“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; and this woman was a widowof about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” – Luke 3:36-37, NKJV. 

In a world that has been programmed to measure ‘blessing’ by bank account balances, Instagram-perfect families, land titles, and career achievements, the Bible introduces us to a woman who challenges everything we think we know about God’s favor.

Meet Anna whose name means ‘favoured by God.’  

Eighty-four years old. Widowed after just seven years of marriage. 

No mention of the deceased husband’s name or children. 

No second chance at love. 

No mention of wealth or influence. 

By today’s standards –  and frankly, by the standards of her own culture –  Anna’s life might look like a tragedy that would make today’s typical pastor shout ‘fire’!

But here’s what Scripture actually calls her: “a prophetess.”

Anna spent sixty years as a widow, spending days and nights in the temple, devoted to serving God through fasting and prayer. 

While others built families and accumulated wealth, she consistently built an unquenchable altar of worship in the ‘secret  place.’ 

And when the infant Jesus was brought to the temple, it was Anna – not the wealthy, not the influential, not the ones with picture-perfect lives, who recognized the Messiah and proclaimed Him to all who were waiting for redemption.

Anna’s  story asks us an uncomfortable question: What if God’s favor isn’t always wrapped in the packages that the ‘prosperity’ sermons have been about all along?

We’ve been taught, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, that blessing equals visible success – a thriving marriage, healthy and successful children, a comfortable home and posh car. A respectable career. 

And when life doesn’t unfold that way, we quietly wonder why God has forgotten us or if we’ve somehow missed His favor.

Anna shatters that lie.

Her name means “favored,” yet her life was marked by loss and limitation. 

But she understood something we desperately need to recover: your value isn’t measured by your circumstances or finances, but by the experiences in the realm of the Spirit and the Saviour your eyes will eventually behold.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong or evil about living a comfortable life.

However, Anna teachers us that true favor isn’t found in what you possess, but in whose presence you dwell.

If you’re seeking God and continually dwelling in His secret place, it’s enough; you’re exactly where true blessing and favor are found!

This is an encouragement for those who’ve been described as ‘failures.’ 

To the single woman who feels left “behind.” 

To the widow grieving what was lost. 

To the graduate stayhome mother who’s been told she lost herself in domesticity. 

To anyone whose life doesn’t match the success stories celebrated on TV documentaries, Youtube and newspaper articles.

Anna speaks across the centuries: Don’t mistake your proximity to God for possessions, good as they are. 

Your secret place of prayer isn’t a consolation prize; it’s the seat of true power.

The most remarkable reward for Anna wasn’t what she owned; it was what she saw. 

While others were distracted by worldly pursuits, her spiritual vision remained sharp. 

She could recognize Jesus because she had spent decades seeking God’s face rather than chasing the world’s version of ‘blessing’ and favour.

Here’s the challenge: Are you willing to redefine ‘living a life of ‘favor’? 

Can we embrace the counter-narrative that a life of faithful devotion – even in obscurity, even in loss – is precious to God than silver and gold? 

Can we trust that our hidden years of prayer aren’t wasted, but are the very preparation for the divine appointments we cannot yet imagine?

Anna’s greatest moment didn’t come in her youthful year or in her seven-year period of marital bliss. 

It came at the tail end of her life, after decades of seemingly obscure faithfulness, when face-to-face she encountered the Savior she’d been waiting for.

Your life today may not look “blessed” by the world’s standards. 

But if you’re seeking God and continually dwelling in His secret place, it’s enough; you’re exactly where true blessing and favor are found!