As The Queen Makes A Request From Her King

Esther 5:1-8

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall . The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold sceptre that was in his hands. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the sceptre.

Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."

"If it pleases the king," replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him."

"Bring Haman at once," the king said, "so that we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. As they were drinking wine, "the king again asked Esther, "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted. 

Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this: If the king regards with me favour and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question."  

It is interesting as much as surprising the much lessons there are for women to learn from this book of Esther. I must be truthful that when the Lord dropped it in my spirit to read this book, I didn't know that I could learn this much from the book of Esther. As I learn this lessons I also share them. 

Today what I want us to see again in that story of Esther is the way and manner in which Esther presented her petition and request before her husband, King Xerxes. True that the man named Xerxes in that book of Esther was the king over 127 provinces, but that king was the husband of Esther the queen. 

When she heard of what Haman had laid in store for the Jews, she didn't storm into the king's court fuming. She didn't shout the roof down proclaiming the fact that she is the queen in the palace. But the first thing she did was to request for prayers. She sort the face of God before even approaching her husband. 

In this day and time, how many women of God still pray before approaching their husbands over sensitive issues? How many women still think it necessary to pray before discussing the needs of the family with their husbands as the king in their lives and the head of their home?

After Esther had fasted and prayed, the Bible said she put on her royal robes before standing in the inner courts of the palace where she could be in full view of her husband the king. So after Esther had prayed, she took the time to pay attention to her appearance. She didn't just stand up from the place of prayer and walk straight to the inner court, but she took time to adjust her look before heading up to the full view of her husband the king. How many of us see our husbands in the light of the king in our lives who deserves to see us at our best at all times. 

I know that Esther's case might be a little different due to the prevailing culture of her time and region. Then she had not been called into the presence of her husband in 30days, but still we who lie in the same bed with our husband night after night should not take that for granted but still honour the presence of our husbands at all times.

Then another thing Esther did before making her request was that she made a special meal for him, the Bible said she made a special banquet for the king. Let's leave the fact that Haman was invited to dinner, but concentrate on the fact that the petition was made over a beautiful banquet prepared specially for the king. 

All that Esther did was to prepare the heart of her husband favourably for what she was going to ask of him. The lesson in all these is that before Esther made a request of her husband she had put some special things in place even before approaching him with her request. How many of us take time to warm our way into the hearts of our husbands before knocking them off with loads and pills and requests? These things might seem insignificant but in truth they are the tiny bits that make the whole sum either positively or negatively.

Once I was counselling a women who has been married for over 30 years and she has been estranged from her husband for more than half of the period she's been married. The husband will rather just live away from his family because that seem more peaceful for him. The couple are not divorced, but would not live together either. When I asked the wife what exactly was the problem, she said her husband's complain has always been that she is too demanding. So I told her that I have seen many things in the Bible, but I am yet to see where in the Bible that God or any of the authors of the Bible has said your husband must meet all your needs or wants, neither did God tell us women to trust our husbands for our needs. But I have seen where the Bible says "The lion may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing." I told her the Bible says we should seek God and not the husbands. 

It is not those who overburden their husbands with loads of request that lacks no good thing, but those who seek the Lord. There are times we know that our husbands can afford what we need or want and their is no sin in asking, but the way and manner we present our request to them tells how much of our needs they will be willing to give us. The manner of approach when you ask your husband for things is a minor issue that is of major importance. When we follow the lead of Esther and we try out the approach of Esther, then up to half of our husband's kingdom will most assuredly be made available to us, because in truth they are the king.