Be careful what you pray for He is listining!

Luke 1:5–26 NKJV

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

God the Father has a plan for the world and that plan is His primary concern. We call God the Father’s plan for the world the will of God. inside God’s will is the life of the believer. Father God knew what His plan was from the beginning and He knew how your life fit in it. in short, no matter what your life looks like, if you are a believer, He is working it out in you.

Luke 1:5–17 NKJV

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The Lord knows what He is doing and He knows when He’s doing it.

Luke 1:6–7 NKJV

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

Acts 1:7 NKJV

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Much of the time we get it twisted. We don’t realize that Just because we want something at a certain time or season in our lives dose not mean we get it in that time or session.

Just because your not getting what you think belongs to you or what you are due doesn't mean that we have done anything wrong. it just means The Lord’s purposes s have not yet lined up with my calendar.

Read Luke 1:6-7

scripture even clues us into that it was not Zacharias or Elizabeth that where in the wrong

The Lord set them aside for Marry to hide.

He set them aside to be the parents of the First Evangelist of the New Covenant.

He set Elizabeth aside to mentor to the woman who would raise the deliverer of the universe.

she changed the diapers of The King of Kings.

she whipped the noise of the one who would cast out legions, healed the sick, calmed the storm.

she washed the hands of the one who would write in the sand and forgive the condemned.

she fed the one that would feed tens of thousands.

she taught him who would walk on water to walk.

Father set Elisabeth aside to be Mary's discipleship leader.

in order for God to do this with Elizabeth, He had to bless her out of season.

what about you and I? Maybe God didn’t say no to what you asked him for, maybe he just said wait. maybe what God has for you is better then what you even know to ask for.

Ephesians 3:20–21 NKJV

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The Lord has a tendency to show up and wreak your plans.

From Malachi to Luke is more than 400 years since a message from God has come directly to a person in this way.

Zacharias was not expecting an angel to deliver a message from God to him of all people.

he was standing in a once in a life time opportunity to find that God was blessing him to save Isreal.

God has grace even when I don’t know how to respond.

Luke 1:18–25 NKJV

18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

many times, we are critical of biblical people because we know how the story ends. we know that we have not handled our own stories well. even when we give our own testimonies its then that we see what God did.

if we where to ask the people who knew us when we where going through they would not agree that we where as cool and put together as we like to act like.

Zachariah maybe didn't want to open up old wounds with his wife.

so that he would not say the wrong thing God muted Him.