And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. – Luke 1:18, KJV

John the Baptist led a fascinating life, and the story behind his birth is just as fascinating. Born to parents well beyond child-bearing years, he was a miracle child, just like Isaac was to Abraham and Sarah. He was also an answer to prayer, and therein we find a wonderful example of God’s willingness to be faithful even when man has given up.

Luke 1:13 makes it clear that Zacharias and Elisabeth had prayed for children, most likely for years, to no avail. Luke 1:18 makes it clear that, when they became too old to bear children, they gave up on their request. (Why else would Zacharias be so stunned when Gabriel told him that their prayer was being answered?) No doubt they thought, just like we all would, that it was useless to pray for something which is naturally impossible. “So,” I’m sure they decided, “why bother God anymore with a request that is obviously not His will?” Yet, in this case, it was God’s will that they have a son. It was God’s will that they have a son in a miraculous way, which is why they had to wait until they were too old, without God’s intervention, to have children. Their request, therefore, wasn’t in discord with God’s will; their timing was just a little off.

Too often we give up hope in our prayers, choosing on our own to stop asking for what we have determined is contrary to God’s will. When we do so, we fall into the same trap Zacharias and Elisabeth did, thinking that if God hasn’t met our timetable, it must not be His will. We need to remember that God’s timetable usually doesn’t coincide with ours, so we ought to keep praying for that greatly desired request even when our human hearts want to give up hope. With God all things are possible. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that in the hum-drum of daily living, and our relationship with God suffers as a result.

If we do give up hope and stop asking God for that which we once believed was in His will, at least we can take comfort in the birth of John the Baptist. If we do stop asking for that which is truly in God’s plans for us, God will still bring it to pass, despite our giving up. And, just as He did for John’s parents, He will do so at the time that is best for everyone involved.