It’s been said that coincidence is God’s pseudonym when He wishes to remain anonymous.
The New Testament has two words for time. One is chronos, the passage of time. The other is kairos, an event in time, as when we say, “It’s time for action.” Successful living includes both maintaining faithful regularity as time (chronos) passes, but always watching for those opportunities that arrive at strategic moments (kairos). This was Esther’s moment. As Mordecai had sent to her, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14). At that point, the queen realized she had a heavy burden on her shoulders. The fate of her people hung in the balance. For this she would need help beyond herself. She couldn’t go it alone. Here’s another scene where the Lord has obviously hidden His face from His people, as He had warned them (Ezek 39:23). So a prayer meeting isn’t exactly called, but it’s as close as one can get without invoking the Lord’s name. To Mordecai she replied, “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (v 16). Fasting and prayer are often linked in Scripture (Neh 1:4; Ps 35:13; Dan 9:3; Jon 3:5-10; Lk 2:37; 5:33; Acts 13:2-3), because fasting without praying misses the point. We are doing without what is rightfully ours to seek with all our hearts what only God can provide. But on this occasion, she would at least call the Jews to humble themselves on her behalf. This was no time for “six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes” (Est 2:12) before she entered the king’s presence. What she needed was “much incense…with the prayers of all the saints…before the throne” (Rev 8:3).