Mensa Otabil - Living a Fasted Life
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Luke 2:36–37: Now there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. This woman was a widow of about 84 years who did not depart from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Anna is the first person recognized as a prophetess in the Gospels, and you can say in the New Testament era. This woman had been married for seven years, and after that, her husband died. After her husband died, she chose to live for God, to be married to the Lord, to seek the face of the Lord, and to pray. She didn’t do it out of disappointment, frustration, or bitterness; she did it out of commitment and conviction. Her life was full of continuous prayer and fasting. You recognize she was one of the earliest people to identify who Christ was even when he was a baby in the temple.
There are two things I want you to note about Anna. The first is that she spent time in the temple; she literally lived in the temple. The passage says she did not depart from the temple, meaning that she was there at all times. The Jewish hours of prayer were morning, noon, and evening, three times a day. In addition to that, in the temple, there were all kinds of services and sacrifices that took place, and this woman was there to participate in everything happening in the temple. She spent her time there; probably, she had a small, basic room in the temple where she lived. Her life was totally devoted to the Lord, in the presence of the Lord, in the house of the Lord. From her, we learn that spending time in the presence of the Lord and in the house of the Lord is valuable. So, while we are praying and fasting, it’s important that you also spend time in the house of the Lord with other believers gathered together in prayer. Don’t just do it alone; gather and be in the temple, be in the house of the Lord.
The second thing we learn about Anna is that she lived a fasted life; that means she was dedicated to the routine of prayer and fasting. She didn’t just do it once a year; it was her life. The passage says that she worshiped the Lord with prayer and fasting. For her, prayer and fasting were worship. You get the impression she wasn’t even asking for a breakthrough; she wasn’t asking for favor, nor was she asking for a child; of course, she wasn’t asking for a husband. She was just worshiping the Lord, dedicating her life, pouring out her life to the Lord. Many times, we become too self-centered when we enter moments of prayer and fasting because it’s all about our need, our need, our need, and we even forget about the Lord, who must be the center of our affection.
This woman shows us that Christ must be the center of our affection, or God must be the center of our affection. The passage didn’t tell us what kind of fast she was doing because if she was fasting all the time, she wouldn’t survive without food throughout her life. So, probably, she fasted certain days in a week, maybe twice a week, or perhaps she fasted certain meals in a day, doing it constantly. Or maybe she excluded some kinds of food from her meal plan and did it consistently. The important thing to note is her discipline, commitment, and sense of devotion in the routine of waiting before the Lord and doing it constantly. That is what I call a fasted life, and it’s preferable to just fasting. You have to make it a routine of your life.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I dedicate myself to worship You day and night. Show me Your glory. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.