Anna's Advent AdventureSample

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 (KJV)

Anna's prophetic prayer and fasting ministry was birthed out of tragedy. Also, she had the privilege of seeing Jesus and telling people about him. There was no record of her having children. She was widowed early in her marriage.  She had a choice- focus on her tragedy or repurpose her pain. She chose to repurpose her pain. 

Anna chose to respond supernaturally to her tragedy by drawing close to God like never before. Through her loss, the enemy lost. She became a prayer warrior and lived a fasted life in God’s presence. What a terror to the enemy's kingdom. The enemy must have regretted the pain he caused her, just like he regretted the death of Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:8).

When tragedy strikes,  we tend to draw back from God because we feel offended.  When we feel disappointed with God, we act like he is the source of our pain. We must keep in mind that God is not the source of our pain. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

As we wait for the Lord’s return, we must ensure our conscience is void of offense towards God (Acts 24:16). Our adventure of faith comes with trials or challenges. We must believe that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Like Anna, every challenge or tragedy can be turned into a ministry of comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4) 

Are you doubting God's existence due to tragedy? I pray that you will birth hope and comfort for many through your pain. I pray that you will look back at this season with a song of praise. I pray that you will find purpose in this season. Most importantly,  I pray that your soul will not draw back from the faith in Jesus' name. Amen