Your Prayer Has Been Heard!

Do you have a cup of coffee? or hot cocoa? Do you like stories? I love stories...especially at Christmas. The romanticist inside of me, loves even more, to put myself in the story....to pretend I am the character. Can you join me on a little journey for a few minutes?

Imagine that you are a Hebrew woman living in the days right before Christ's birth. You have been raised in the traditions of the faith. You understand the elements of worship that God ordained in the tabernacle - that He loves the prayers of his people. He instructed that incense be burned by the priests, continually, to represent our constant prayers that are a pleasing aroma to Him. You are a noble woman who loves God - in fact, so noble that a priest chose you as his wife.

You know, as all good Jewish couples know, that a fruitful womb is a sign of God's blessing. But God has chosen to not open your womb? Oh, how you've prayed. Oh, how you've begged. Every time you go in public, you feel the shameful glances of the moms around you who God has blessed with children. What must they think of you? What must they think you've done that God hasn't blessed you with a son, much less any children at all.

You feared for years that your husband was disappointed in you - that maybe he regretted choosing you as his wife. If you could just give him a son.  However, as time has passed, your husband has proven his love to you over and over again. Not only does he share your burden, but he shares your prayers. Together you have pleaded with the Lord, over and over again to give you children - to remove your shame among your peers and fill your home with the laughter you hear coming from your neighbor's homes.

But many years have passed. You are old now. You both are. There seams little hope of this prayer ever being answered. In fact, you've kind of quit asking. What would be the point? The answer is obviously "no."

Then....one day, your husband comes home from "work" absolutely and literally speechless. Why? Because today was his turn to burn the incense. Today was his turn to do the duty that represented the constant prayers of the people being offered up to God. But today - today was oh, so different. For when he entered the temple, the angel of the Lord stood right there by the altar of incense, and said, "Your prayer has been heard!"

 ⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.  ⁸Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.  ¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard." Luke, chapter 1

What prayers have you been offering over and over to the Lord and don't feel you ever have an answer? How many times have you heard "wait" or "no" and just keep asking? Have you given up? Do you have the courage to ask one more time, knowing that God is never too late?

With the kids: Kids understand persistence way more than we do. When we say "no", they rarely give up easily. They generally keep asking over and over. We can't always change our answer. Sometimes it simply isn't best. They may not understand, but we know they will one day. How does that relate to your prayer life. Can you have the same trust in God that you hope your kids will have in you?  Sometimes it is out of our power to say "yes" to our kids. We simply can't fix the situation...but we can challenge them to turn their persistence to the One Who hold the universe in the palm of His hands.

As Christmas approaches, consider sharing new parts of the Christmas story with your kids, that are less familiar. Try practicing the art of simply sharing the stories of Jesus with your kids while doing everyday activities - since "story time" may not always happen.

Memorizing: "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." Luke 1:12-13