Morning by Morning, December 16 - "Your Prayer Has Been Heard!"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with my Father, One with the Holy Spirit. Come be One within me today, I pray (John 17:21). ...
"But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard!" (Luke 1:13)
Zechariah and Elizabeth longed to have a child. And like every mother and father, they longed for their child to make a difference and leave a legacy. But "Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years" (v. 7). So they prayed. And even as Zechariah was "serving as priest before God" with the high honor of being chosen to "enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense," he continued to offer up to You the deepest prayer of his own heart (v. 9).
And You answered. You sent Your angel to speak to his heart that You heard his prayers. He and Elizabeth would have their child, their miraculous birth they had longed to see before they passed from this world. They would have a son and he would have significance. As You encouraged them and blessed them through the angel: "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord!" (v. 15)
Even before his birth, their son, John, would be "filled with the Holy Spirit;" and he would "turn many people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he (would) go before (You), to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (v. 15-17).
No doubt this was a measure of the fulfillment of Your Word through the prophet Isaiah, spoken centuries before: "Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord!" (Isaiah 54:1).
Thank You for answering Zachariah and Elizabeth's prayer. Thank You for giving birth to the one who would "prepare the way of the Lord" (Luke 3:4 fulfilling Isaiah 40:3). You put that prayer in their hearts for them to pray, along with the persevering faith to continue to pray until it came to pass. You are the God who declares, "I Am the One who answers your prayers and cares for you.... All your fruit comes from Me" (Hosea 14:8).
Put Your prayers in my heart to accomplish Your purposes through my life. Give me the grace to persevere in faith until I see it come to pass - all in Your time and all in Your way. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
May you fervently pray, in the persevering faith that God supplies by the power of His grace, the prayers the Lord puts into your heart to pray to fulfill His purposes through your life. May you see every one come to pass, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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