When Mordecai sent word to Queen Esther that Haman had convinced King Xerxes to sign a decree authorizing the destruction of every Jewish person in the Persian Empire, Esther faced an impossible choice. Approaching the king uninvited carried a death sentence. Staying silent meant genocide.
Three Days, No Food, No Water
Esther's response was not to strategize or lobby. She sent a message to Mordecai: "Go, gather 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 attendants will fast as well. And then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
This was not a private devotional moment. It was a corporate fast — an entire community setting aside food and water for seventy-two hours, united around a single desperate petition. Esther understood that what she was about to attempt was humanly impossible, and she needed something beyond human courage to walk through it.
The Outcome
On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court. The king extended his golden scepter. She was safe. Over the following days, through a sequence of events so precisely timed they could only be orchestrated by God, Haman's plot was exposed and reversed. The very gallows Haman built for Mordecai became the instrument of his own execution.
The Jewish people were not only saved — they were given the right to defend themselves. What started as a death decree became a day of celebration that Jews still observe annually as the feast of Purim.
What This Means for You
Esther's fast was not about earning God's favour. It was about clearing away every distraction so that an entire community could focus on one thing: we need God to move. The fast did not change God's mind. It changed the people who were fasting. It gave Esther the clarity and courage to walk into the throne room. When you face a situation that is genuinely beyond your ability, corporate fasting — inviting others to join you in setting everything aside — can become the turning point.