Are You Praying for the Impossible?

An elderly man moves silently about his priestly work in the inner chambers of the Temple. His name is Zechariah, and he has been chosen by lot to perform the priestly duty of interceding for the nation and offering incense and prayers to God. It is a high honor. Many priests would live their entire lives and never be chosen for such a task. Zechariah would only get to perform this priestly function once in his life. While he is inside offering prayers for the nation, a crowd has gathered outside the inner courts and is praying for him. They were interceding for the intercessor. Now there’s a concept.

As Zechariah moved about inside the Temple, the inner court was suddenly flooded with white light and Zechariah realized that he was in the presence of an angel. Needless to say, he was terrified. It seems that the angelic messenger brought unlikely news: But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John,” (Luke 1:13).

Now that may not seem like such a big deal, certainly not one meriting angelic announcement. Couples find out every day that they’re expecting without any fanfare whatsoever. But this was obviously no ordinary pregnancy. Scripture tells us that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were well beyond their child bearing years. Besides that, Elizabeth’s womb was barren. She had never been able to bear children. For a woman in First Century Palestine, few fates could be worse. Much shame and scorn fell upon a woman who could not preserve her husband’s name through childbirth. Elizabeth and Zechariah were facing the end of their lives without having the ability to do anything about their childlessness.

But did you catch what the angel said? Just before he announced that they were to be proud parents, he said, “Your prayer has been heard.” What prayer? Had Zechariah and Elizabeth been praying for a child? Had they been patiently asking God to end Elizabeth’s barrenness and to give them a baby? Apparently so, because the angel declared that their son would be born as a direct result of their requests to God.

Knowing that about Zechariah and Elizabeth makes me like and respect them even more. Can you imagine anything bolder, anything more daring than asking God to give an elderly couple a son? These two “believers” had the spiritual gumption to not only believe that God could open a closed womb, but that he would do it. These weren’t God be with Tom and God bless Joe pray-ers. They knew what they wanted; and even though it was humanly impossible, they had the audacity to ask God for it.

You have to admire their faith. No doubt they had heard the accounts of God granting Abraham and Sarah a son in their later years. They knew that God had done such a thing before, and they were just courageous enough to ask him to do it again. They were asking God to do something that they could not, something only he could, and something that would no doubt be registered in the “miracle” department when he came through.

Think about your prayers. What are you asking of God that only he can do? Are you seeking that which could only be registered in the “miracle” department when it happens? In short, are you asking big? If you were really sure that God hears and answers your prayers, would it change the way you pray? And, do you believe that we should ask big things of God? Is he pleased or put off when we seek the miraculous from him?

The Bible teaches that such praying is neither arrogant nor irresponsible. In fact, both Testaments of the Bible endorse the principle of praying big. It’s the kind of praying that the Old Testament leaders and heroes engaged in. It’s the kind of praying that Jesus both modeled and encouraged. And, it’s the kind of praying that we need to practice.

Do you make big asks of God? Don’t be timid in your prayers. Prayer should be as big as God’s promises and as full as God’s resources. Your requests should require the full power and provision of God.–From The Power of Praying Boldly

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