"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16)
Esther has become aware that there is a plot to kill her people. She is faced with a crucial decision. Will she stay in hiding and try to preserve her own life? Will she go to the king and risk death to save her people?
We see here that Esther resolves to go to the king. But first, she asks for the spiritual support of her people (through fasting). Through this, Esther is able to summon up the courage to act and her people are rescued.
Fasting is not commonly practiced in the faith community today, but there are other spiritual practices that take its place. One of these, of course, is prayer. We need to draw on the spiritual resource of collective prayer before we rush into action. This will help us be more effective in our mission. Prayer helps us hone our activity down to what is most essential.
Abraham Lincoln once wrote -
"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe."
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