Zachariah also was stubborn. He believed he was going to be a daddy some day. It had never happened. But day after day, week after week, year after year he prayed for a child.
By now Zachariah was an old man. But still he prayed for a child. People just laughed at him because he was now too old.
One day Zachariah was in the Temple alone. He was praying for two things. He was praying for God's promised king of peace to come. He was also praying, as usual, for a child.
Suddenly an angel appeared to him. He had a wonderful announcement. "The king of peace you've been praying for will be born soon," the angel said.
Then the angel said something else exciting. "You will have a son of your own soon, and you will name him John. When he is grown up, he will introduce Jesus, the king of peace, to the world."
At first Zachariah did not believe something so wonderful could be true, so the angel said that, as proof, he wouldn't be able to talk until his baby was born.
Zachariah went home and had to write a lot of notes to his wife explaining why he couldn't talk. He also told her they were going to have a baby the following year.
Finally their baby was born ~ a little boy. They had a special ceremony for him and announced his name. Everyone thought he would be named Zachariah Junior. They were wrong.
Zachariah wrote, "His name is John." Then, just as suddenly as it had gone, he had his voice back again! He told everyone how wonderful God had been to him and his wife, Elizabeth.
He excitedly told his friends that when his son was grown, he would announce the new king of peace to the world, Jesus.
Zachariah was very old when his son was finally born. So he probably was not alive when his son finally announced the coming of the king, Jesus. But his whole life he knew it would happen some day.
Are there things in your life you have prayed for a long time and still haven't received? Did it make you feel like God is not listening to your prayers?
Be stubbornly patient. Just keep praying. God may answer your prayer now. Or he may answer it after you are all grown up. He may even answer it when you are old and wrinkled. Never give up!