by Jill Rhodes
This packaged 12 session DVD set is a study on the book of Esther.
Her heart and voice literally changed the course of history and saved many lives. God wants to use your intercession in a similar way, if you’ll answer His call for such a time as this.
Each session is approximately one hour.
Jill Rhodes… a compelling speaker, Jill has challenged and inspired women to be women of vision and prayer. Jill lives what she teaches. Like Esther, she has seen God work out His purposes in her life and through her life in order to impact the world around her. Now through this dynamic study of Esther, she calls on women to face the challenges before us with renewed faith and determination, conquering through powerful prayer and a passionate relationship with Christ.
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A 12-week Bible study by Jill Rhodes – A Leader’s Report
Caroline Laing – January 2007
Dear reader, allow me to share with you some of the practical aspects of this powerful study of the Book of Esther that 11 women and I completed this past Fall.
The study has and introductory class followed by 11 lessons.
The study book entails weekly homework. There is no leader’s guide. Each lesson is divided into 3 distinct sections: encountering Esther (exploring the chapters, looking up verses, cross-refering, a personal response);entering God’s throne room (emphasis on a particular area of prayer along with a pertinent scripture passage and praying points); and extending His Kingdom (God at work in and through various people groups around the globe, getting acquainted with women who impacted others through prayer lives, and a specific prayer assignment for the coming week).
Our weekly 2-hour evening classes included:
1) Watching the accompanying DVD lesson (taught by Jill in a class setting) varying in length between 45 and 60 minutes. Jill s solid teaching along with her passion for God and His Word made the study captivating, and relevant for us women and time seemed to go by very quickly! No one ever complained about the length of the DVDs.
2) Exploring and discussing the main biblical principle(s) covered in section one of the lesson.
In order to emphasize the teaching in some of the lessons here are some creative things we did:
- Chapter one of the Book of Esther has a vivid description of a lavish banquet hosted by King Xerxes. So, one of my students and I transformed our church library/classroom into a Persian-style banquet hall, complete with draperies, tablecloths, miniature (dollar store) palm trees and trays of grapes and fresh figs It was fun coming up with a decor that would establish the particular setting for our study. The women all walked in at the same time and were greeted with a glass of grape juice. Each woman was then presented with a necklace of gold pearls (dollar store) and told that they were precious, unique, of high distinction as beloved daughters of the King of kings. That they are also invited to the banqueting table! The gold necklace emphasized how they are God’s own treasured possession.Week after week the women came to class with their gold beads on!
- Lesson 2 emphasized our royal calling and how we are given royal vestments (garment of salvation, mantle of praise, robe of righteousness, crown of honour). As a visual we used a very fancy plush-velvety bathrobe adorned with several bright jewelled crown brooches, and a princess crown! The women loved it.
- One week I brought some popcorn and pop to have while watching the DVD lesson.
- Lesson 9 Gaining Victory by Prevailing/Fighting on the Homefront. To emphasize intercessory prayer for our community, we left the classroom early one night and went outside. Our church happens to be located at the highest geographical point in our town. We had been learning about watchmen on the walls and at the gates of the city. On that late November night we stood as watchmen on the stone steps of our 170 year-old church and prayed over our town, neighbourhoods, local government, schools, and churches. Some of the women had never done anything like it. If we had had more time we would have walked and prayed around the block. Powerful!
- Lessons 9-10 touch on the Festival of Purim, established from the time of Queen Esther. I went online and found several websites such aswww.jewsforjesus.org and collected lots of information on this Jewish festival still celebrated today. One popular custom of Purim is the baking ofhamantaschen little pastries with a fruit filling. One of the women baked for us and we sampled these tasty treats over coffee during class.
- From time to time we listened to songs about prayer eg. The Intercessor, History Belongs (to the intercessor), and Song for Canada (all by Canadian singer Lianna Klassen).
- During our very first class I asked the women to write a prayer to God on an index card asking Him to astonish them as they want about seeking Him through His Word. They had to keep their card until the very last class. On our final night they shared some wonderful discoveries.
< Back To StoreI never knew God wanted me to partner with Him.
My view of prayer has widened. I never thought to pray for anything but for my own circumstances. It has changed.
I make a commitment to become disciplined in my life regarding prayer – Prayer as a lifestyle!
To God be the glory. Great things He has done!