HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THIS?
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 give him the name John...Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "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 proper time." Luke 1:13, 18-20
"Do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard!" Praise the Lord! God has heard you praying, pleading, asking Him to rescue and save your husband or wife or your prodigal children from the temptations of this world. I trust you have been praying that your Lord will heal, resurrect and restore your dead marriage, as well as many other marriages around the world for God to get all the glory.
Do you really believe that your Lord hears and answers your prayers? Examine your heart and let me show you what can happen when you start to doubt God's power.
Do you believe in miracles? I do and I have seen God's divine intervention in our family's lives over and over again. Our Lord God is a God who does miracles all the time. Do you see them?
The American College Dictionary meaning of miracle is: "An effect in the physical world which surpasses all known human or natural powers and is therefore ascribed to supernatural agency; a wonderful thing; a marvel." Sounds like marriage restoration should be a miracle! I heard a pastor say that in a sermon!
Today I want to ask if you are like Zechariah as told in Luke Chapter 1. This is one of my many favorite teaching scriptures especially at Christmas time. Zechariah was a priest and was serving in the Temple for possibly a two-week period. He was going before the Lord into the Holy of Holies to burn incense.
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 give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:13-17
Gabriel, the angel, wanted Zechariah not to be gripped with fear, but to trust Him. The Lord loved Zechariah so much that He sent an angel to tell Zechariah that his prayer had been heard.
Your Lord also wants you to know He hears your prayers. The Lord is hearing you cry out to Him! Believe in the power of prayer! How many times does your Lord speak and show you answers to your prayers? Ask your Lord to open your spiritual eyes and ears so that you can see and be aware of the answers to your prayers and God's divine intervention in your and your spouse's life. Believe and have faith in your Lord God. Trust Him!
You are probably thinking, "If I had a visitation from an angel telling me that my prayers have been heard, then I would believe.†Beware! Would you? I know that many standers, more than you could imagine, have had dreams, visions or "rhema" words that just leaped off their page in the Bible giving them signs and messages for their marriages, or God speaking to their hearts, so that they knew it was GOD speaking to them. Have you cried out to the Lord to confirm one more time that He wants you to stand, and you see a license plate with a message just for you? Have you allowed doubt and unbelief to come into your heart to steal God's answer to your prayers?
Let me ask you, "Are you standing strong for your miracle today? Are you believing and knowing that it is just a matter of God's perfect timing for your marriage to be restored?"
Zechariah and his wife had been praying for a child for many, many years. They were now very old. The angel continued to tell Zechariah the details of the "good news" that his wife would have a baby. But Zechariah did not respond like the angel thought he would.
When you hear from the Lord through a scripture or in other ways, how are you responding? Are you thanking and praising the Lord that He has spoken to you? May I suggest you write down on the computer or a journal all the scriptures or signs that you have received! You will be surprised. Why are you doubting? Zechariah had a glorious, majestic angel standing and talking to him, but regardless of this special visitation, Zechariah asked a very foolish question.
"How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." Luke 1:18
Can you imagine what the angel was thinking? Here he was an angel giving a very important message to Zechariah from God. Only Zechariah did not believe! When God speaks to you, do you believe? Do you recognize His voice, His messenger? Beware! Thank God for His mercy and grace since Jesus Christ died on the cross and God gave us the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to guide and to direct our lives.
The angel answered, "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 proper time." Luke 1:19-20
Do you believe or are you battling doubt in your heart? May this scripture speak a warning that you need to repent to your Lord for your unbelief. I believe that you and I must walk in faith and in victory, ready to receive answers to our prayers.
Yes, I know the enemy can attack your mind, but pull out that sheet of paper or your journal notebook and read the scriptures out loud. I believe your faith will increase in your heart as God’s Word increases your faith. Dear stander, fear God to know that there are consequences to doubt and unbelief when the Lord keeps telling you over and over again. Can you trust in the Lord for His perfect timing?
This may be your hardest lesson to learn, but you must learn this forever. When your Lord speaks to you, showing you His will and way, "Do not go the opposite way!" There are consequences to disobedience. Zechariah was speechless for the next nine months.
"When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son...On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. Luke 1:57, 59-66
What a powerful scripture for you to ponder and pray about. God does speak to His children, but you and I must listen and believe. The enemy is going to try to give you fear, doubt and unbelief, but you just keep your eyes on your Lord. Do not say to your Lord, "How can I be sure of this message? How can I be sure that my marriage is going to be restored?" Remember, Elizabeth bore a baby who became John the Baptist, who was chosen to be the prophet preparing the way for the Messiah. Today will you choose to answer and believe as Mary responded:
"For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:37-38
Believe and obey,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
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 give him the name John...Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "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 proper time." Luke 1:13, 18-20
"Do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard!" Praise the Lord! God has heard you praying, pleading, asking Him to rescue and save your husband or wife or your prodigal children from the temptations of this world. I trust you have been praying that your Lord will heal, resurrect and restore your dead marriage, as well as many other marriages around the world for God to get all the glory.
Do you really believe that your Lord hears and answers your prayers? Examine your heart and let me show you what can happen when you start to doubt God's power.
Do you believe in miracles? I do and I have seen God's divine intervention in our family's lives over and over again. Our Lord God is a God who does miracles all the time. Do you see them?
The American College Dictionary meaning of miracle is: "An effect in the physical world which surpasses all known human or natural powers and is therefore ascribed to supernatural agency; a wonderful thing; a marvel." Sounds like marriage restoration should be a miracle! I heard a pastor say that in a sermon!
Today I want to ask if you are like Zechariah as told in Luke Chapter 1. This is one of my many favorite teaching scriptures especially at Christmas time. Zechariah was a priest and was serving in the Temple for possibly a two-week period. He was going before the Lord into the Holy of Holies to burn incense.
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 give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:13-17
Gabriel, the angel, wanted Zechariah not to be gripped with fear, but to trust Him. The Lord loved Zechariah so much that He sent an angel to tell Zechariah that his prayer had been heard.
Your Lord also wants you to know He hears your prayers. The Lord is hearing you cry out to Him! Believe in the power of prayer! How many times does your Lord speak and show you answers to your prayers? Ask your Lord to open your spiritual eyes and ears so that you can see and be aware of the answers to your prayers and God's divine intervention in your and your spouse's life. Believe and have faith in your Lord God. Trust Him!
You are probably thinking, "If I had a visitation from an angel telling me that my prayers have been heard, then I would believe.†Beware! Would you? I know that many standers, more than you could imagine, have had dreams, visions or "rhema" words that just leaped off their page in the Bible giving them signs and messages for their marriages, or God speaking to their hearts, so that they knew it was GOD speaking to them. Have you cried out to the Lord to confirm one more time that He wants you to stand, and you see a license plate with a message just for you? Have you allowed doubt and unbelief to come into your heart to steal God's answer to your prayers?
Let me ask you, "Are you standing strong for your miracle today? Are you believing and knowing that it is just a matter of God's perfect timing for your marriage to be restored?"
Zechariah and his wife had been praying for a child for many, many years. They were now very old. The angel continued to tell Zechariah the details of the "good news" that his wife would have a baby. But Zechariah did not respond like the angel thought he would.
When you hear from the Lord through a scripture or in other ways, how are you responding? Are you thanking and praising the Lord that He has spoken to you? May I suggest you write down on the computer or a journal all the scriptures or signs that you have received! You will be surprised. Why are you doubting? Zechariah had a glorious, majestic angel standing and talking to him, but regardless of this special visitation, Zechariah asked a very foolish question.
"How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." Luke 1:18
Can you imagine what the angel was thinking? Here he was an angel giving a very important message to Zechariah from God. Only Zechariah did not believe! When God speaks to you, do you believe? Do you recognize His voice, His messenger? Beware! Thank God for His mercy and grace since Jesus Christ died on the cross and God gave us the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to guide and to direct our lives.
The angel answered, "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 proper time." Luke 1:19-20
Do you believe or are you battling doubt in your heart? May this scripture speak a warning that you need to repent to your Lord for your unbelief. I believe that you and I must walk in faith and in victory, ready to receive answers to our prayers.
Yes, I know the enemy can attack your mind, but pull out that sheet of paper or your journal notebook and read the scriptures out loud. I believe your faith will increase in your heart as God’s Word increases your faith. Dear stander, fear God to know that there are consequences to doubt and unbelief when the Lord keeps telling you over and over again. Can you trust in the Lord for His perfect timing?
This may be your hardest lesson to learn, but you must learn this forever. When your Lord speaks to you, showing you His will and way, "Do not go the opposite way!" There are consequences to disobedience. Zechariah was speechless for the next nine months.
"When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son...On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. Luke 1:57, 59-66
What a powerful scripture for you to ponder and pray about. God does speak to His children, but you and I must listen and believe. The enemy is going to try to give you fear, doubt and unbelief, but you just keep your eyes on your Lord. Do not say to your Lord, "How can I be sure of this message? How can I be sure that my marriage is going to be restored?" Remember, Elizabeth bore a baby who became John the Baptist, who was chosen to be the prophet preparing the way for the Messiah. Today will you choose to answer and believe as Mary responded:
"For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:37-38
Believe and obey,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
