Amy Carroll » Blog » Three Practices to Prepare for Christmas Love- Part 3

Three Practices to Prepare for Christmas Love- Part 3

If you’ve done part 1 and part 2, God has prepared you to speak with love! You can trust His Spirit to guide you.

Having said that, Esther shows us that the Spirit helps us to :

  • Pause for the power.
  • Speak at the right time.

Pause for the Power

In Esther 5, we see that Esther didn’t give her request to the king at her first banquet. Instead, she invited he and Haman to a second banquet where she asked her husband to save her people.

It seems strange, and there’s no explanation in Scripture for Esther’s pause. There are some hints, though, and it simply seems to be a matter of God’s timing. In the middle, there was a pause where God was working.

Speak at the Right Time

In chapter 6, Esther finally speaks up to save her people. It’s worth noting, though, that she speaks at the end of a long process:

  • She listens to Mordecai’s despair over the edict and his advice.
  • She feels the twinge of fear, knowing that her husband holds the power of life and death, but she moves ahead anyway.
  • She gathers her community to fast and pray.
  • She holds one banquet.
  • She hold a second banquet where she finally speaks.

Studying Esther’s example has given me a powerful principle that addresses one of my weaknesses: Godly women speak intentionally, not impulsively.

A Prayer for Godly Words at Christmas Gatherings

Lord, we long to be godly women who speak in godly ways this Christmas. Let us be women who lean into the power of the pause, speaking hope-filled words at just the right time. In the meantime, help us to choose peaceful silence and loving listening. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For More About a Woman Who Paused…

Follow me on Instagram for “Women in the Word Wednesdays” where I posted in December about Mary, another woman who paused for the power.

I’ve also been doing a little light series #lessonswithbella recounting the spiritual lessons I’m learning from my new mini-dachshund. If you love cuteness, this is for you!

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2 Comments

  1. Carol Hayward says:

    Wait, and rest are 2 difficult directives to act on

    1. Amy Carroll says:

      Yep. Those two are tough for me too, Carol!