A pure heart create for me, O God,
and give me again the joy of your help. PS 50:12, 14
ESTHER 4:17
My Soul's Beloved,
It is only when we truly understand that You are our only refuge, our only help in times of trials, and that we can rely on no one but You because the help of man is vain. In the world, we are alone for there is no one on earth powerful enough, or tender, compassionate, and loving enough as You, O Lord. In You alone must we always place our faith, hope, and trust, for no man, no matter how great in the world, can ever love as dispassionately as You do. You love us for our own sake. You love us even when we turn our back to You and refuse Your love. Your love is the same today, yesterday, and forever.
Queen Esther's prayer is a model for all prayer for those who are in dire straits. When we are looking down the barrel of the Enemy, and all seems lost, it never is if we turn to You, cling to You, cry out to You, expressing unabashedly that we are afraid, anxious, distressed, pouring out how we feel. We can be absolutely certain that You will understand, comfort, and provide all the help we need to deliver us just as You helped and delivered Queen Esther and her people.
Today I come to You, Beloved, with all my trials and my anxieties, pleading with You, God of heaven and earth, to hear and answer me as only You can. I believe in You, I hope in You, and I trust You to take care of all those I love and for whom I pray unceasingly. Thank You, Lord, for never leaving or forsaking me. I believe all Your promises for I know them to be true.
Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:
‘My Lord, our King, the only one,
come to my help, for I am alone
and have no helper but you
and am about to take my life in my hands.
‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family,
that you, Lord, chose
Israel out of all the nations
and our ancestors out of all the people of old times
to be your heritage for ever;
and that you have treated them as you promised.
‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself
in the time of our distress.
‘As for me, give me courage,
King of gods and master of all power.
Put persuasive words into my mouth
when I face the lion;
change his feeling into hatred for our enemy,
that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.
‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand,
and come to my help, for I am alone
and have no one but you, Lord.’
PSALM 137(138):1-3,7-8
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
MATTHEW 7:7-12
My Soul's Beloved,
Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:
‘My Lord, our King, the only one,
come to my help, for I am alone
and have no helper but you
and am about to take my life in my hands.
‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family,
that you, Lord, chose
Israel out of all the nations
and our ancestors out of all the people of old times
to be your heritage for ever;
and that you have treated them as you promised.
‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself
in the time of our distress.
‘As for me, give me courage,
King of gods and master of all power.
Put persuasive words into my mouth
when I face the lion;
change his feeling into hatred for our enemy,
that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.
‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand,
and come to my help, for I am alone
and have no one but you, Lord.’
PSALM 137(138):1-3,7-8
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
MATTHEW 7:7-12
My Soul's Beloved,
You are the Eternal Word of the Father, and if the Word of God, issued forth from Him by the Breath of the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that His Word is true. You have revealed to us that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except by You. Today, You say to us, Your disciples, members of Your Body, that all that we ask will be given, all that we seek, we will find, and when we knock, You will always open the door to us. This means that we always, with no exceptions, have access to Your goodness, mercy, power, and above all, Your love. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving us this assurance of Your unchanging, unending love for us, although we are unworthy of such love.
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’
‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’
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