Luke 1:5-20
 
Will you still have belief in the day that he answers?
 
Zacharias, who is an appointed spiritual leader in his community (v. 8-10), nonetheless was surprised and gripped by fear when he saw the angel of God. This exemplifies how God can still surprise us, despite years of walking with him, and show us something that can turn things upside down. God can show up in ways that we're not comfortable with; he's not done revealing himself to us in unexpected ways.
 
As individuals and as a body, we've been fasting and praying - but we need to ask ourselves, are we ready for our prayers to be answered?
 
Even though Zacharias' petition has been heard, when the angel finally comes, it's almost like Zacharias is saying, 'What prayer?' by his doubt and unbelief. For Zacharias and Elizabeth, the petitioning took 20-30 years and then their prayer was answered.
 
We need to remember and have faith that God answers prayers. We shouldn't give up - any prayer prayed in the will of God will be answered. So the question becomes, how do we pray the will of God vs just praying things just in our flesh?
 
The good news is that we can pray the will of God without even knowing it. (Romans 8) God intercedes on our behalf, so even if we don't know the true longings of our heart, the Holy Spirit knows. If we press in and press through, even if words don't come, the longing itself is enough. God sees the desires in our hearts, and because he loves us and knows his plans for us, those plans can come to fruition.
 
God doesn't tell us everything at once because he wants us to spend time with him. He wants us to be hungry for him and desire him. If we get the blueprint with all the answers, we're likely to just take off and not wait on God. But there's so much he wants to show us through the process, rather than revealing just the one promise or answer.
 
When the son of Man Comes, will he find faithfulness on earth? Despite Zacharias' doubt, it didn't thwart God's plan; but Zacharias didn't enjoy it. So will you be ready when God answers?
 
When you've gone ahead with the blueprint and you need to come back to journey with God, one way to do so is by cultivating a heart of thanksgiving and worship. Worship even in the midst of uncertainty. In faith, praise him before the release. It's powerful how it changes the atmosphere, the mindset.