Pray Your Way Through UncertaintySample

Have you ever found yourself on the brink of a tough decision? You know the right thing to do, but if you do it, the consequences could potentially be unpleasant, if not disastrous. While you have no way of predicting how things could turn out, you believe that it is incumbent on you to act. 

That’s probably how Queen Esther felt as she heard the news about the imminent annihilation of her people, the Israelites.  She had to act—and act soon. But doing the right thing didn’t ensure that her future was secure. 

Put yourself in Esther’s place for a second. She was about the approach her husband, the King of Persia with an audacious request—to save the Israelites from an edict that the king himself had unwittingly endorsed. 

But there was the snag in her plan. By law, the queen had no right to approach the throne. By Persian custom, the king always summoned the queen. If anyone went to the throne without an invitation, there was a very likely chance they could be beheaded for their flagrant flouting of the law.

The “what if’s?” in Esther’s situation are staggering – what if the king was in a surly mood and didn’t want to see her? What if he decided she was not worth the trouble? What if he decided to depose her or, worse still, have her killed?

But here was Esther risking her life because she knew what had to be done. Instead of dwelling on the what if’s of the situation, she boldly proclaimed: “If I perish, I perish.”

That’s startling faith. A faith that says, I will trust my God no matter what. A faith that says I will not let the uncertainty of what may happen, stop me from doing the thing God has called me to do. A faith that says I will not let fear dictate to me.

Today, is God calling you to step out in faith even though the “what if’s?” press in? 

Let’s pray:

Father God, You know exactly the situation I’m in. I feel like I know what to do—but it’s exhausting to think that things may not go as I’ve planned. Father, even as my mind gives in to questions and fears and doubts, would you hold me in Your perfect peace? Would you give me the confidence that even though I don’t know what lies ahead, You do—You have it all figured out. Father, help me not to fixate on my fears but to focus on the faith You’ve given me, and the unending supply of grace that will get me through this. In Jesus’ name. Amen