Three verses in the book of Luke is all she got; just a quick mention. Anna, an elderly prophetess about 104 years old who never departed the temple. This kind of dedication should at least get her a whole chapter. But, no, just three meaningful verses in Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2:36-38
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Just to give you some context, this passage picks up right at the time that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for dedication as a infant.

There are three big takeaways from this short passage about Anna. First, take a look at the description of her in verse 36. Anna was a prophetess. She was not a fortune teller or a revelator, but rather, a dedicated woman of God who wholeheartedly proclaimed the word of God. Most likely, she sat at the temple teaching the people from the Old Testament and it was probably all from memory. This amazing woman hid the Word of the Lord in her heart so it was always at hand to proclaim to the worshipers at the temple.

As a woman of God, we too can be prophetesses. We can have an impact on our spouse, children, friends, coworkers when we hide the Word in our heart and have it ready at all times. We can confidently speak about Jesus and use His word to bring others closer to Him. What a great responsibility. But, this takes hard work as we study the Bible diligently just as Anna must have done all of those years.

Now, take a look at verse 37. Anna spent all of those years within the temple grounds dedicated to worshiping the Lord and waiting for her savior. I imagine that she didn’t want to leave for fear that she would miss His coming. She didn’t want to miss the big moment! So, she dedicated herself to waiting and worshiping in the presence of the Lord at the temple. We too can stay in the presence of the Lord, waiting for the coming of Christ. Through prayer, worship, Bible study, and a relationship, we are always in God’s presence and power. Let us not get sidetracked and stop waiting. Let us always be dedicated to being in the LORD’s presence.

Finally, it is amazing that Anna didn’t let the things of the world get in the way of her worship. Because she was always in the temple, she was not tempted by earthly things that would take her away from total devotion to God. Rather, she spent her time in constant prayer and fasting. With this activity day in and day out, you can bet that she knew the LORD intimately. This is precisely why Anna just knew Jesus was the Messiah the moment she laid eyes on Him. We too can have an intimate relationship with Christ and know His work when we see it. We too can be devoted to Him, not letting the things outside the temple get in the way of our worship.

Let these few verses be an inspiration to you on LIVING OUT the Kingship of Christ. Anna is an example of a woman with total devotion, complete dedication, and commitment to proclaiming the Word of God. Because of this, Anna was rewarded by seeing Jesus face to face. How cool! One day, we will see Him face to face and be able to worship Him in all His glory. In the meantime, be dedicated to waiting in His presence, be devoted to prayer and worship and be committed to proclaiming His Word!