The Esther Challenge – Fasting & Prayer Day

The Esther Challenge

Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God’s name. Don’t believe me, read Esther for yourself!  Interestingly enough, there is no denying God’s presence in the book, and in Esther’s life. How do we know this? The life that Esther lived, the decisions she made, the way she carried herself, and her faith all reflected a God that she had a deep and personal relationship with. Her relationship with God was so infectious that those around her would surrender to Him, His will, and would pray with her even though they had never had a God Encounter.

Esther 2:10 tells us she kept her identity a secret, and vs 15 let’s us know that the king’s eunuchs knew that there was something special about her. Her relationship with God, her love for him, radiated out of her and caused those in her presence to respect her, find favour with her, and reverence God.

Today from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM, we will intentionally show God’s love and create a loving environment without mentioning His name. Allow your actions, your language, your interactions with your co-workers, family and friends to reflect your very personal, intimate, and growing relationship with God. We live in a world where the mention of God’s name turns non-christians off, yet we are still expected to minister to these individuals and bring them to the cross.  What better way to do this then to physically show God’s love through you to them.  Incorporate how you are obedient to God’s law, how you love on others, as well as remembering how to love others using their love language, as a way to show God’s agape love through you to them all while ceasing to mention His name.

Make Time for God

To DO

  • Post on your social media:
    Today, I will allow my actions to reflect God’s love while never mentioning His name #MyGenPrays #LetsPrayTogether #TheEstherChallenge #HappyPraying
  • Connect with your prayer partner, remind and encourage each other to spend time with God today.
  • Listen to your favourite worship songs centered around Love God’s Way. Here are a few to get you started.
  • Ask God to soften your heart so that the Holy Spirit can take root and grow in your heart.
  • Ask God to reveal to you which areas of your life you are stifling the Holy Spirit from growing, accepting, and loving others.
  • Keep God’s name out of your mouth. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and show you how to reflect God’s love while not mentioning His name to everyone you come in contact with.
  • Be creative. Remember, actions speak louder than words.

Do Not

  • Allow the devil to distract you from spending time with God.
  • Believe the devil’s lies! Loving others is well within our reach. It takes prayer, faith, trust and persistence.
  • Think that your actions are not as important as the words that you said. Remember, while your mouth can profess God’s love, your actions can say otherwise.

Join us as we pray at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM & 6 PM. Corporate Prayer is at 8 PM.

All of these prayer calls happen in our Google Hangouts group. If you haven’t joined our Fasting Group on Hangouts you may do so by pressing the button below.

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Verses for Meditation

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.Galatians 5:22-23
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the SpiritGalatians 5:25
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens mePhilippians 4:13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.1 Peter 1:22
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:8
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.1 John 3:14
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.John 13:35
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.Luke 6:32-36
About the Author

Hannah Love

While I am a born and raised Seventh-day Adventist (I was baptized at the age of 8, and then again at 21), I am not a product of Adventist Education. As a matter of fact, it is my public school education, both at DeWitt Clinton HS, and the University at Albany that has strengthened my relationship with. High School reignited my love for singing in choirs, and led me to join the Angelic Voices of Praise, the only gospel choir on campus. It was at corporate prayer before choir rehearsal one Thursday evening in Albany that my prayer life was brought under a microscope. You see, up until that point, I was praying these little Baby Prayers, the Patty Cake Prayers, the rehearsed Prayers, the One Liners. There wasn’t any conviction, and it almost appeared that I was afraid to talk to God in a very real way. That night a seasoned member saw something that I didn’t see in myself, and because she allowed the Holy Spirit to use her, took me to the back of the LC during corporate prayer and taught me how to pray. I mean Really Pray! That night not only changed my life, but changed my Prayer Life forever. My prayer life translated well as I served as a Pathfinder Leader and an Assistant AY Leader and Praise and Worship leader. It was my constant communication with God that allowed Him to use me to lead Teens and Young Adult closer to God, and many more into Praise and Worship. While I understand that our life experiences have differed, I believe that our God is the same. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is the God that desires to have a deeper communication with us, who longs to chat with us, and craves quiet moments that we can offer as sacrifice to Him Do not for a moment think that I am perfect. In fact I am far from it. I mess up and mistakes, but my relationship with God is just as real as this letter you are reading. It is my relationship, and my prayer life, that restores me each and every time I fall. It is my prayer life with God that has allowed Him to use me for His work, and the furtherance of His Gospel! I charge each and everyone of you to explore a genuine and real relationship with God! Sit at His feet, talk to Him, worship him, Praise Him! Ask God to show Himself to you in a very “You Specific Way” Just in case you don’t know where to start, I encourage each and everyone of you who are able to join in with us on our Weekly Prayer and Fasts that meet each Wednesday. It is in these Fasts, that God reveals our character flaws to us, in hopes of not only correcting our Spiritual Cancers that seek to draw us away from God’s divine love, but pull us closer to the feet of Jesus! I pray that each and everyone of you experience God in a very real and “You Specific Way”. I Love you and God Loves you more!

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