Malcolm Cox

Introduction Studying Anna for a sermon led me to some unexpected insights about her devotional life. It inspired me to put a multi-episode series together. The Text “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36–38 NIV11) What do we learn about Anna’s relationship with God? Her relationship with God was not affected by her questionable heritage.  Let’s look back into her ancestral past. Penuel (Phanuel) was her father. His name indicates his origins as Peniel where Jacob saw God ‘face to face’, Genesis 32:30. ‘A town was afterwards built there (Judg. 8:8; 1 Kings 12:25). The men of this place refused to su