A Prayer Not Past Its Sell-By Date
Have you ever thought that your prayers might be past their sell-by date?
Here was a man of God, a priest, faithfully serving before the Lord—burning incense in the temple. According to the Ryrie Study Bible, this was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege for any priest. On that very occasion, the angel Gabriel appeared to him.
Understandably, Zacharias was overcome with fear (Luke 1:12). Perhaps his first thought was, *“What have I done wrong?
Yet this was a righteous man. The Scriptures tell us that both he and his wife Elisabeth were blameless before God (Luke 1:6). He had nothing to fear—especially when the angel came not with judgment, but with good news:
Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard.
But when had he prayed that prayer?
Scripture does not tell us exactly when—but it may well have been many years before, when he was younger (Luke 1:18). Now everything had changed. He was an old man. Humanly speaking, that season of life had long passed. The thought of having a child was no longer even in his mind.
Perhaps he wondered,
*“Has this angel made a mistake? Does he not realise our age?
From a natural point of view, it seemed impossible. His wife Elisabeth was beyond childbearing years—her body, as some might say, past its “sell-by date.”
But heaven does not work by human limits.
You may feel that you have prayed and waited—and that nothing has happened. You may have quietly laid that prayer aside, believing it is too late now.
But God keeps a record of every prayer.
Just because the Lord has not answered in *your* expected time does not mean the prayer has expired. In God’s sight, it is never too late. He is never early, and He is never late—He is always right on time.
Zacharias and Elisabeth had come to accept their situation. They had known disappointment. They had felt the quiet shame of having no child. Yet they did not turn away from God. They continued faithfully, living holy lives before Him.
And that is the lesson.
Do not let delay turn into doubt.
Do not let silence lead you away from God.
Trust Him. Wait on Him.
For the Lord will never say, *“I am too busy today.
Every tear is seen. Every prayer is heard.
Though He is the Lord of all creation—He is only ever a prayer away.
And when God answered that long-forgotten prayer, He did more than give them a child…
He gave them **John the Baptist**—a child with a divine purpose.
A prayer not yet answered is still a prayer heard.
—George –
GOD IS A GOOD GOD
GOD KNOWS GOD LOVES GOD CARES
WRITTEN FOR GEORGES WEB MINISTRIES
24th March 2026