“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’”  

- Luke 1:13

Delay is not the same as rejection.

God answers prayers according to His time, not ours.

No doubt, Zachariah prayed for children and prayed often.

After many years, he might have thought that his prayers were in vain.

My guess is, at this stage in life, Elizabeth was long done with hearing his prayers—the longing for a child was too painful, too real.

Yet, when Zachariah gives up all hope of being a dad, an angel appears and tells him, "your prayer has been heard... you will bear a son."

Zacharias' prayers had not been forgotten.

Let this be a lesson to us this Christmas—every time we kneel to pray, we do not kneel in vain!

The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer.

We offer our prayers knowing that “God has listened... that He has attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:19).

God's delay is not God's rejection. Keep praying.

Today's Reflection & Action:

What, or whom, have you stopped praying for? Why?

Start praying for that person or that thing again. Start today. Start right now. God answers, in His time, in His way.

Faithfully,
Pastor Chris

Paper Sunday is blessed to collaborate with Chris Harper on this Advent Devotional Series.

Chris Harper is a speaker, writer, and disciple-maker. Chris is President of 252Edu, a consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas. Chris serves schools, churches, and non-profits by helping them "grow in wisdom, favor and stature with God and man.”

When not taking ground for King Jesus, you can find Chris on the basketball court playing a pick-up game. Chris is a sneakerhead, an avid reader, and loves a good cheeseburger. You can follow him @252consulting on Instagram.