What do you do when being faithful to God creates tension with people?
I was reminded recently how quickly doing the right thing can become complicated.
A conversation can begin with honesty, clarity, and a desire for peace, and somehow shift without warning.
What I believed to be something simple, meant with kindness, suddenly became strained and estranged, to the point of offense and defensiveness.
In that moment, I realized this was not just about what was said or how it was said. There was something deeper happening beneath the surface that placed me in the crosshairs of tension.
Because sometimes people are not reacting to your words as much as they are reacting to what your obedience to God exposes in them and in us, too.
That’s the tension in faithfully following Jesus.
See, faithfulness has a nice ring to it until it threatens our approval, acceptance, belonging and identity with people we deeply care about.
And in that moment, we’re left to wrestling with the question of:
Will I protect comfort at the expense of truth, or trust God enough to stay faithful even when it costs me?
That’s where Esther 3 meets us this week, where Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman, and what looks like one private decision becomes a crisis for an entire nation of people.
How far we’ve come in our day, huh? Our reality is that we may not bow physically, but culture still asks for our heart’s interest to lesser kings—success, approval, power, sex, politics, control, and self.
If that was true for Haman and Mordecai, then it can be true for us, too.
While it may be easy to see ourselves as Mordecai, we must also recognize that our character arc is similar to Haman’s.
Because sometimes we are praying against Haman while quietly acting like him, bowing to lesser kings, in our own hearts where we live, work, and play.
But our hope is not found in bowing to lesser kings. It is found in surrendering to the King of Kings, Jesus, the God who not only saves us from the evil around us but also from the evil within us.
So as we pray tonight, let’s allow and invite God to search our hearts in praying the following:
- For the courage to remain faithful when obedience feels costly.
- For wisdom in difficult conversations and strained relationships.
- For humility to recognize the places where pride rules our own hearts.
- For freedom from the need for approval, control, and people-pleasing.
- For healing where tension, misunderstanding, or offense has created distance.
- For our church to reflect the grace and truth of Jesus in every relationship.
- For hearts across our city, campus, and nations to turn from lesser kings and trust Christ fully.
As we pray, remember this: the tension and friction you feel may not be punishment. It may be God’s invitation to return—from pride, comfort, and fear—to His grace, truth, and trust.
Sometimes the tension we want gone is where God is refining our hearts and realigning our worship, reminding us that Jesus alone holds our lives and our hearts.
So tonight, bring every lesser king before Him. Let Him search us, shape us, and lead us to His heart’s love.
And let’s pray believing that the same God at work in Esther is still at work in us. See you at 7 pm!
Blessings,
Pastor Alvin and Mallary Brown
alvin@makingamosaic.com :: mallary@makingamosaic.com
P.S. Is there something specific you need prayer for this week? Just reply—we’d be honored to stand with you.
Additionally, we will make space to pray for God to extend His reach beyond the limits of our city and into the world, seeking His wisdom, unity, safety, and provision for the following people and initiatives:
Let’s pray for Campus Missionary Ariana Morgan, who serves at the University of Central Florida with Lake Mary Church. Ariana is passionate about reaching students with the gospel, helping them grow in their faith, and equipping them to impact their communities. She is especially committed to discipling young women to walk in their God-given identity, lead with purpose, and serve others with compassion and truth. Please pray for her ministry and for God to supply all her needs.
Let’s pray for Pastor David Houston, Director of the Churches Department at Every Nation Churches and Ministries, based in Brentwood, Tennessee. He serves churches around the world, strengthening leaders and advancing the mission of making disciples.
Pray for wisdom as he leads upcoming assessment centers, that the right assessors and counselors would be in place. Pray for those who responded to the call at the Go Conference 2026, that they would walk in courage, take faithful next steps, and be well supported. And continue praying for a move of the Holy Spirit across Every Nation churches—that many would say yes to Jesus, with hearts softened and lives transformed.
General Prayer Requests & Updates
That evangelism would grow across Fort Worth, reaching communities and campuses so people encounter the love of Christ and are drawn to His kingdom.
That signs and wonders would accompany the preaching of His Word.
For strong team unity and more laborers to share the work.
For continued financial provision.
For fully funded campus missionaries (two per campus) to reach the next generation at Texas Christian University (TCU), Dallas Baptist University (DBU), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Tarrant County College (TCC), Texas Wesleyan University (TWU) and Tarleton State University – Fort Worth (TSU).
Alvin Brown, the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church Fort Worth, brings over a decade of pastoral ministry experience and more than 20 years of operational and technical leadership expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mallary, and their three children and contributing as a writer to various media outlets.
