Esther Pt.7 - How to Get Leaders to Listen to You
Esther 7:1-10
Read the blog post on Esther chapter seven here
Have you ever dreaded having a conversation with someone? How did you work through it? (How did you get past your feelings about them?)
Esther has stalled twice in making her request. Why do you think she chose this party to finally make her request known to the king?
What impresses you most about Esther’s request?
Were you in her shoes, how might you have gone about pleading your case? (Feel free to be honest and admit you would have cried your way through your speech).
How might you need to step out of your comfort zone this week to attain something you’ve been scared to approach?
Do you have an idea you’re eager to propose to someone in a position of influence? How might you tactfully present your idea?
What do you think the king was pondering when he stormed off to the palace garden in verse 7?
Clearly, king Xerxes has an alcohol problem (Esther 1:10; Esther 3:15; Esther 5:6), how do you think this affected his final decision in this chapter (and what he thought Haman was doing when he walked back into the room in verse 8)? Do you think Esther leveraged it for her advantage?
Do you think Xerxes may have been suspicious, maybe even jealous of Haman? What else in the story might suggest this? (Also consider Haman’s suggestion to the king in Esther 6:6-9)
How did God cause “what the enemy meant for evil” to work for Esther’s good?
How might you need to act this week on something you’ve been praying and trusting God for? Are you able to present it with a sense of urgency? How will it benefit the larger community?