This series is a necessary exercise in delving into a very short passage which can be missed, yet has so much significance.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Lk 2:36–38.
“But served God”
The fundamental starting point is here. What caused her to serve God for 84 years? Something very strong came to her, a conviction, a vision, a prophetic word. She is called here a prophetess. Something “prophetic” happened to her. Yet did she prophesy like Isaiah or Jeremiah? No. Her focus was to serve God. How much of our “ministry” is serving God? Are we serving God or our own interests and objectives? Do we dress up what we believe to be serving God but actually we are “fund raising our own way to our objective”? David Wilkerson, in the poignant book, “beyond Cross and Switchblade” spells out the danger of success, to how he strayed into endless TV appearances, and eventually thinking up Kids Town, right beside Disney World, in Florida. How God cut that dead, and how David went back to being led of the Holy Spirit, always brings tears to my eyes. Something about his simplicity and honesty that shines out to me.
We need to go before God and examine what our “serving God” consists of. We might have some surprising feedback from God. It is Anna’s example of such focus, the preparation of the coming of the Messiah, with prayer, fastings and adoration that shines out to me. Did she have a pulpit? Did she preach? NO. She simply spent her days in the Temple. I am sure people supported her daily with food, to keep her going. Many were probably drawn to her example and joined her as the Lord began to speak also to them.
“Departed Not”
The Temple was the place she did not depart from. She probably was not blind to the subtle straying from prayer, to merchandising. Jesus for 2 times, expelled the moneychangers, said “This is a house of prayer for all nations.” How much that establishing in Isaiah, is in Anna’s mind, her focus was not the prayer only, but the place where it should be offered. We can sometimes think that it does not matter where we pray, but it does. Especially in the case of Anna.
It also is important to God in that the Temple was a house of prayer. I am not saying we should lift up one house of prayer, I think in our day the “house of prayer” is where we desire to dedicate, like the photo of Romsey Abbey above, a place of prayer in that place. Set aside and separate.
Anna did not “depart” from her focus. Her focus was on the coming Messiah. It is expected and the implications of it, are massive. There is coming great change. She knows it, surely after years of prayer how she would know it and perceive it. Now after 84 years she touched the object of her prayers, saw beyond the babe, and saw into the spiritual. She did not miss her meeting with the Messiah, because she did not “depart” from her focus. She cut through all kinds of “false responsibilities” to focus on what really was on God’s heart. This is what is fundamental, ministry starts when we prioritize that which is important to God.
“Coming in”
There is a reward to “serving God” and “departing not” that brings her into “Coming in”, at the moment Jesus, in the form of the baby, enters the place of her prayer. It took 84 years for this to happen. Patience and faith all the way. Jesus enters her “place of prayer” as a baby, but for her, because of the way God had moulded her understanding, sharpened her discernment, she saw beyond the small human form to see what God had spoken over 84 years. Our prayer is to prepare for His “Coming in”.
There are various forms of His “Coming in” that are striking. She comes into the place where He enters, a gentle happening, unlike what we see in the picture above, the fire falling and the glory filling the house. Or in Acts 2, when tongues of fire comes upon after a mighty wind, to bathe the Early Church with the Holy Spirit. The encounter is exactly the one God prepares you for. So what is God preparing us for? Only I know in my inner man, only you know.
Once He enters in, our “ministry” ends. Our completion is fellowship with Him present. And we wonder why many fall, because they hang onto ministry as a role, not as a preparation. We must get to know the Messiah in prayer first, then our prayer culminates in our meeting Him at the point of entry.
Concluding words
My chapter in this series here is short and concise because there is no need to enlarge on what is simple and concise in Scripture. I hope you are inspired as much as I was typing this. Let us learn from this woman and be able to not run for “ministry”, in the way we know it today. Let us be content to be prepared for meeting Him as King of kings, Son of David. Let us engage in prayer in such a way that we will recognize Him when He enters our “place of prayer.”
Maranatha!!!
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