Luke 1:67
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

Just as Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit, so was Zechariah. Zechariah’s Song is a prophecy which was spoken under the enlightening inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah could never have said what he did by his own natural powers. It was the enabling of the Spirit that produced these prophetic words.

As is the case throughout this chapter, we have “Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον,” without the definite articles. This fact makes “Holy Spirit,” a proper noun.

A proper noun is a noun that in its primary application refers to a unique entity, such as London, Jupiter, Sarah, or Microsoft, as distinguished from a common noun, which usually refers to a class of entities (city, planet, person, or corporation).

This is the Name of the third person of the trinity! Luke is not speaking of some spook or ghost! He is speaking of God!

“And prophesied” is simply added. It states the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. To prophesy is not only to foretell the future or to speak in exalted language which resembles psalms, but it is to understand the will and the acts of God in their inner connection and to reveal this connection for the hearers in their present situation and as regards the future.

Anyone who is moved by the Spirit in the ordinary way may prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1) “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.”

Here Zachariah is speaking under the extraordinary influence of the Holy Spirit. He was granted for the time being a special gift so what is spoken is by inspiration and bears the very word of God.

Mary’s psalm is a monologue, and, while it also speaks of God’s deeds, it only presents them with praise; Zacharias addresses God in the third person, and his presentation of God’s deeds is strictly speaking of God’s plan of salvation. Mary spoke a prayer; Zacharias a sermon in prophecy.

How would you describe God’s ongoing work in the world today?