The Prayer You No Longer Pray

I pray every day. Maybe they are little “popcorn” prayers, quick little requests thrown up to God; “Please protect my family, keep them safe and healthy.” Other times they are longer and more detailed, hopefully including some kind of praise for the beautiful life He’s given me and the incredible gift of sacrifice of His son. And I definitely have experienced miraculous answers. But there are a few prayers I no longer pray. Sometimes I just forget to pray them, or more likely, I’ve moved on after deciding His answer must be no. Maybe it was just too big of an ask. I believe Zechariah did that.

Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth was way beyond childbearing age, so without a true miracle, there was no hope of her ever having a child. But one day, Zechariah was serving in the temple:

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 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 call him John.’” (Luke 1:11-14 NIV)

A favorite sermon I’ve heard expounded on this passage, stating the extreme likelihood that Zechariah had stopped praying for a child many years ago and that Gabriel was essentially saying, “The prayer you no longer pray has been heard.”

I find myself thinking a lot about this concept of God hearing the prayer I no longer pray, this idea of Him keeping this kind of prayer file cabinet with my name on it. I feel so cherished and remembered when I think about this. Who else could ever know me like that?

I know I can rest in the knowledge that the God of the universe has heard my prayers. Maybe His answer is no, maybe His answer is wait, or maybe His answer will be yes someday. But in the meantime, I can trust and find comfort in knowing that even the prayer I no longer pray is always remembered by my heavenly Father.

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