Sometimes our lives are defined by a single prayer. It may be a prayer for a child, as was the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25). It may be a prayer for healing or deliverance. It may be a prayer for prosperity, as was the case with Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
Think about your prayer. Look at what the Lord did. Zechariah and Elizabeth could no longer have what they longed for. They were too old. Their dream had died. It may be that you can no longer lift your face heavenward. Maybe your dream has died.
Think about your prayer. Zechariah and Elizabeth endured so many years of silence. Pleading with God. Faithfully obeying His commandments, yet moving through life with a silent cry of anguish. No response. Nothing. Where was God?
But God hadn’t given up. How long had God planned the miraculous birth of John the Baptist? Let me suggest it was planned from the beginning of time.
Our grief, our lack, our pain, our need, the betrayal and impossibilities we have experienced—none of these have escaped God’s notice. His solution—our miracle—is already on the books. When our miracle shows up, we make some discoveries, just like Zechariah did: God’s plans are bigger than ours. God hasn’t forgotten, and He hasn’t stopped caring. What God does for us isn’t just for us alone. It has a ripple effect that will touch people all over the world.
This is an excerpt from my latest book, A Beautiful Christmas. There’s a video that goes with the book that I think you’ll love. (Scroll down when you get to the page.)
