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 did not depart from the temple

From scriptures, we know that the temple symbolizes the body or God's presence. Salvation presents an opportunity to become a dwelling place for God and live in God's presence through fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 140:13 (NLT) says, "Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly will live in your presence."

Anna dwelled in the temple, symbolic of God's presence. We can also live from God’s presence by living with a strong awareness of His presence in us to change us and upon us to change the world. When we spend time in the Word and obey the Word, we are living in God’s presence. When we pray and worship God with our lives, we are living in God’s presence. 

We cannot win the lost to Christ if we do not live conscious of God’s presence or make our hearts a home where the Holy Spirit rules. Ephesians 4:30-32  (KJV) says: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

As we prepare for the Lord’s coming, we must be set apart and learn to live from God’s presence. We must learn to yield to the Holy Spirit and be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). 

Each time you proclaim, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6), say it prophetically.