Luke 1:21-25

“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 realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."’

Elizabeth remained in seclusion for 5 months into her pregnancy. Why? I studied what some pastors thought on this subject…and they just don’t know. But, what many really think is at the heart of Elizabeth’s act of seclusion was a desire for time to truly praise and worship the Lord. She knew that the Lord is the one who did this…and He had taken away her disgrace among the people.

Elizabeth worshiped God! She knew that He alone was the One who answered her prayers. She also thanked Him for taking away her disgrace among the people. She was never disgraced before God…but He took away the disgrace she endured among those around her. But, remember that He did not do this when she was young…she was well along in years. Even though God had asked her to wait on Him timing for many years…she knew that God was the One who had answered her prayers.

Today, remember that God always hears your prayers. There may be some things you have prayed for years about that the answer has not been revealed to you yet. Perhaps you feel today that God simply isn’t listening…that He doesn’t really care about what you pray. He does hear. He does answer. Maybe not when we want Him to or how we want Him to…but He does answer. We must be like Elizabeth. She saw that God had answered her prayers and she took time to worship Him.

If it were many of us, we may have run right out into the streets to show off our answered prayer. Sometimes we are so thrilled that we never stop to worship the God who provides miracles every day. The One who shows us favor and removed our disgrace by the blood of Jesus Christ! What amazing reasons to worship!

Take some time today to worship God in answered prayers. It’s wonderful to share the answers to your prayers with those around you in joy, but never forget to take the time to worship the One who answered. Truly we should worship each day and all day, because we know God always answers our prayers. It may be with a “no” or a “wait”, but He does answer. Let’s worship the God who answered the prayer of our souls and showed us eternal favor and removed the reproach of sin in our lives! What a glorious answer to our cry from sin!