You are probably familiar with the story of Zechariah praying in the temple (Luke 1:5-25), and the angel saying to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”

But have you ever asked yourself the question: What was John praying for? We normally think he was praying for a child (he and his wife Elizabeth were childless), yet I wonder whether that was the case …

When the angel gives him the news that his wife was to have a child, he basically tells the angel: “Don’t be daft. You’ve got it all wrong!” If he had been praying for a child, surely he would have been open to the possibility of his prayer being answered?

Zechariah had been chosen “by lot” to represent the people as he took part in the twice-daily incense offering. Such a thing happened only once or twice (if at all) in a priest’s lifetime and was seen as a great honour. Given the significance of such an honour, is it likely that on such an occasion he was bringing to God such a personal request? I’m sure he and his wife did pray about their lack of a child, but that on this occasion he prayed for his nation and God’s blessing upon his people. And it was a prayer that God heard and answered – his son, John, was the one who, in time, urged the nation to repent and be ready for Jesus.

It is not wrong to bring to God our personal agendas – God wants us to do this, but there is a real danger that our prayers look like a shopping list rather than a time to listen to what God has to say to us. “A person wrapped up in himself makes a small parcel.”

As we move on from Easter – the event that makes our faith real – then we need to seek God’s vision not just for ourselves; not just for our church – but also for our nation and the wider world. It may seem arrogant to expect God to answer such prayers, but it seems to me that if we allow the focus of our prayers to move away from ourselves and on to others, then we may find a few surprises along the way – just as Zechariah was surprised all those years ago.