READING: Numbers 22-25, Luke 1
Today’s New Testament reading includes the story of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. His father, Zechariah, was fulfilling his duties in the Temple at a time when the people were praying outside. An angel caught his attention and told him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son they would name “John.” They would be the parents of the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah.
I suspect that I’ve often paused too little to meditate on one of the reasons God gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son: “because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John” (Luke 1:13, emphasis added). We don’t know how long they had prayed for a child, but we can assume that such praying marked their lives. They longed for a child, and they longed for Israel to follow God. As righteous people who were “living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6), they received God’s blessing of a child—but they received that gift after praying for a long time. God hears the prayers of His people.
What about you? Are there needs in your life for which you used to pray, but now you’ve stopped? Were there times in your Christian walk when you were much more committed to prayer? Please pray for me that I would always turn to prayer first.
PRAYER: “Lord, thank You for Bible stories that teach us about prayer.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Weekend is for catch-up and review
