How many times, friend, have you prayed, and it has seemed like God has not even heard you, let alone answered? How many times have you cried out to God, distracted and frustrated, and then years have gone without an answer or a nudge? And then one day, you suddenly realize God has answered, and He really has heard you?
Revelations tell us that in heaven, there are “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” That means every single prayer you and I have ever prayed is collected and stored in a heavenly space, waiting for God to answer or waiting for the right time for God to answer.
We see this beautifully portrayed in the Christmas story, specifically in the life of Zechariah.
The story can be found in Luke chapter 1. Zechariah was a Priest and belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. He and Elizabeth, his wife, descended from the line of Aaron (Moses' Brother). Luke tells us three specific things about them as a couple:
1. They were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the laws and commands.
2. They were barren because Elizabeth was not able to conceive.
3. They were very old.
We cannot overlook these important details because they matter as part of the story.
One day, Zechariah was chosen while casting lots to go into the temple to burn incense, as was customary. This was not a quiet affair. Worshippers would have gathered outside the temple to worship and pray as he was inside. The Jewish leaders thought and taught that the smoke from the incense made the people's prayers rise to God, so this was an important affair. The altar of incense he was tending is described in a word from God in Exodus 30.
But on this day, while Zechariah was tending to the incense, an angel of the Lord appeared to Him and said,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”
This wording is fascinating! Luke made it clear the couple was old. Any prayer they had prayed to have a child would have ceased long before. The couple came to terms with the barrenness and were somewhat content.
No doubt in their child-rearing years, when they realized 2, 3, or 10 years into marriage, no child was coming, they had pleaded with God, spent time in the temple, fasted, and worshipped. But still, no child was conceived. In their world, barren women were looked down upon and scorned. Bearing children was seen as a woman’s role; if she could not, she was deemed a failure. It was considered culturally that barren women held current or past sins, flaws, or hidden wrongs. For Elizabeth, this would have been torture and, no doubt, hard for Zechariah to watch.
Yet, the first words from the angel’s mouth were, “Your prayer has been answered.” How wonderful to see Revelations 5:8 in action. Friend it will never matter what prayer you pray, be it audible, silent, through gritted teeth, or tears, God hears it. God is busy answering your prayer. Sometimes instantly, but always in His perfect timing.
Galatians 4:4 uses this beautiful phrase about Jesus’ birth:
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
The Jews waited approximately 4,000 years for Jesus' birth. God knew, in the fullness of time, Jesus would come.
The same is true for Zechariah's prayer. He prayed, and in the fullness of time, God answered that prayer by sending forth a baby to be born of his wife's womb. God was opening Elizabeth's womb for a baby with a very special plan and purpose.
The angel told Zechariah:
“And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
This baby would be John the Baptist, who would go before Jesus to prepare the way.
Zechariah was unsure of how this would happen and was in disbelief when Gabriel, the angel, silently told him he would not speak until the baby's birth. When Zechariah left the temple, his voice was gone. Those outside worshipping realized he had seen a vision but could not understand it. He completed his service at the temple and then went home to his wife, who became pregnant.
This old couple, long gone in years to bear a child, was now seeing a womb opened, and a baby would soon be born. This baby would be named John. In Luke, chapter 1:40, we read a beautiful verse as Mary comes to see Elizabeth. Luke tells us:
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
What a marvelous moment between these two unexpectedly pregnant cousins.
Eventually, Elizabeth gave birth to the baby. In Luke chapter 3, we read more of the life of John the Baptist. After John was born, Luke wrote that Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people.
He has sent us a mighty Savior
from the royal line of his servant David,
just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
He has been merciful to our ancestors
by remembering his sacred covenant—
the covenant he swore with an oath
to our ancestor Abraham.
We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.
“And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.” - Luke 1:68-79
Fifteen years into the reign of Tiberius Caesar, God spoke to John the Baptist, and he began to preach a message of repentance, the forgiveness of sins, and started to baptize, fulfilling the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3-5:
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness, prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
John was clear in exhorting the good news of a messiah and was confident in his position as the one who would lead the way. Luke 3:16 records his words:
“I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John knew his place and owned his position, leading many to be baptized and repent.
What can we learn from this faithful couple who birthed a son even in old age?
Simply put, God is always listening to our cries and hearing our prayers. He protects them, and at the right time, He will answer. Make no doubt about it. If Zechariah can teach us anything, it is that even when we think it is beyond the date of being possible, God is the God of the impossible things.
This Christmas, think back over the prayers of the past and allow this little section of the Christmas story to build up faith and hope that one day God will answer you and you will see the goodness of God in the land of the living!
Photo Credit: SWN Design
