Fear Not: For Your Prayer is Heard

No wonder this is called “The Holy Place.”

I'm breathless.

Hushed.

I’ve only heard of the beauty and sacredness of this place.

I don’t deserve to be here.

A priest. But I quake to be this close to His Majesty.

I’ve prayed to Him.

For many years, I’ve prayed.

He is holy. Good. Just.

But has He heard my prayers?

Elisabeth is barren.

We wanted a family.

We prayed.

And stopped praying.

Did He even hear?

Suddenly, a brightness next to the altar!

No one warned me of this.

An angel?

“Fear not, Zacharias.

For your prayer is heard.”

He tells me my wife will bear a son, even in her old age.

The Messiah is coming.

And our son will point the way to Him.

We prayed.

He heard.

Years later, He gave something better than what we asked.

Zacharias and Elisabeth’s prayers had been heard.  

Their first prayer for a son.

And every prayer after that.

And when they stopped praying, their prayers weren’t forgotten.

Instead, God gave them something they never prayed for. Their son would be the promised forerunner. He would point the way to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

For years, God didn’t answer their prayer, because He had a purpose far deeper and more meaningful than the particular thing they were praying for.

God always has a bigger picture in mind than our prayers.

He hears every one.

We can trust the exact way He's choosing to answer.

The message of Christmas is . . .

FEAR NOT.

Do not be afraid.

For your prayer is heard.

Click here to listen to The Fear Nots of Christmas.