Daily Devotion Friday | March 20, 2026

Happy Friday! It’s time for your daily devotion. Because of her steadfastness toward God, one woman was positioned to see the long-awaited Messiah. And when she did, it was worth every moment of prayer and anticipation. In today’s daily devotion, when God has a blessing for you, it will come at the appointed time.

God is Faithful

When Jesus is eight days old, Mary and Joseph bring Him to Jerusalem to be circumcised, according to the Mosaic law. As their firstborn son, He is to be dedicated to God by the priests. His parents follow everything the law requires by bringing their sacrificial offering.

Little did they know that individuals in the temple had been praying for His arrival. They had been given divine knowledge that they would see Jesus. And on this day, the Holy Spirit directed them to be near at the hour His parents brought Him. In your daily devotion, wait on the Lord and be of good courage, for God is faithful to keep His promises.

Anna the Prophetess

One individual is Simeon, whom God told he’d see Jesus in his lifetime; he takes Jesus into his arms upon seeing Him, and prophesies over Him. Then there is Anna, a prophetess, from the tribe of Asher, a name that means “happy,” and she’s advanced in age. Widowed after seven years, she has remained in widowhood for eighty-four years. Anna has spent decades in the temple worshiping God with prayer and fasting. In this daily devotion, be an example of dedication and faithfulness to God. It doesn’t matter where you are; you can be a light for Him wherever you go. 

A Life of Prayer

In your daily devotion, Anna gives herself wholly to the Lord, showing her dedication to God each day. She doesn’t leave the temple grounds; she is a fixture there whom everyone sees when they come to the temple. They witness her prayer life and watch her magnify the Lord. The priests, Pharisees, and scribes are all aware of Anna’s faithfulness. 

Not many women in the Bible are called “prophetess,” a woman who proclaims the Lord’s divine will or purpose. In the Old Testament, Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Isaiah’s wife are each called prophetesses. In the New Testament, Phillip’s four daughters prophesied. Among this small group of women prophets, Anna is named. Anna, like them, is anointed by the Holy Spirit to prophesy. 

Anna Sees Jesus

In verse 38, Anna enters the area where Jesus is brought to the temple. She sees the long-awaited Messiah, and she bursts into exuberant praise and thanksgiving to God: “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.”

Anna is happy and more than excited, sharing with others that the Son of God has come. Many others in Jerusalem were also looking for Israel’s redemption. Anna witnesses that the Light has come, and He is among them. In today’s daily devotion, witness to those around you. Tell them Jesus, our Redeemer, is here with us.

God’s Glory Upon You

In Friday’s daily devotion, Anna may’ve remembered Isaiah 60:1, which says, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Anna began to testify to those with the same steadfast hope that the Lord had come in the flesh, as her eyes beheld Him. In this daily devotion, be a witness to others that you have seen, with spiritual eyes, the One who has come.

Disclaimer: This article contains a summary of Isaiah 60:1 as well as interpretive insights from the author. Interpretations of biblical texts can differ, and this piece represents one approach to understanding the passage.