Anna the prophetess: A great Intercessor

The Israelites were given several regulations by God. These included the purification rites. The books of Exodus and Leviticus give details about this regulation.
Exodus 13: 12, 14-15- You are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’
Leviticus 12:1‭-‬4- The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
Mary had to go through these rites after the birth of Jesus.

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage (Luke 2:36).

Luke records that “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22‭-‬24). While in the temple, Mary and Joseph met two people who confirmed the Messiahship of Jesus: a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. We shall focus on Anna in this post. This is how Luke’s gospel describes Anna: Luke 2:36-37 – “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

First we are told that Anna operated in the prophetic ministry. The prophetic ministry demands a deeper intimacy and relationship with God. Anna spent years developing and shaping her ministry. Anna was from the tribe of Asher and was the daughter of Penuel. At the time Anna met baby Jesus, she was eighty-four years and had been a widow most of her life because her husband died seven years after marriage. You might consider Anna as a sad woman, but she was not. Scripture says that Anna occupied herself day and night in the temple. She was fasting and praying even at eighty-four years. She was busy with matters of God’s agenda. She wasn’t sad and melancholic. She wasn’t bedridden. She wasn’t seeking to be pitied. For most of her life, Anna was interceding for the nation of Israel. She was just an old widow but she fasted and prayed until God answered her prayers.

At the same time Mary went to the temple for her purification, Anna was also at her post doing what she does best. Anna didn’t leave the temple until she met the Saviour she had been praying and longing for. Luke 2:38 (NLT) states that “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” Imagine how long Anna prayed for the Saviour. Anna and Simeon saw what the priests could not see: that Jesus is the Messiah. Intimacy with God opens one up to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Anna never saw herself as too old to pray. She kept doing the same routine (prayer and fasting) over and over again until she saw God’s redemption.

Dear reader, Intimacy with God is not a Sunday affair. It is a lifetime experience. Don’t give up because you prayed for a year and what you wanted to see didn’t happen. Keep pushing. The whole nation of Israel looked forward to their redemption but only two intercessors were actually in the temple praying and expecting their prayers to be answered. You might be that person God is counting on to pray for the redemption of your family, your community and your nation. Don’t stop praying!