UNDERSTANDING THE HEART OF GOD ABOUT PRAYER
Esther 5:2-4 “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Focus: Getting to know how God really feels about us when we come before Him in Prayer, so that our love for Him will INCREASE, even as our understanding of His Heart towards us will be MAGNIFIED.
God Loves us Very, Very, Very MUCH, and He uses every opportunity to Express, Explain, and Demonstrate His Wonderful Precious Feelings for His BELOVED children; you and I. In the first verse of focus, Queen Esther presents herself before the king. We are told that she found favour in his sight, and he graciously extended his scepter giving her full permission to speak to him about her concerns and desires. This verse demonstrates the Beauty of God’s RECEPTIVENESS and GRACE.
God wants us to understand that when we present ourselves before Him in prayer, He is MOST DELIGHTED to give us a GRACIOUS WELCOME, and an ABSOLUTELY FAVOURABLE reception. This is why He tells us to come boldly before His Throne, and draw near to Him (Hebrews 4:16, James 4:8). In Proverbs 16:15, God reveals how He feels, as we come before Him: His Countenance (Face) LIGHTS- UP with a BIG Smile, and He EXCITEDLY says to Himself, “I Am going to rain-down abundant Blessings on My child.” God gives us full Permission to speak to Him about our concerns and desires, even as He gives us His full Attention. This is demonstrated in Psalm 40:1. The verse says He inclines to us and hears our cries, meaning that He Turns His Head; He Leans His Ear in our direction; and He Stretches out His Neck, to Listen to us when we Pray to Him. Oh, What a WONDERFUL, LOVING, CONSIDERATE GOD!!!
In our second verse of focus, the king said to Queen Esther, “What do you wish? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!” Notice carefully that the king is so pleased and eager to grant the queen her request, that he does not wait for her to ask him; instead he tells her what he is abundantly willing to give. He wants to put her at ease; no request is too big. He gives her full permission to ask for half of his kingdom! This is a representation of the AWESOME GOD that we serve, and the SPLENDOR of being in His Presence!!!
This verse expresses God’s UTMOST WILLINGNESS to answer our Prayers. God wants us to Know, Understand, and Believe that when we come to Him in Prayer, He is most Eager and Pleased to grant us our requests. He does not wait for us to ask. He says, “BEFORE you call I will Answer, and while you are yet speaking I will Hear (Isaiah 65:24). God gives us full Permission to ask for anything, even as He assures us that HE is ABLE to DO exceeding abundantly ABOVE ALL that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Oh, What a GOD!!! Oh, What MARVELLOUS GENEROSITY!!! This is the Head, Heart, Hand, and Happiness of God expressed to us Today!!! God is HAPPY when we come to Him in Prayer, because it gives Him Special Opportunities to reveal His Love and Power to us, and draw others into having a relationship with Him.
Our final verse of focus tells us that the queen had prepared a Banquet for the king before she went to present herself before him. She now humbly invites him to attend. God would be Greatly Pleased if we would Prepare a Special Banquet for Him. He would be Supremely Honoured to be invited by us to attend a ‘Banquet’ of Praise, Thanksgiving, and Testimony, with lots of Trust, Faith, and Belief in His Power and Promises on the ‘Menu’.
The Bible says that ‘without Faith, it is impossible to Please God” (Hebrews 11:6). He wants us to BELIEVE that He is the Mighty Omnipotent GOD, who is most willing to REWARD all those who diligently seek Him; but, we must put Him first. Esther put the king’s Banquet first. God bids us to seek First His Kingdom, and His Righteousness, and all things shall be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). With this Blessed Assurance, let us therefore present ourselves and our requests before God with Praise, Thanksgiving, Trust, Excitement, and Divine Anticipation.