Angel Tea - Pastor James Hooper

Devotional

Day 1: Righteous life can still hold unanswered prayers.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were described as righteous and blameless, yet they lived with the pain of barrenness for years. This shows that doing everything right doesn't always mean instant answers; God hears and remembers prayers even when time stretches beyond human expectation. The hope is to trust God's timing and keep serving faithfully while He works behind the scenes. [02:31]

Luke 1:5-7 (ESV)
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Reflection: What is one long-standing prayer you have quietly carried that you’ve begun to assume God forgot? Name one practical habit you will adopt this week to remind yourself to trust God’s timing rather than your own schedule.

Day 2: God answers prayers when you least expect it.

Zechariah was simply doing his priestly duty — a normal, routine day — when an angel interrupted with the news that God had heard his prayer. God often breaks into ordinary moments to fulfill what He has promised, so staying attentive in the everyday is part of receiving His surprises. Expect God to show up where you are already faithful. [07:19]

Luke 1:11-13 (ESV)
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Reflection: When have you been “just doing your job” and later recognized God’s unexpected interruption? Describe one concrete practice you will use this week to stay alert for God’s interruptions in ordinary routines.

Day 3: God prepares and empowers people for His mission.

John’s calling came with markers of consecration: a Nazirite-like life and filling of the Holy Spirit from the womb—God often prepares people in surprising ways and timing. The Spirit’s work begins where God wills, not where human expectations demand; preparation and empowerment can precede public ministry. Lean into the process God is using to ready you for what He’s called you to do. [12:19]

Luke 1:14-17 (ESV)
“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Reflection: What one spiritual habit or discipline would help align you with the purpose God seems to be shaping in your life? Choose one practical first step you will take in the next seven days to begin that habit.

Day 4: Words have power; unbelief can silence blessing.

When Zechariah questioned Gabriel, unbelief brought a consequence—he was rendered silent until God’s promise came to pass. God honors speech that trusts and builds life; careless doubt can hinder and even shut down testimony temporarily. Be intentional with your tongue: speak faith, not skepticism, and practice words that set the atmosphere for God’s movement. [16:28]

Luke 1:20 (ESV)
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Reflection: What hopeful, faith-filled sentence will you practice saying when doubt tempts you to speak fear? Commit to repeating that sentence aloud each morning this week until it becomes your first response.

Day 5: God remembers desires and answers in His timing.

Elizabeth chose to hide her pregnancy and let God develop the blessing privately rather than parade it before those who had mocked her. God does not forget the desires of your heart—even small ones—and often answers them in ways that shape your character and bless others. Be strategic about revealing God’s gifts; let them mature in you so they carry value and purpose. [11:28]

Luke 1:41 (ESV)
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Reflection: Who around you would be helped if you received God’s blessing quietly and developed it before showing it off? Name one specific way you will steward a new blessing privately this month so it truly blesses others when revealed.

Sermon Summary

I opened with “spilling the tea,” not as gossip, but as angels spilling the truth. In Luke 1, Zach and Liz—Zechariah and Elizabeth—are righteous, blameless, and old. They’ve lived with the ache of unanswered prayer and the quiet shame that came with barrenness in their culture. And yet, on an ordinary day, doing ordinary priestly work, an angel steps into the incense-lit holy place and says, “Your prayer has been heard.” God remembers prayers we stopped praying decades ago.

The angel names the assignment: a son called John, set apart by a Nazarite vow, filled with the Holy Spirit even from the womb—before Pentecost, before our categories. His calling will run in the spirit and power of Elijah, preparing a people for the Lord. Zechariah, overwhelmed, questions how this could be at his age. Gabriel answers by muting him—not as punishment only, but protection. Our words can either steward or sabotage what God is birthing. Sometimes mercy looks like silence until faith catches up.

Elizabeth conceives and then hides for five months. She doesn’t parade the blessing; she lets it settle. Not every blessing is for public consumption on day one. Some graces need a hidden season so God can grow our capacity to carry them. I reminded us we don’t have to coerce God with spiritual stunts. Zechariah wasn’t fasting or in an intercession marathon. He was simply faithful, and God was simply God.

I shared how a childhood desire I’d forgotten—marrying Sharon—was quietly honored a decade later. And I told the story of a simple pocketknife returning after three years, not because it would change the world, but because God delights in the small things that matter to us. If He’s attentive to the little, how much more the deep places?

Here’s the tea: it’s not too late. God is not trapped in our clocks. He knows when the fullness of time arrives, and He knows how to meet us in a normal day. Stay faithful at your post. Guard your words. Discern when to share and when to hide. The One who hears you has not forgotten you.

Key Takeaways

1. Faithful yet facing unanswered prayers Even blameless people carry long disappointments. Zechariah and Elizabeth lived right and still ached, which means delay is not proof of divine displeasure. God heard the prayers they prayed when they were young, and He knew the weight of their public shame. He remembers what you no longer mention. [03:02]
2. God visits ordinary, faithful moments Zechariah wasn’t at a revival—he was on the clock, doing his normal duty. Heaven often intersects the mundane because faithfulness keeps us standing in the place where God’s word can find us. Don’t try to manipulate outcomes; keep showing up. Miracles love routine doorways. [05:29]
3. God is not bound by methods John was filled with the Spirit from the womb—before Pentecost and outside the usual pattern. The Lord tailors His work to the need, not our categories: sometimes He speaks a word, sometimes He touches, sometimes He waits. Hold your theology with reverence and your expectations with open hands. [11:28]
4. Your words steward God’s promises Gabriel muted Zechariah because unbelief can talk us out of obedience. Scripture says life and death are in the tongue; words shape atmosphere and action. Choose to speak hope, and when you can’t, choose silence until your heart can agree with God. Mercy sometimes sounds like, “Zip it.” [17:10]
5. Some blessings require hidden seasons Elizabeth went quiet for five months, letting the gift take root away from noisy opinion. Not everyone will celebrate your answered prayer, and not every testimony is ready on day one. Discernment protects the blessing and forms the character to carry it for others’ good. [21:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - What “spilling the tea” means
[01:43] - Angels “spill the tea” series
[02:09] - Zechariah and Elizabeth introduced
[03:02] - Righteous yet barren
[05:29] - Faithful in ordinary duties
[06:42] - Angel at the altar
[07:19] - Your prayer is heard—John
[10:35] - Nazarite vow; Spirit from womb
[12:19] - John’s mission like Elijah
[14:06] - Doubt silenced; guard your words
[21:59] - Elizabeth conceives; hidden season
[27:01] - Not too late—God remembers
[28:22] - A forgotten childhood prayer fulfilled
[36:35] - A pocket knife and God’s care

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 1:5-25
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty and he was performing his priestly service before God, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19 And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among people."

Observation questions

What do verses 6–7 say about Zechariah and Elizabeth’s moral standing and their life situation? How does this shape your reading of the rest of the passage?
The angel appears while Zechariah is doing his priestly duty on a normal day. What details in verses 8–11 show this was ordinary work, and why might it matter that God chose that ordinary moment? [05:29]
In verses 13–17 the angel gives several facts about the child to be born. List the specific roles, restrictions, and spiritual realities assigned to John in those verses.
Verse 20 says Zechariah would be mute because he did not believe. What immediate outcomes follow in verses 21–25 after he is silent, and how does silence function practically in this scene? [16:28]

Interpretation questions

Gabriel’s announcement that John will be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (v.15) breaks the usual pattern. What does this suggest about God’s freedom to act outside human categories, and how does that influence expectations about how God answers prayers? [11:28]
Gabriel silenced Zechariah “because you did not believe” (v.20). How can divine restraint of speech be both a corrective and a protective response to unbelief, given the biblical idea that words shape outcomes? [16:28]
Elizabeth “kept herself hidden” for five months after conceiving (v.24). What possible spiritual and practical reasons explain choosing a hidden season for a new blessing, and how might that shape the blessing’s later public witness? [21:59]
The angel tells Zechariah, “your prayer has been heard,” after many years of waiting. How should the tension between long delay and sudden fulfillment inform a theology of God’s timing and memory? [09:56]

Application questions

“God remembers prayers you stopped praying long ago.” Identify a long-dormant desire or request in your own life that you have assumed God forgot. What is one concrete step you can take this week to bring it back before God (prayer, journaling, asking a friend to pray with you)? [28:22]
“Heaven often intersects the mundane.” What regular, ordinary place or routine are you called to keep showing up to (work, home, a volunteer role, a neighborhood)? How can you intentionally be faithful there this month so it becomes a doorway for God’s work? [05:29]
“Words steward God’s promises.” Think of a promise or hope that has produced anxiety for you. How might you change what you say about it—either by speaking hope or by choosing silence—to protect what God is doing? What will you practice the next time the temptation to complain comes? [16:28]
“Some blessings require hidden seasons.” Is there a new gift, season, or relationship you should protect rather than publicly display right now? What practical boundaries will you set this season (who you tell, what you post, how you celebrate)? [21:59]
“God notices small things.” Name a small, sentimental desire you once had (a simple item, a childhood dream, a small favor you wished for). How does remembering God’s care for small things change your trust for larger requests? What is one small way you can thank God this week for His attention to the little things? [36:35]
“Faithful presence matters more than spiritual stunts.” What one modest, sustainable spiritual habit (short daily prayer, Scripture for five minutes, serving once a week) will you commit to for the next 30 days to position yourself to meet God in an ordinary moment? How will you be accountable? [05:29]

Sermon Clips

Let's look at that. Stay on that verse for a minute. They were both righteous. They were blameless. But they had no children. You can be doing everything right. You can be living right, doing exactly what you know to be doing, doing the right thing at the right time, and still have unanswered prayers. And this is teaching us that God is always aware of the prayers that you... You know they started praying for kids when they were in childbearing years, when they first got married. And in those days, if you didn't have a child, that meant that you were cursed. [00:02:57] (42 seconds) #UnansweredPrayersHappen

This don't happen. I've done this time after time after time after time. I'm old. He's old. He's been doing this all his life. Ever since he was old enough to walk into the holy place, he's been doing this. Angels ain't never showed up there. He's just doing a normal day. I'm here to tell you, when you least expect it, expect it. God has heard your prayers and he remembers your prayer. He remembers prayers that you stopped praying decades ago. God knows where you are. God knows what you need. [00:09:12] (44 seconds) #ExpectTheUnexpectedFromGod

God has heard your prayers and he remembers your prayer. He remembers prayers that you stopped praying decades ago. God knows where you are. God knows what you need. He knows what you have to have. He knows. He is not forgetful. He does not forget. That's why he says, I know what you need before you ever ask, but ask. Because God already knows, but he wants you to come before him asking what you need from him. [00:09:38] (43 seconds) #GodRemembersYourPrayers

You know this? You know this about God? When things look like it's too late, God's not going, oh my goodness, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? No, no, no. God's living in eternity outside of our time and space, outside of our limitations, outside of our scope and how we perceive things. He lives outside of it going, yeah, but I know what's the right time because I am orchestrating this. [00:15:28] (30 seconds) #GodOperatesOutsideTime

some of us when God blesses us we just go oh telling everybody go to and we haven't developed the capacity to hold on to that blessing it's like the children of Israel God said this is your land I'm giving you this land this is your inheritance this is your land so as we as normal people think oh if it's ours give me give me God says no no no but you have to go fight for it I thought you said you had given it to me yes but you have to go fight for it [00:23:22] (36 seconds) #BuildCapacityForBlessings

it's like the children of Israel God said this is your land I'm giving you this land this is your inheritance this is your land so as we as normal people think oh if it's ours give me give me God says no no no but you have to go fight for it I thought you said you had given it to me yes but you have to go fight for it because he knew what we know that if you give somebody something that they didn't have to put some sweat into give some sweat equity [00:23:31] (37 seconds) #FightForYourInheritance

how many know it was actually against the Levitical law to touch a leper but what do you think somebody that hasn't felt the human touch in forever needs worse than healing they need a touch they need somebody touching them Jesus knew what their soul needed not just their healing they needed their emotions healed God knows what you need and what you have needed all your life [00:35:25] (33 seconds) #HealingIsHumanTouch

listen I believe that God is telling you there has been prayers that you prayed years and years ago some of you married couples you were newlyweds when you you had a dream you had oh we love to do so and so we love to do so and so then life happened all over the place and you got kids and events happened and things happened and stuff happened and you have just given totally up on it and God says I have not forgotten those prayers [00:35:59] (36 seconds) #ForgottenDreamsRemembered

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