Connecting Point: Unanswered Prayers Answered

Throughout history, countless unanswered prayers are spoken, some trite and many others sincere from those who honor God. What are some

unanswered prayers you have? In time we may get discouraged, thinking God doesn’t care or is somehow inattentive. We may feel that Heaven’s hotline is shut down or out of service. Sincere and selfless prayer is a very intriguing subject. Do we simply wish God to be our “sugar daddy in the sky” and give us everything we ask for? Or is God quite the opposite, just the Great Creator who cares little about our lives? He’s neither, God is just and answers prayers as he sees fit and in his time.

In Luke Chapter One, we are introduced to a couple, Zachariah and Elizabeth. They were older and had no children, which, in the Jewish culture, was basically accepted as a disgrace (verse 25). Despite those factors, this couple sought to honor the Lord. Luke describes their character, “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly,” (Luke 1:6). Please don’t insinuate that they were perfect, as no one other than Jesus was sinless. Zachariah and Elizabeth were faithful to the Jewish customs and practices. They had an unanswered prayer; for many years they longed to have a child. As a physician, Luke knew a little something about childbirth, he most likely delivered and cared for many babies, as well as others. Interestingly, this couple caught his eye to include them in the first part of his eyewitness testimony regarding Jesus.

For a moment, allow me to explore with you some principles of prayer. Of course, these are not exhaustive because there are many more taught in the Bible.

One: Prayer is more about a life of dedication than mere words, practices, or phrases. Zachariah, as a priest was accustomed to various forms of prayer and practices, this situation is rather unique though. He was chosen by lot (like a draw) to burn incense in the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple.

Such a duty was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for priests. Certainly, he put some thought into his prayer on this special occasion, most likely prayers for the nation of Israel. The point is, Zachariah and Elizabeth were dedicated people even though their personal prayers went unanswered for many years. At an unexpected time and occasion, God uniquely answered this couple’s prayer. In fact, their son John had a distinct purpose for his life, “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the

hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” (Luke 1:16-17).

Two: Prayer is about trusting in God’s timetable. Not only did Zachariah and Elizabeth wait decades for an unanswered prayer, but the nation of Israel also awaited the Messiah for over 700 years dating back to Isaiah’s prophecy. Sometimes God says “yes,” other times “no” and often “wait.”

Have you ever struggled with God’s timing? I sure have! God doesn’t always give us everything we want, that can be for good reason. However, we should take into consideration our level of dedication and trust in God. Unanswered prayers are good for our “faith muscles,” challenging our character to grow deeper.