Very often, details about women in the Bible go unmentioned. I feel no offense as a woman. Women clearly play an important part in the world, whether details are mentioned or credit given. Just think about it—without women, there wouldn't be life! Biologically, only a woman can give birth to a child. That's pretty significant! This isn't meant to minimize men's importance.
We all matter, and even small details about obscure men and women in Scripture can inspire and teach us. Each of us has a purpose in life, with God giving us important tasks. Some life situations may seem minor, but every detail is important. Maintaining a dedicated prayer life is crucial, aligning with our purpose as followers of Christ. We’re going to explore the importance of a committed prayer life through two stories from the Bible.
Story #1: Elisabeth and Zacharias
The Bible describes Elisabeth and Zacharias (John the Baptist’s parents) as “righteous before God” (Luke 1:6 KJV). Isn’t that beautiful? Does that mean perfect? Never made mistakes? Better than others? I doubt it. The next description is precious: they “walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6). I find this significant, especially in today's culture, where commandment keeping is considered antiquated and legalistic. God placed a sacred trust upon them because of their obedience. They simply loved God and obeyed His commandments to the best of their ability. All God asks is that we obey Him in love (John 14:15, Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Although obedient, this lovely couple was infertile, which was seen as a curse at the time. They didn't get their heart's desire—a son—until they were old. Despite their age and weariness, they never gave up hope and kept praying earnestly. When the angel came to Zacharias, he said, "Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John, and thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth” (Luke 1:13-14 KJV). Zacharias told the angel he was an "old man" and his wife was "stricken in years," yet God heard their prayers (Luke 1:18 KJV).
Clearly, they never stopped praying, and God granted their hearts' desire. Not only did God give them the son they prayed for, but He blessed them with John the Baptist—whom Jesus himself said "among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11 KJV). They had a committed prayer life. What a lesson for us! Are you seemingly barren? Is your life dry, as if you keep asking for something important with no response? Keep praying. Is your life hard? Keep praying. Are your hopes and dreams fading? Keep praying!
Story #2: Anna the Prophetess
In Luke 2, we meet Anna, an obscure prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. As a virgin, she was only married 7 years before becoming a widow. For the next 84 years, instead of remaining in grief or looking for another spouse (neither of which would be wrong), she stayed in the temple to serve God. The Bible says Anna didn't even leave—it became her home. Being in God's presence became her desired residence. She served with fasting and prayers day and night. Now that's a committed prayer life!
My math isn't good enough to calculate how many hours she spent fasting and praying over 84 years. But clearly it was a lot. Do you think she impacted others? Were there undocumented miracles she played a part in? Only heaven will tell. Anna had found her purpose: to stay before the Lord on behalf of Israel, fasting and praying. That's commitment. We have no other details about her, but I'd bet God used her in miraculous ways to make a difference in everyone who entered the temple every single day of her life.
Call to Action
We live in a society where everything is in your face on social media. Some people do very little without posting a picture, blog, or video. There's nothing inherently wrong with that. But imagine if we quietly committed ourselves to praying fervently to God, day and night. No fanfare. Just unwavering commitment. What a difference we'd see in ourselves and for others! What an impact on our world! Will you join me in asking God to give us a more committed prayer life today?
