Incendiary Prayers.

Zechariah was chosen to offer incense on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It was a day when righteousness was paramount and prayer was enjoined by all. Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.(Luke 1:8-10)

Zechariah was visited by none other than Gabriel, the archangel who stands in the presence of God, ready to relay messages from our glorious King. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense... The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news." (Luke 1:11 and 1:19)

Zechariah was heard when he offered his prayer request to God. Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John." (Luke 1:12-13)

Zechariah was promised that his son would be a source of joy not only for himself and his wife, but for all Israel. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. (Luke 1:14-16)

Zechariah was given prophecy concerning his son's ministry calling. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

Fast-forward to 2012...

We are chosen. "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." (Ephesians 1:4)

We are visited. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)

We are heard. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (First John 5:14-15)

We are promised. "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (Second Peter 1:2-4)

We are given prophecy. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)

There is a corporate prayer pending, one that we asked our Father during this past Sunday's sermon: "Lord, what would You have me to do?" God heard us. I pray that when He responds, He will find His people rejoicing instead of refusing.

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! (Hebrews 12:25)