Hold Me This Time

Hold Me This Time

God, I hurt so much

I never thought brokeness felt this low

suffering the voids of rejection

now I'm reaching out to the unknown

and I'm scared but I'm here

and I'm confused how to tune my ear

I'm waiting and hoping

that I will see your lovesick heart

and trusting its not too far away

because

right now your nearness fells like loneliness

right now your presence I cant touch

all I have to hold me in this moment are the words of truth that I clutch

a blind promise of an ocean of love

and that I'm sailing on waves of grace

this is so hard

the depth of the pain

the tiring nights

when lies scream my name

and echo in my mind

Lord, just hold me this time

I said "yes" to this anointing summer 2006

Anna Anointing and Prayer
The Anna AnointingLuk 2:36-38 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; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (NKJV)

A DAY LIKE NO OTHER
Was there something special about the day that Anna came face to face with God in the flesh, or was it a day like any other? Imagine for a moment, the sense of wonder and awe that Anna must have felt in the moment that she realized over 60 years of fasting and prayer had been answered. She was peering into the face of the Messiah. What was happening in her heart and mind at this stunning event that would alter the entire course of human history? To get a clearer picture of Annas journey we must consider where her journey began.Anna had been married as a young woman. Tradition says that the tribe of Asher was noted for the beauty and talent of its women, who for these gifts were qualified for royal and high-priestly marriage (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). It is likely then, that she was a very beautiful and gifted young lady. It is also likely that she had married a notable young man, who was perhaps well esteemed and equally gifted. She had been chaste, for she was a virgin when she married. For seven years, she had enjoyed the blessings of married life with her husband.If Anna was married at 17, at the age of 24, the unthinkable took place. Tragedy struck. She found herself in one of the most horrifying situations life offer; her beloved husband had been struck down. We have no insight as to what caused his death. All we know is that while Anna was still young and had a life full of opportunity ahead of her with her husband. Yet now she was confronted with the disaster of the loss of her husband and being widowed at a young age. How would this young woman emotionally and mentally cope with this catastrophe? What possible life choices could offer her anything close to the blessedness she had been experiencing with her husband? In the moment of her greatest life crisis, Anna made an amazing and wise decision. She determined to find herself in the place of fasting and prayer. She gave herself wholly to pursuing God to such an extent that it was said of her she never left the temple. In the most destructive, pivotal and challenging time of her life, she made the wisest decision one can make, she found herself in the place of prayer clinging to God and God alone.An utterly remarkable facet of her decision is that it was not simply a passing fad or momentary impulse. Her choice shaped the entire destiny of the rest of her life. She found herself in the place of prayer for a year and then two. Two years turned into five, and five turned into ten. After ten years of serving the Lord in fasting and prayer, she had just gotten started. Ten years turned into twenty, twenty became forty, and forty grew into sixty. This radical, persistent life of abandonment in prayer and fasting led her to the day that she found herself peering into the face of God the Son.Anna was the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher. Its interesting to note that Phanuel literally means face of God. The name Anna literally means grace. Allegorically speaking, it could be said that the entire journey of Annas life took her on a collision course by Gods grace to see the face of God.We know that God does nothing in the earth unless He reveals it to His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7). Anna was a prophetess, moving in all the realms of the Spirit of God, including power encounters and revelation. It is likely that Anna knew, by the prophetic word, that her intercessions were going to culminate in the revelation of Messiah to the earth. I believe that she had seen the day many times in her spirit, yet now she was going to experience it with her natural eyes. Perhaps as she came into the temple that wonderful day, everything seemed strangely familiar. Her mind raced as she asked, Could this be the day? She rounded the corner to see what she had seen in her heart many times before, yet this time it was happening before her; Simeon was prophesying over the baby, the God-Man, Jesus. The entire purpose of her life climaxed in that moment.

A PROPHETIC PICTURE
This remarkable womans life is a prophetic picture for the church today. Just as God released grace upon Anna to fast and pray unto the revelation of Jesus to the earth the first time, I believe that God is releasing a similar grace upon a whole generation of believers who will operate in a similar anointing as Anna unto the revelation of Jesus to the earth in His second coming. God is bubbling up a prayer movement all over the earth, which will usher in the greatest revival the planet has ever seen, along with the greatest tribulation, culminating in the return of His Son.Anna operated in a unique three-fold anointing. First, she was clearly an intercessor. She served the Lord with fastings and prayers, day and night. It is important to note that the Lord identified Annas life of fasting and prayer as valid service unto Him. Anna lived a lifestyle of fasting and prayer. It was a part of her regular life of intimacy and devotion to the Lord. A young man recently said to me, I think I got it. Its not fasting OR prayer, its fasting AND prayer. I agreed. Anna had given herself to hearing the heart of God and praying back to Him His desire.Next, she operated as a Prophetess. Anna did not merely have a anointing in revelatory gifts, but as one identified as a Prophetess, she moved in all the realms of the Spirit of God, with signs, wonders, and miracles. She had a revelatory and power manifestation ministry.Finally, many miss the fact that once Anna saw the Lord Jesus, she spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Therefore, she was also clearly an Evangelist. She had drawn close to the Lord in partnership with His heart in fasting and prayer and had moved in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now God was releasing authority upon her voice to proclaim the gospel. She made declaration to those in Jerusalem the reality of Messiahs coming.In the earth today, God is raising up an entire generation with a similar three-fold grace and anointing like that was upon Anna. This generation transcends age and gender; they are not specifically male nor female, young nor old. They are a people who will say Yes to God in partnering with His heart to see His kingdom manifest in the earth. This is a generation who will give themselves to fasting and prayer as a lifestyle. As Anna did, they will make the wisest choice in the hour of the greatest trial to find themselves in the place of prayer. Though Annas trial was specifically personal, the trials that are coming on the earth will be global in scope and far worse in magnitude. It is before this great hour of trial that is going to test the whole earth (Rev 3:10) that this generation will make the wisest of choices. They will say No to earthly pleasures and fading passions in order to give themselves to prayer unto seeing the face of God, when Jesus returns to the earth.Next, they will operate in all the realms of the Spirit of God. They are the prophetic generation that Joel prophesied about. They will be an entire company upon whom God will pour out His spirit and they will prophesy (Joel 2:28-32). This company of believers will give themselves in abandonment and intimacy to the Lord unto being filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:19). They will manifest the power of the kingdom of God in profound and stunning ways in the earth. It will be an entire generation moving in massive signs, wonders and miracles, releasing the great harvest of the ages.Finally, they will be gripped with hearts that are broken for the lost. They will be filled with zeal to proclaim the word of the Lord to all those who will hear. With thunder in their mouths, these messengers will declare with authority the reality of the risen Christ. They will have a unique mixture of the Spirit of the Lord upon them, they will fast and pray as much as they preach and prophesy. They will operate in that which Jeremiah prophesied about, if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession (Jer. 27:18). Through power demonstrations and prophetic proclamations from those whose lives are based in prayer and fasting, God will release the power of the Kingdom upon the earth, sweeping untold millions into His Kingdom.

CONCLUSION
Perhaps in reading this, you find yourself yearning to be one who lives a lifestyle of fasting and prayer unto powerful prophetic proclamation. Its possible that God is stirring your heart to make a radical life decision, as Anna did, in order to find yourself in the place of prayer unto Kingdom manifestations and finally culminating in the return of the Son of God to the earth.If there is a stirring in your heart toward this lifestyle of abandonment, I want to encourage you to pray this prayer, Father, I desire to partner with Your heart and plan in this hour. God, I ask that You release upon me the same grace to fast and pray, prophesy and proclaim as was upon Anna. Direct my steps with clarity so that I may find myself in the place of prayer in order to live a lifestyle of fasting and prayer. Grip me with the spirit of prayer, release the spirit of prophecy upon me and break my heart for the lost. Let me be part of the generation that says Yes to the Anna anointing. Thank you for moving in my life, In Jesus Name...

>... in reading this it brought back all of this and once more i say yes to the call of God to be an Anna. to live my life completely devoted and recklessly abandonded to my God and if that costs me my life then so be it.