Esther 8:3-5
"Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. "
What an example Esther demonstrates on how to appeal humbly to authority!
- First, body language is of prime importance, and that is the first thing that the king saw. Esther fell at his feet, wept, and pleaded. There were no edges in the way she spoke. She did not have a defensive or haughty manner. She did not feel it was her right to be heard.
- Secondly, she waited for him to speak with her. Timing was of key importance. Her appeal stretched her patience to the limit.
- Third, she acknowledged his position, and the authority of his position. She honored the laws regarding him as well as the proper social conventions."If it please the king... and I have found favor in his sight, and if it seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes."
- Finally, she presented her request. She didn't want to waste her time with the king by plunging ahead because her situation was so urgent. It had to be done right. Plunging ahead without presenting the appeal correctly could have been disastrous for her as well as her people.
Father,
Give me a humble spirit so that I may speak as You would have me to speak. Give me Your grace as I appeal to others in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
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