When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.
- Esther 2:8

In this story, we find God’s people living in exile in Persia and praying for deliverance. Their hopes would have leaned in a very particular, nationalistic direction. If God answered their prayers in the way they wanted/hoped/expected him to, he would get rid of the Persians and take his people back to the Promised Land.

Like the rest of her community, Esther would have been praying that God would set her people free, not that he would make her Queen of Persia (which is where the story is headed). But Esther was willing to step into a different story of God’s redemption. She prayed for one thing, but God gave her something different. There’s often a wild unexpectedness to what God does to bless his people.

If we hold too tightly to what we think God should do, we might miss out on what he’s actually doing.

What’s the thing you’re praying for the most right now?

Would you be willing to put aside, for the moment, what you think God should be doing in case he wants to do something equally wonderful but completely different?