以斯帖深知若未蒙召擅自進入大殿是要處死的，但以斯帖也勇敢的發現：上帝又有萬全的預備，於是她邀請亞哈隨魯王及哈曼前來赴宴，次日她再度邀約他們。在決定生死的第二次盛宴之前，哈曼立了一個高達七十五英呎的絞架，作為處置末底改的刑具，但不久亞哈隨魯王發現自己未報末底改的救命之恩；以及哈曼覬覦尊容恩寵，處心積慮陷害恩人的實情。在第二次的筵席中，哈曼的詭計被揭穿，而上了他為末底改設計的絞架—─真是以其人之道還治其人啊！

        你相信禱告嗎？真的相信嗎？
        以斯帖深信禱告的能力，所以，雖然可能就地喪命（4：11、16；5：2），她仍在未蒙召見的情況下去見國王並邀他赴宴，你會不會像她這麼做呢？
        據說在美國中西部有一個小鎮，因為久旱不雨，於是全鎮居民決定和牧師一起禱告，人群齊聚求雨的時候，只有一個人——一個小女孩帶著傘來參加。
        你禱告的時候，心態像這些小鎮居民，還是像那個小女孩？你會不會像以斯帖，先禱告然後信心十足的活在上帝的應許之中？你的禱告是否夠明確？以致上帝回答時你會發現有什麼不同之處，在本頁空白處，明確的寫下你的要求、需要的保護及帶領，下個禮拜，每天開始靈修時，就集中火力為每一件需要禱告，你可要把你的傘放在一個特別的地方，好讓它整個禮拜都能提醒你注意上帝的應許！

        全書珊城都看得見的吊刑
        哈曼的刑具相當高（七十五英呎，至少有城牆那麼高），設計的目的是要全城百姓──無論城裡、城外，都看見末底改魂斷於此，不料上吊的卻是他自己，真是罪有應得！

相信祈求即是預知未來。

English

        Esther knows full well that entering the king's throne room uninvited could prove to be "hazardous to her health." But Esther courageously discovers that God has once again prepared the way. She invites Ahasuerus and Haman to a special banquet in their honor, and there repeats the invitation for the next day as well. But before that fateful second banquet, Haman builds a gallows 75 feet high on which to hang Mordecai; Ahasuerus discovers Mordecai's unrewarded heroism; and Haman watches the honor he had craved go to Mordecai. At the second banquet Haman is unmasked and dies the very death he had planned for Mordecai.

        Do you believe in prayer? Do you really?
        Esther believed in prayer enough to go before the king at an unappointed time with an unlikely request, though it could have meant swift death (4:11, 16; 5:2). Would you have done that?
        The story is told of a midwestern town suffering under a searing drought. All the townspeople finally decided it was time to gather the clergy and assemble for prayer. The whole town turned out to pray for rain, but only one person—a small girl—brought her umbrella.
        When you pray, are you like the townspeople or the little girl? Do you, like Esther, pray first and then live in the confidence of God's answer? Are your prayers specific enough that, when God answers, you notice a difference? In the margin, write down a specific request for provision, protection, or guidance. For the next week, begin each day by focusing your prayer on that item. You might even want to put your umbrella in an unusual place to remind you throughout the week to watch for God's answer!

        The Hanging All Shushan Would See
        The height of Haman's gallows (75 feet, or at least as high as the city walls) was designed to insure that Mordecai's downfall would be a city-wide spectacle, visible both inside and outside the walls. Instead, Haman himself received the notoriety!

Believing supplications are forecasts of the future.