prophesied the earth would open and carry them to Sheol. Yet, the Lord spared the sons of Korah. (Numbers 26:11)

These sons knew suffering and loss, yet, while in pain they were magnificently struck with and molded by the fear of the Lord.

“If we had forgotten the name of our God or extended our hands to a strange god, would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the hearts. But for Your sake we are killed all day long.” Psalm 44:20-21

God is able to discern the desires and intentions of each heart. We can deceive ourselves and others, but Yeshua, Who is Truth, knows our hearts and cannot be manipulated to believe anything less than what is real.

The sons of Korah grasped God’s omniscience, knowing even the secrets of their hearts. Through the Spirit of the fear of the LORD this knowledge hedged them in to only seek after Elohim and love Him wholeheartedly.

Making known His unfailing love, they grew to be consumed with yearning for God. Their “tongues were pens of a ready writer.” (Psalm 45) As they sang prophetic songs of God’s beauty and of their desire for Him, verses were brilliantly composed that have gone on to transcend ages and generations.

“As the deer pants for water so my soul longs for You, O God. …When can I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1 -2

“My heart overflows with a good theme… You are fairer than the sons of men. Grace is poured upon Your lips.” Psalm 45:1-2

“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2

The pleasures of the Presence of God awakened a determination to be close to Him and an unadulterated desire for Him that churned within. Yearning for God shined brightly, and this light was not diminished when they were “crushed.”

Being crushed like a rose, the sweet-smelling incense of worship was drawn out of them “delighting the heart” of God. (Proverbs 27:9) This aroma of love as strong as death permeates through the firmament, satiates the courtroom of God and delights God’s soul.

Prayer

Yeshua, strengthen the hearts of those who are suffering or even facing martyrdom. Help them remember You. Fill them with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. In Your mercy capture their desires and ignite the flame of Love within them, the love as strong as death, unyielding as the grave, the very flame of Yah that cannot be quenched.