Who You Gonna Believe??

Luke 1: 18-25  (NLT) (Copy and pasted from studylight.org)

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I know this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years."

¹⁹Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! ²⁰And now, since you didn't believe what I said, you won't be able to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly come true at the proper time."

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out, wondering why he was taking so long. ²²When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures that he must have seen a vision in the Temple sanctuary.

²³He stayed at the Temple until his term of service was over, and then he returned home. ²⁴Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. ²⁵"How kind the Lord is!" she exclaimed. "He has taken away my disgrace of having no children!" 

Just prior to this passage, in verse 13, Gabriel had said to Zechariah that his prayer had been heard, and that his desire for a son was to be fulfilled. I have to ponder all the prayers I have sent to God that have not come to pass...yet.  One of the most common prayer sent to God by most Christians would likely be salvation prayer for our loved ones.

 I am reminded of the most dramatic answer to prayers that I know went out perhaps 60 years prior to the answer, and that was the salvation of the man I call Uncle Bill.  He was the uncle of a friend of mine, who received salvation as a very old man, on his deathbed.  His wife had preceded him in death and she had prayed for his salvation their entire marriage.

It is not hard to identify with Zechariah's disbelief.  Often in our human frailty, we look at the flesh and not the miraculous.  Yet,  Gabriel was astounded that Zechariah doubted.  Gabriel's attitude was like,
 " Look dude! I came from the face of God!!! You think I came for my own benefit? Are you that faithless??  Dude, if you can't speak words of faith and gratitude, you won't say anything at all for the next nine months!" 
I think I want to grasp the intensity of Gabriel's words, and apply that intensity to my faith in God.  Jesus told us that whatever we ask in His name it will be done for us, when we abide in Him. (John 15:7)

Do we really believe that? Do we need Gabriel to show up to tell us our prayers have been heard?  (Though I think that would really be cool!!) 

I am thinking that our words really need to be words of faith.  When we know we have been heard and that the answer is on its way, the proper response is, "Thank You!"

Pray with me:  Father forgive me for all the times I have doubted Your words to me. I place my life in Your hands. Thank You for always hearing my prayers.  Thank You for the answers that are even now being sent.  Thank You for the answered prayer that I may not see in my lifetime, but You are faithful. It will be glorious to see the results of our prayers on the other side!  In Jesus' name, amen.