Unlocked Devotional: Christmas DevotionsSample

ELIZABETH: MOTHER OF THE MESSENGER

Have you ever wondered if God is listening to your prayers? Or felt like everyone else has had their prayers answered but you? You are not alone. In Luke 1, we meet Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, who is married to Zechariah, a Jewish priest. They were devout worshipers who had been married many years, praying and longing for a child. But now they were too old to have children. 

Elizabeth must have experienced so much anxiety and rejection because descendants were such an important part of her culture. But God was working His good kingdom purposes: at just the right time, the Lord gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a miraculous child. That child was John the Baptist, the chosen messenger of the Messiah. He would lead others toward Jesus, the only salvation from sin and death. 

God’s answer to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s prayers was extraordinary. Elizabeth did not have an easy life—the shame of being childless for so long, a doubting husband who lost the ability to speak for several months (Luke 1:11-20), and being the mother of a child who was God’s messenger and would one day die a terrible death (Matthew 14:1-12). But God heard her prayers, and He was at work through it all. 

So whether God answers your prayers with a no, yes, or wait, you can know He will answer and He is working His good kingdom purposes—to bring salvation to all who put their trust in Him (Romans 8:28-30). 

– Cindy Lee

THINK ABOUT IT

Have you waited a long time for a prayer to be answered? 

As Christians, what are some promises we can rest in as we wait for our prayers to be answered? (Check out Romans 8:26-30, Hebrews 4:14-16, and 1 Peter 5:7.) 

KEY VERSE

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.” Luke 1:13 (NLT)