Today’s Devotion
Topic: Waiting Patiently For The Promise.
Text: 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 fastings 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. Amen!
There is always a time gap between request and response. This is ‘The Patience Period’. A believer does not lie idle after making a request to God but engages in a godly activity while waiting for the promise, lest the devil finds work for him or her.
In today’s text, there are 4 basic things to learn from the Prohetess Anna as we patiently wait for our answers from God.
(a) Daily fellowship with God and other believers: God admonishes us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb 10:25). It is rational and normal that we build a very good raport with people we seek help from. God expects same from us. Actually the intimacy we build through fellowship is more important to God than any request we present before Him.
MORE THAN JUST ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS, HE SEEKS THAT WE KNOW HIM. FELLOWSHIPING WITH HIM ALLOWS US TO KNOW AND APPRECIATE WHAT HE IS DOING WITH OUR LIVES. IT PUTS ALL THINGS INTO THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE SO WE CAN APPRECIATE WHY HE GIVES US WHAT HE GIVES AND NOT WHAT WE DEMAND FOR. WHAT HE GIVES IS ALWAYS THE BEST AND IT IS ONLY IN FELLOWSHIPING WITH HIM THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
EVEN THAT WAY, YOUR FAITH RISES AND THE BEST FROM HIM CONTINUES TO FLOW DIRECTLY TO YOU WITHOUT A HITCH; AND WITHOUT WE HAVING TO ASK. Anna did not loose focus when her promise was delayed, she spent quality time in the presence of God even after the promise of seeing the Messiah was fulfilled. Now that is fellowship!
(b) Fasting: It is one of the means of focusing on spiritual things than the physical things. We fast not to speed up our answers to our requests but to subject and humble the flesh for the Spirit of God in us to be exalted. By this, we seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness and surely all other things are added unto us.
(c) Prayers: As we put our request before God in prayers, we don’t stop talking about it again in prayers. We ought to pray without ceasing untill we see its manifestation.
(d) Purity: Anna become a widow after 7 years of marriage and decided to stay the rest of her life without remarrying. She could have meddled in sexual sin as a single woman either through fornication or adultery. But no, she kept her chastity to honor of her GOD. We are encouraged to be holy just as the Lord our God is Holy. All who want to see God; His glory, His power, His favour and goodness, must walk in holiness and purity. Giving no room for satan’s manipulations and obstruction. Sin will always be contrary to God and those who glory in sin can not see the glory of God in their lives until the repent and run back to the marvellous light of Christ.
God requires that His children become patient in waiting for their responds. Anna had to fellowship, fast, pray and live righteous almost all her life before the promise was fulfilled yet she never complained. Do not give up yet. God still have you in mind. Keep doing what is good as you wait patiently for His answer. Even though it tarries, it shall surely come to pass one day. Begin to pray now.
(www.yonghana.org; Like our facebook page Y Outreach Network)
