Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.

Luke 1:11-13 (NIV)

 

We must learn to pray with hopeful expectation.

Despite being childless for a long time, Zechariah never gave up believing God for a child. Imagine his surprise when the Angel Gabriel told him that God has heard his prayer and will soon give him a son.

Our prayer life reflects how much we truly believe and trust God for everything. Again, it is not about how “long” or how much we “pray,” but about how our prayers are answered in God’s time and way.

We are to pray without ceasing and not be discouraged even when God is slow or silent. The delay does not imply that God is not working on your behalf. Our stories are intertwined with God's story of salvation in Jesus. This means that God is always working to bring His eternal purpose to pass in our lives and the lives of others.

Make prayer an open and continuous conversation with God. We grow in faith by making it a habit to ask and receive from God. The more we draw from Him, the more we are draw to Him.

Like in the case of Zechariah, God can still surprise us when we think He has forgotten about us. Learn to be faithful to God and hold fast to His promises, even when we are in impossible situations. Then we will arrive at a place where we are so fully persuaded by God’s perfect love that we have nothing to fear but everything to gain.