…A Sign of Complete Submission to God.
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,
had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids,
from morning until evening, and said:
“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
Esther: C:12, 14-16, 23-25
When I was in high school, I attended the ordination of a young deacon who led our youth group. I was awestruck as he and the other candidates for priesthood lay prostrate on the altar. It was a sign of complete submission to God.
Queen Esther does the same thing.
I love the following passage:
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening.
As queen, she was praying in this way because she knew that no one could save her people but God.
I’ve met so many Esther’s in my life, faith-filled women who prostrate themselves before the Lord through prayer. I once knew a mother who prayed for two decades that her son would be freed from an addiction to drugs. In complete submission, she gave her son to God and healing finally came.
This past weekend, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrated the festival of Purim and commemorated Esther’s contribution to the salvation of the Jewish people.
May we remember her example of prayer as well. As we fall on the altar of humility, from “morning till evening,” our answers will come.
