"Here was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penual, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband (remarried) seven years after her (first) marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying."
Many in these last days are being called to "worship day and night, fasting and praying," never have families but devote all of their time and lives to the Lord. Whenever I hear pastors, prophets and evangelists call for those with the "Anna Anointing" to pray for and encourage them I can't help thinking, "sounds wonderful... but..." and that's when guilt assaults me. I'm not called to the "Anna anointing." I want a husband and a family. Does that mean I have any less of an "anointing" or love the Lord any less?
These were the questions I was enquiring of the Lord today during worship at my home church. He directed me to 1 Samuel and another woman who spent much time at the temple praying and fasting, but her pleas to God and her "anointing" were much different. This woman's name is Hannah, second wife of Elkanah.
I Samuel 1:3-7 & 10-11
"Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb (she had no children). Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat."
"In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty , if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”"
The passage continues to say that Hannah was so grieved that when she poured out her heart to the Lord while praying at the temple, only her lips moved. Eli, the priest, was watching her and thought she was drunk. She told him that wasn't so. When he heard she was pouring out her soul to the Lord Eli was touched enough to say these Prophetic words, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him,” and Hannah did feel better.
I Samuel 1:19 & 20
"Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel (which sounds like the Hebrew for "heard by God"), saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
The Lord showed me through these verses how He has given me an anointing; a "Hannah anointing." Hannah had a mother's heart and dearly wanted children. She also loved the Lord and knew He would listen to her troubles. Who else can we go to pour out our troubles accept to the Lord? He desires for us to turn to Him and share everything. He wants to trade our mourning for joy and our ashes for treasure. He is the ultimate best friend and comforter. He sent Hannah away feeling better, so much so the next morning she worshiped the Lord where before she could only weep. He desires to do the same for us.
When your heart is troubled who do you turn to? Your mother or father? Your best friend? Maybe they do help, but it's usually temporary peace, right? I encourage you, dear brother or sister, to seek the Lord and release your anguish to Him. No greater peace can be found but under the shadow of His wing.
As you can see, God did give Hannah a child, whom she returned to the Lord after weaning. Do you realize what that means? She only got to mother Samuel for three years at the most. Three years. She only had this deeply desired child for three years... but you know what? I bet those were the best three years of her life. I bet she poured more love into that child for those three years than Elkanah's other wife poured into all of her children combined. The Lord gave her Samuel, and she was only too glad to give him back. Samuel was her worship embodied.
I don't have children yet, but I do have a wonderful fiance who lives a state away. We just want to be together, but the Lord keeps telling us to wait and be patient. Every time I'm told to wait the enemy swoops in with provocations and accusations that trouble my heart, but I'll keep going to the Lord and pouring out my soul. I know I can have faith in Him and trust Him. When we are finally married and have children, I know the time I have with them will be the sweetest time of my life.
