Responding to Answered Prayer

¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. ¹¹And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹²Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John….¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”  Luke 1:10–13, 18 (NASB95) 

Sometimes it seems that you can pray for something so long and so earnestly, that when you finally do get an answer, it is hard to believe. 

I love the opening account in Luke’s gospel of this man. Zacharias is described as a righteous man, walking blamelessly before the Lord in regard to all of the Law. What a testimony! His wife also was devout in every respect; however, even though they had been faithful, the answer to their heart’s prayer eluded them for many years. (Luke 1:6-7). It was in the course of Zacharias’ performance of Temple duties that God’s message came through. Zacharias was thrown at how to take the news. After all, he had prayed that same prayer for a son or daughter perhaps thousands of times. A couple of quick observations: 

• First, don’t give up praying. The answer may be closer than you think. 
• Second, God’s delay is not necessarily His denial. 
• Third, your desperation does not deter God’s able response. There was no physical explanation for how Zacharias and Elizabeth could conceive. It was practically and even physically impossible…except for God. 
• Fourth, stuff happens when people gather to pray. Did you notice that the people were assembled outside when Zacharias heard the answer. They were all praying together. 
• Finally, God’s will was not derailed by Zacharias’ lack of faith. If a lack of faith could stop God from bringing about His will, the world would be doomed. 

*This devotional first appeared 03.19.2021 as part of the e-connect series at Englewood Baptist Church