When U Pray

I want to believe that if an angel from the Lord came to me, I would be open to whatever he asked. When I look at the Virgin Mary, I’m amazed. Out of nowhere, an angel appears and says:

“Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus.”
Luke 1:30–31 ERV

And Mary, in her innocence, responds:

“How will this happen? I am still a virgin.”
Luke 1:34 ERV

The angel answers her exactly the way you’d imagine a heavenly messenger would:

“The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35 ERV

Somehow, this makes sense to a young, untested woman who has never been with a man but clearly knows the God of her ancestors. And her response is breathtaking:

“I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!”
Luke 1:38 ERV

Now look at Zechariah. Same angel. Same God. Same lineage of faith.

“An angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah… ‘Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy… you will name him John.’”
Luke 1:11–14 ERV

But Zechariah responds differently:

“How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is also old.”
Luke 1:18 ERV

He knew the stories. He knew the miracles. He knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet his unbelief shaped his outcome:

“You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen… because you did not believe what I told you.”
Luke 1:19–20 ERV

Imagine that—one angel, two people, two responses, two outcomes.

If that same angel visited twenty of us today, I believe he’d get twenty different reactions. We’re all in different places in our walk with God and in our ability to believe His word. Some days I am steadfast and immovable, trusting God with everything. Other days I wonder, Is God tired of me? Will He handle this too? Should I figure this out myself?

What about you? How will you respond when God gives you instructions for your life? Will you answer like Mary or more like Zechariah? Does your response depend on when God asks? What He asks? Why He asks?

Or will you trust Him simply because He already has a plan?

“I know the plans that I have for you… plans to give you hope and a good future… You will search for me with all your heart, and you will find me.”
Jeremiah 29:11–14 ERV

So the real question becomes:
What will YOU do?