The Power of Preparation
What is the Lord preparing you for in this season? Whatever it is, there is a door of opportunity waiting. Knock and it will be opened!
Confidence in the Lord and empowerment by the Holy Spirit breaks down the wall of self-doubt that stands before the door.
We are in a season of preparation, Purim. Esther prepared herself for a Kingdom appointment and the Lord gave her quiet confidence, canceling the assignment of self-doubt. He wants to do the same for you.
The Journey from Self-Doubt to Quiet Confidence
Esther followed Mordecai’s instructions. She prepared herself, requesting nothing of excess, and still won the favor of all who saw her (see Esther 2:15). Then she was faced with a decree of destruction. Haman plotted against her people, and Esther was faced with a choice—to allow self-doubt to take over her thoughts, or trust in the Lord.
Mordecai provided instruction and guidance:
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
What did Esther do? She fasted to gain clarity as to how to proceed. And she waited upon the Lord for strength and guidance.
Esther became a hero to her people. Esther gained favor with King Ahasuerus.
The King of kings wants you to gain position and influence in this season. He longs to extend His favor to you so you can impact His people. He is preparing you for something new!
Purim | A Season of Preparation
Esther obeyed the instructions of her uncle, yet she had no way of knowing what assignment God was preparing her for. But she trusted, endured, and waited.
When the door of opportunity opened, there was a moment of self-doubt, but rather than feeding the thought, she starved it… She fasted! Then she made a decision.
“…And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”—Esther 4:16
For the Lord’s will to be accomplished, there needed to be an A.S.K. …
- Mordecai had to Ask Esther.
- Esther had to Seek the King.
- Esther and Mordecai agreed to Knock on all the doors.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”—Matthew 7:7.
This is Your Season
We ask again, what is the Lord preparing you for in this season? Maybe the preparation hasn’t been easy. Maybe bad habits and patterns have had to be addressed. Has self-doubt crept in?
It’s time to cancel the Haman-spirit that is causing destruction. It is time to come to the Kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
In Hebrews 12:6, Paul reminds the Jewish Believers that the Lord releases discipline to His children, whom He loves. We might remember this principle in our heads but forget to apply it in our hearts. Discipline prepare us for our Kingdom assignments.
God wants you to…
- Know how to prepare for the season ahead
- See clearly what to do and how to step into a position of authority, becoming the hero for your family, your sphere of influence, and for Israel
- Feel confident and empowered, free from self-doubt
A.C.T | Break Free from Self-Doubt and Be Confident
A — Apply Proverbs 23:7.
How we think about ourselves influences how we act. In this season, the Lord wants us to be confident in our identity as His children, whom He loves and disciplines.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ He says to you, but his heart is not with you.”—Proverbs 23:7
C — Change how you see others. It will change how you see yourself.
Seeing others as God sees them begins to break our chains of self-doubt.
“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”—1 Corinthians 11:31
T — Transformation happens when you wait upon the Lord.
Esther learned to wait on the Lord, and the beauty of character arose.
“… keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”—Jude 1:21
A Response to God’s Deliverance
The Lord delivered the Jews from Haman, the enemy of the Jews. In response, the Jewish people gave thanks by giving to those in need (Esther 9:2).
What a better way to activate the promises of God in this new season than by thanking Him for what He will do! Prayerfully consider giving to those in need, Holocaust survivors in Israel. Align your heart and actions with the Lord’s.