Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. (Luke 1:13)
I was overjoyed to accompany my wife to her pregnancy ultrasound for our second child. This time, we were yearning for a boy. When the doctor applied the gel to my wife’s belly and started to press the device, my heart was pounding at the thought of having a second daughter. The doctor reported that the baby did not want to spread its legs so he could see the sex. After one final attempt, he asked me, “What sex were you hoping for?” I hesitatingly replied, “A boy.” And the doctor shouted out, “Good guess! It is a boy.”
As Zechariah and Elizabeth grew old, they had undoubtedly lost all hope of ever rearing a child. Just when they were least expecting it, the angelic announcement came as the good news and answer to their consistent prayers. God’s answer unveiled not only the child’s gender and name (Luke 1:13) but also the child’s mission as Jesus’ precursor on earth. God revealed all this exciting news without an ultrasound test. Far beyond their expectations!
God knows better than we do all our needs, aspirations, and plans. It is enough to address him with our prayer requests on behalf of his Son. We just need to be patient. His answers will come when we least expect them and in the way that best fits his plan.
Remember, God’s answers to our prayers in Jesus’ name are beyond expectations.
Handy Calixte is an ordained pastor of L’Église Wesleyenne d’Haïti. He likes writing about various biblical topics. He and his wife, Johane, have three children.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
