And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.
God responded in a surprising way when Zechariah struggled to believe Him after He sent an angel to tell him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son. That’s understandable in a way, because they were way too old to have children. But God had spoken. And Zechariah questioned. That was a problem. Because of his lack of faith, God made him unable to speak until the baby was born.
This story teaches us that the way we respond to God’s promises is very important. When we pray in faith, believing He will answer, we are not to stop praying and then go about our business, wondering if He heard us and if He will move on our behalf. We are to keep our faith strong, expecting Him to answer, and we are to think and speak in agreement with our expectation. He is a God who keeps His promises and answers prayer, and He wants us to keep this truth in the forefront of our minds.
When you are praying about something, don’t let doubt enter your heart and weaken your prayers—or cause you to forget about them. Instead, let your confidence in God reinforce your prayers as you trust Him to answer at the right time and in the right way.
Prayer of the Day: Father, when I pray, help me to reinforce my prayers with faith and expectation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
