From Fear to Alignment
God doesn’t just give people a front row seat to His work; He calls us into participation with Him.
Read Luke 1:26-38
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.”
38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
When God reveals and calls, prayer can be a conversation with many movements. Like Mary we may move through fear/agitation, and inquiry/dialogue, before we get to relinquishment/alignment.
Mary is agitated by Gabriel’s greeting. vs. 29
Mary inquires, “How will this be?” vs. 34
Mary aligns herself with God; “I am the Lord’s servant. Mary your word to me be fulfilled.”
Others have been through these movements as well. Daniel, Moses, Gideon, Zechariah, even Jesus. Like Zechariah we may need months to get there. Like Mary we may “get there” quickly.
Notice how the movement in prayer is towards “Yes Lord, may your Word be fulfilled.” However, the “movement” is not necessarily about resolution but is instead about relationship: being with God.
Explore this movement in prayer further.