Faithful in Prayer

How did Anna know this child was the salvation of Israel? She spent so much time in prayer that her eyes of her soul were open, and God granted her to see beyond physical sight. Anna’s desires were shaped by her devotion to prayer and her communion with God. If we would devote ourselves more to prayer, we might be amazed at the things we see—or see differently.

Anna’s persevering prayer was answered. It does not say what Anna exactly prayed for all those years as a widow, but her exuberance in seeing the child Jesus gives us a clue that the salvation of Jerusalem and the restoration of God’s favor to His people was probably at the top of her list. The grief of losing her husband did not weigh her down in passionately seeking for God’s Kingdom. In fact, it may have spurred it on even more. With no care left to give to her husband, she was able to focus all her attention on a powerful ministry of prayer in the Temple.

How many of us pray for anything so earnestly and enduringly? We are tempted to give up praying after repeated intercessions and our requests seem to go unnoticed or unheard. We struggle to pray with pleading faith. Maybe we have allowed the weight of difficult circumstances or losses to cause a drought in our prayer life, when the burdens of our human condition should spur us on thirst in prayer to God even more.

Anna knew that the salvation of Israel was promised. She did not know the time of its fulfillment, but she kept praying and persisted in praying. Maybe there were days that her patience was tested to the point of doubt, but she kept imploring heaven because she could not shake off her hope in the promise. Are we praying for the Lord Jesus to come again as He promised? Are we longing for that day of His return so that we will meet it joyfully when it comes (2 Timothy 4:8), or will we be caught off guard because we were too busy longing to make ourselves at home in exile?

Prayer

Father, I confess that I am inclined to treat prayer as something I find time to do rather than the life that I live. I struggle to keep praying in my troubles when it seems there is no answer or no answer right away from You. Teach me to pray like Anna with patience and persistence, as long as it takes until the answer is clearly shown.

Come again, Lord Jesus, as You promised. I pray that I would be found prepared, faithful, and ready to receive You at Your return with resounding joy because I have lived my life in this world, not as an end, but as preparation for the end—the end of exile in a fallen world to an abundant and perfect eternity with You. Your return will finally heal all brokenness, restore the world to perfect justice, forever free me from the burden of struggling with sin, suffering, and doubt, and unite me with the whole family of saints in love—when imperfect faith shall at last become perfect sight. Come again, Lord Jesus.

Amen.