Are Prayers Like Seeds?

Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John. (Luke 1.13.)
 
In this dramatic scene the angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias the priest who just happened
to be offering sacrifices in the Holy of Holies for first and only time in his life. He had been
randomly chosen. Gabriel relates a stunning bit of information. He tells him to rest easy because
his prayer (singular) is going to be answered! Hurray! Elizabeth is going to become pregnant
and have a son!
 
Wait a minute! Zacharias and Elizabeth were old. They had been married for decades. Yet the
angel spoke as if the deal was done. In fact he names the baby and begins to share details
about all of the things that John would accomplish. Did you notice the list?
 
● He will be great before the Lord.
● he will be filled with the Holy Spirit
● he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
● he will go before (the Christ) in the spirit and power of Elijah
 
As the angel takes a breath Zacharias blurts out a question, “How do I know that what you are
telling me is really going to happen?” (my translation).
 
This “prayer” the angel spoke of probably had not been uttered in ages. Zacharias had probably
prayed it not long after his wedding date. He had most likely continued for several years all of
the time hoping that God would grant him the privilege of having a baby boy. But had he kept up
that prayer for sixty to seventy years? I seriously doubt it.
 
Why my doubts? I know how I pray. If I see a need I might pray it through. If I am in the middle
of a situation that is beyond my control I might keep up the prayer chain for several weeks or
months. However, after awhile I realize that God’s answer is NO. So I stop praying.
 
I think that my skepticism is proven by Zacharias’ question. He could not believe that what
Gabriel was saying was really going to happen because he had stopped praying about forty
years earlier. He had given up the idea as his body aged. There would be no baby,period. End
of story.
 
Gabriel, however, almost seems offended by Zacharias’ question. He assures him that the
transaction would happen and because he doubted he would be mute for the nine months of
Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
 
That prayer had laid in suspended animation for years. It was like certain seeds that need just
the right conditions to begin to sprout. Even though Zacharias had given up all hope the seed
had been planted. It was about to spring to life with a very unlikely answer. There would be a
baby in this aged couple’s house.
 
Do you have any seeds seemingly dormant in God’s prayer garden? Take heart! You just might
be as surprised as Zacharias and Elizabeth when that prayer is answered. Don’t give up hope.
For with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1.37)!