*Esther 14(NRSV) 11."O Lord, do not surrender your scepter to what has no being; and do not let them laugh at our downfall; but turn their plan against them, and make an example of him who began this against us.12.Remember, O lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O king of the gods and Master of all dominion!13. Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him..14.But save us by your hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O lord.

**/***1 Kings 19:4.But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."5.Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat."6.He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.7.The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." 8.He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.9.At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"10.He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away."11.He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;12.and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.13.When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"14.He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away."15.Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

****Matthew 12: 25.He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.26.If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?27.If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.28.But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.29.Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.30.Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

*****Romans 5: 1.Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2.through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.