There are some women in the Bible who are mentioned numerous times. Others, only mentioned once. A few are not even spoken of by name, but events in their lives are still given as examples to us, either for good or for bad. This blog post will be the first of many to come which will highlight women in the Bible we can learn from!
Anna
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;
Luke 2:36-28
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.
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.
Anna is only found this one time in scripture. We see in these verses that she is an aged woman, who has been a widow for 84 years, and was married to her one true love for only 7 years before he passed away. She now spends her life serving God. So what can we learn from Anna’s life in 3 short verses?
Faithful
Luke 2:37 tells us that Anna served God with fasting and prayers day and night, and never departed from the temple. Anna absolutely must have been considered faithful! She would have been a good friend to have if you wanted your burdens lifted before the throne of God in prayer! I would imagine, since she was always at the temple, that she performed many jobs there as well. Whether it was sweeping and preparing for visitors, or an even bigger more meaningful task, surely she wanted to be available to do whatever was needed for the glory of God. I can’t help but compare my faithfulness to Anna’s, and find myself lacking! She was an older woman, and still made much time for prayer and fasting, and had energy to do things daily for the Lord.
Thankful
Luke 2:38 says Anna gave thanks to the Lord. In spite of what could easily have been a traumatic life experience for her (getting married and 7 short years later having her husband die), she still gave thanks to God. What a close relationship she must have had with her Lord. Anna was a true prayer warrior, and this verse just goes to further prove that fact. She spent her days in prayer and thanksgiving to her Savior!
Witness
Anna spoke of Jesus to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. She made sure to share the gospel with anyone she came across who was seeking atonement and deliverance. Do I take the time to talk about my savior to everyone who is in need?
My prayer is to make my life more like Anna’s. I want to pray more, be more grateful, and be a better witness to those who are hungry for redemption!
