The Story of Anna in Luke 2:25-38
Key verse: Therefore, you should pray
like this: Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as
holy. Your kingdom come.
it is in heaven.
Anticipate: “to look forward to” or “expect”
I remember the day in 1982 when a group of women asked me to teach on prayer. I am ashamed to say what I thought: “How boring! Why don’t we study prophecy or something more exciting?” But that request opened the door for the Lord to change how I viewed prayer.
First I learned that I avoided prayer because I feared intimacy with the Father. After that realization, confession and repentance became my sure path to renewing the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51) and experiencing sweet communion with the Lord and with others. Our first study was What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Christenson, and we saw God work great and mighty deeds as we interceded for each other.
Prayer chains formed, and we began meeting on Mondays at noon to pray; as we fasted from our lunch meal, we discovered our souls were satisfied through corporate prayer. We also began praying for unreached peoples in Central Asia and the Middle East in our women’s Bible study groups. Our understanding of the world enlarged and our vision of God’s glory grew! Our church faced financial challenges as we expanded rapidly, and our fel- lowship hosted days of fasting and prayer to seek God’s plans. We learned to pray God’s Word back to Him using prayers from Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, the Apostle Paul and Jesus our Lord. We also learned to wait for God’s timing, even if we never saw the answer in this world (Hebrews 11:1, 39).
The story in Luke’s Gospel of Anna’s service through prayer encouraged me then and now. Anna spent her days praying and fasting, anticipating the coming of God’s promised Messiah. Then one day she heard Simeon’s blessing of Mary and Joseph and found herself face to face with the baby Jesus! He was the fulfillment of all her years of waiting expectantly. Like the widow in Jesus’ parable on persistent prayer, Anna waited and did not quit praying. Prayer is work! Anna’s life inspires us to serve our King through prayer and fasting — which are keys that open doors to God’s glory being known among all peoples.
Day One
WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
Prayer is a learned activity. Jesus’ disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray. They observed His intimate relationship with the Father. As Jews, they would have prayed ritual prayers and had days of fasting. But they saw something different in Jesus’ prayer life, and they wanted it! Are you asking, knocking and seeking to deepen your prayer life? Jesus is a master teacher and everything we need to know is there in His promises. The test of faith is this: Will we grow weary of waiting on the Father’s timing, or will we continue to pray with persistence and faith?
With anticipation we wait for our coming King, and in preparation we pray for the nations to worship! One day in celebration we will welcome the King of kings and worship with people from every tribe and tongue.
1. Read the following story from Luke 2:25-38.
There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel. (verses 29-32)
His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about Him. Then Simeon blessed them and told His mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed — and a sword will pierce your own soul — that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
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WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
2. As you read the story, what did you learn about Simeon? Who
was he and what characterized him?
3. What was he waiting for?
4. What was the work of the Holy Spirit in Simeon’s life?
According to Leviticus 12, a woman was ceremonially unclean until seven days after the birth of a son. Circumcision and naming took place eight days after birth. For a month longer the woman could not participate in religious services. After that time a sacrifice was offered to remove her uncleanness and to dedicate the first-born son to God “according to the law of the Lord.” In verse 27 we are told, “His parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law.” As the aged Simeon holds the baby Jesus in his arms, he sings a song of praise.
5. Read the song in verses 29-32 out loud. Why does Simeon ask
God to dismiss him?
6. What has Simeon seen in Jesus?
7. What has God prepared in the presence of all peoples?
8. Read Isaiah 9:2, 6-7. What did the prophet Isaiah say about
people living in darkness?
WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
9. In Isaiah 9:6-7, we read about the long expected child who
would come to reign on David’s throne as King. How would you
describe the King using words from Isaiah?
10. Simeon was waiting for the “consolation of Israel.” After years
of suffering and oppression, Israel yearned for the comfort of a
deliverer who would set them free. Do you think it is surprising
that Simeon would see hope of deliverance in this child of a
poor, peasant family? How was this revealed to Simeon?
Day Two Prepare: “things done to make ready”
As you think and meditate on the story, you participate in the Spirit’s work of teaching and applying the Word.
1. Go back and read the story again. Remember what you learned
about Jesus from Simeon’s words and the prophecy of Isaiah.
Now focus your attention on Anna.
2. What do you learn about Anna? Write down all you know about
her from the Scripture.
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WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
4. How can fasting and prayer serve God? (See Luke 5:33-34 and
Acts 13:1-3.)
5. In verse 38 we are told Anna came up “at that very moment.” This implies she heard Simeon’s song of praise and blessing for Jesus and His parents. What was her response to Simeon’s message and the baby Jesus?
6. Anna and many others were “looking forward” to the “redemp- tion of Jerusalem.” Read Isaiah 52:9-10. How does Isaiah describe this event?
God called Abraham and His people Israel to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12:2-4). God’s chosen people were to make His name known among the nations. Anna’s ministry of prayer was a ministry of waiting for God’s promise to be revealed. Blessing is never solely for our benefit. God’s blessings are meant to be conveyed and not to be consumed on our own pleasures.
7. Have you been waiting for God to work in your life? Read Psalm 40:1-3. What does this passage of Scripture reveal about waiting for the Lord?
8. Describe how you feel about waiting. As you wait, how do you speak of God to those around you? (See Psalm 40:3.)
9. What did you learn today from Anna’s example?
Be joyful, rejoice together,
you ruins of Jerusalem!
Jerusalem.
holy arm in the sight of all the
nations; all the ends of the
earth will see the salvation of
our God.
—Isaiah 52:9-10
Day Three Prepare: “things done to make ready”
As you think and meditate on the story, you participate in the Spirit’s work of teaching and applying the Word.
1. Read the story again today. Let the drama of the scene sink in.
Two aged servants who had faithfully waited on the fulfillment of
God’s promises get a glimpse of glory in the face of a child. Few
of us have ever prayed and waited to see answers as long as
Simeon and Anna did. Their perseverance is a true testimony of
their faith and trust in God’s power to do the impossible.
2. Jesus told a great story of a persistent widow who did not give
up even when faced with overwhelming obstacles. Read Luke
18:1-9. Why did Jesus tell this story?
3. What was the woman seeking?
4. How does she seek to redirect the conversation?
5. How did Jesus apply the story in verses 6-8?
6. What do you learn about God in this parable?
7. Who is crying to God day and night? What are they seeking?
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WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
8. Do you feel overwhelmed by the injustice in your life? Where do you see injustice in our world and how does Jesus’ parable about this woman encourage you to pray?
9. Ask God to help you apply this parable to your own prayer life. Are you discouraged? Have you given up on someone or some- thing you were praying for? Write your prayer or reflections here.
10. Read what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26. With that in mind, talk to God about what you have learned from the parable of the persistent widow and from Anna’s life. Ask the Lord for faith to believe the impossible!
Day Four Prepare: “things done to make ready”
As you think and meditate on the story, you participate in the Spirit’s work of teaching and applying the Word.
1. Read Anna’s story again today. Ask the Lord to give you insight into why Anna was fasting. Then we will examine some of the Scriptures that informed her understanding of fasting.
Fasting is not a common practice in most of our churches, but Scripture demonstrates the value and object of this form of spiritual discipline. Fasting is not just diet adjustment; it is a spiritual exercise practiced as one seeks to know God in a deeper way. Under grace instead of the law, fasting is optional for the believer, but it offers a way to practice denying self and offering the Lord our physical as well as spiritual beings. “We are not re- quired to fast, but we are allowed to fast for certain reasons. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you fast …’ (Matthew 6:16) because fasting is a discipline to build character and faith.”1
“With men this is impossible,
but with God all things are
possible.”
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1Elmer Townes, A Beginner’s Guide to Fasting (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Servant Publications, 2001), 11.
WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
Every night when you sleep, you fast and your body rests. You break the fast in the morning with “break-fast.” Biblical fasting is more than dieting and eliminating foods for medical reasons like diabetics deny themselves sweets. Biblical fasting is altering your diet for spiritual reasons and accompanying the experience with focused prayer.
There are many kinds of fasts. Jesus fasted from food and water in the wilderness before being tempted by the devil (Matthew 3:16-4:11). This absolute fast is severe and should be practiced only for the most serious causes and after consulting a physician. Most fasting involves eliminating food but drinking liquids. In partial fasting, selected foods are eliminated from the diet. (You can find more information on fasting online and in most Christian bookstores.)
1. Read Isaiah 58:5-6 (below) to discover how God views fasting.
As Anna prayed and served God in the temple, she would have
heard these words from the Book of Isaiah. In these verses, what
does God say He values?
Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?
Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? —Isaiah 58:5-6
2. Think about the oppression you see in your community or hear
about in the news; how might you pray Isaiah 58:5-6 back to God
to address those injustices? Write your prayer below.
3. In the Old Testament, many life situations and occasions called for
fasting. Below are some examples. Read some or all of these pas-
sages and write out a prayer based on one of the passages.
• Personal affliction and heartache as Hannah fasted and prayed in I Samuel 1:1-18
8
• Family needs and protection in Ezra 8:21-23; 31-32
• Bereavement and grief as David fasted after Saul’s death in 2 Samuel 1:1-12
• Repentance and intercession in Daniel 6:18; 10:1-3 and Nehemiah 1: 4-11
• National crisis as Jehoshaphat fasted and prayed in 2 Chronicles 20:3; 6-9
and Esther 4:13-17
3. What did you learn about God in your study today?
Day Five Prepare: “things done to make ready”
As you think and meditate on the story, you participate in the Spirit’s work of teaching and applying the Word.
1. Read the story from Luke 2 again today. Ask the Holy Spirit to
give you insight from your study this week into how you can
serve God through fasting and prayer.
We have already seen that Jesus gave us an example of fasting before beginning His earthly ministry. He also taught His disciples about prayer and fasting in Matthew 6. Have you ever wondered why we pray? If our Father knows the things we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), why should we pray? Jesus taught us to pray what is often called the Lord’s Prayer. Maybe you memo- rized this prayer as a child.
LORD God of heaven, the
great and awe-inspiring God
nant with those who love Him
and keep His commands, let
Your eyes be open and Your
ears be attentive to hear Your
servant’s prayer that I now
pray to You day and night for
Your servants …
—Nehemiah 1:5-6
WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
2. Think about the prayer as a commitment you are making to God
as you pray the following:
Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. —Matthew 6:9-13 3. Why do you think Jesus used plural pronouns in this prayer? Are your prayers mostly for yourself and your family? What is Jesus teaching us here?
4. Ask God to show you ways to honor His name in your life today. Do your speech and actions reflect His holy character?
5. How can you pray for His kingdom to come today? Read Matthew
9:37 for clues.
6. Pray now and ask for the Lord’s will in your life today and for His
will to be accomplished in our world. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God’s
will is that no one would perish, but that everyone would repent.
Making Christ known is one way to bring His will on earth!
7. What does Jesus teach us to pray for our physical, emotional and
spiritual well-being?
8. How can meeting practical needs, offering forgiveness and seek-
ing deliverance advance God’s kingdom?
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WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
Day Six Celebrate: “to commemorate an event, to publish abroad, to make famous”
Let the story live through you.
Today’s study can be done with a group or alone.
Today we’ll celebrate God’s work in the lives of Simeon and Anna and in our own lives.
1. Ask someone to read or tell the Luke 2 story. Think about how
Simeon and Anna lived with anticipation of God’s promises.
2. This week you have meditated on this story. Look back at your
notes from each day; share insights you have discovered. If you
have questions that were raised through your study this week,
share them with the group.
3. Simeon and Anna were waiting for the coming King; we also are
waiting for the coming King. In Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus taught
His disciples to anticipate the end of the earth as we know it.
How does Matthew 24:14 encourage you to pray for God’s mis-
sion to be accomplished?
4. Watch the video “The Power of Silence” (included on the DVD
in the Glorify booklet). While you watch the story, ask how one
woman became part of the answer to prayers for a nation. Then
discuss answers with your group.
• What surprised the people about Lillian Beard?
• How did God use Lillian to begin planting churches?
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WEEK FOUR: PRAYING WITH ANTICIPATION
• How does this story challenge your view of how God uses your
prayers?
5. Paul, the great missionary, had a deep desire to preach the Gos-
pel everywhere it had not been shared. He wrote in Colossians
4:2-4 asking for a young church to intercede for the kingdom by
devoting themselves to prayer. What did Paul ask them to pray?
Where was Paul when he asked for prayer?
6. View the video “The Rising of the Morning Star” (included on the
DVD in the Glorify booklet).
• The Day of Prayer and Fasting is observed by Christians around
the world on Pentecost weekend. What are some of the ways
this specific, intentional season of prayer and fasting has impacted
the kingdom of God?
• How has this video influenced your understanding of praying and
fasting?
7. Close your time together with a season of prayer. Along with
other things God leads you to pray for, ask the Lord to give you
a burden to pray for an unreached people group to hear the
message of hope in the Gospel of Christ. (You can find more
information in the article “How your church can adopt a people
group,” included on your Glorify CD, or at imb.org/prayerthreads.)
Devote yourselves to prayer;
giving. At the same time,
pray also for us that God
may open a door to us for
the message, to speak the
mystery of the Messiah — for
which I am in prison — so
that I may reveal it as I am
required to speak.