Here’s a portion of this morning’s Lectio365 devotional. I can relate to Zechariah. How about you?

Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years.’ The angel said to him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.’ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realised he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
Luke 1:18-22 (NIVUK)

“Zechariah still has a question: ‘How can I be sure?’ How much more proof does he need? God has heard him. I wonder, is it more important to pray faithfully even if I don’t always have what feels like faith? Do I pray for things that I don’t really believe will happen? Or do I pray prayers which are so vague that I would never know if they have been answered?”

Lord, help me to be faithful in prayer. Prompt me to keep praying, and may I have courage to pray bold, outrageous prayers, even when the answers seem impossible. Lord, I do believe. Please help my unbelief. Amen.