But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. Luke 1:13
An old preacher friend of mine was telling us about the rebellion in his heart before he was saved. Although he grew up in a Christian home, he did his utmost to shut out the influence of his godly parents. That was not easy, because he was compelled to attend every family Bible reading every day, and to listen to his father pray for his boys every day. It was particularly tough to hear the passion in his father’s voice as he prayed for his boys to be saved. As the years went on, my friend said, he was able to get out of attending some of the Assembly meetings, and he managed to elude some of the family devotions through his teenage activities. But he still heard his father’s prayers, on occasion, and he tried to shut them out. But his father became sick, and suddenly died. In his grief at the funeral, my friend heard, not the message of the preacher, but the prayers of his father. He ended his rebellion and trusted the Christ Who his father had been trying to introduce to him. Who knows what a father’s prayers will accomplish, given enough time?
Zacharias must have been weary of his prayer for a son. A long and apparently happy marriage to Elisabeth had produced no fruit from her womb. It was important for Jewish parents to have a son, the most important objective in their lives. Despite the disappointment, Zacharias did not stop praying. Even though it appeared hopeless, he prayed on. Elisabeth’s childbearing years came to an end, and still he prayed. Maybe there was not much expectation in his prayer any more, but he still prayed. This was his prayer as he entered the holy place to burn incense in the temple. This is the prayer than the angel Gabriel told him had been heard. And Gabriel went on to give him some wonderful details about the boy who would be born. After all these years, Zacharias was to see an answer to his prayer that far exceeded his expectations. Despite his initial scepticism, Zacharias must have been so thankful for his stubborn attitude that kept him praying for a son.
We are told that stubbornness is a fault. Sometimes it is. OK, usually it is. But there are some things that require a never-quit attitude, a resolve to never yield or change, a stubbornness that can sometimes go beyond hope or expectation. For example, we must never abandon praying for lost loved ones as long as they are living. We must never cease praying for – and loving – the Lord’s people regardless of frustrations and disappointments. We can never abandon our trust in the validity of the Word of God, despite the seeming triumphs of the enemies of the Lord.
As with Zacharias, God can – and does – still work miracles. We wouldn’t want to miss them, would we? -Jim MacIntosh