Christian Living

---

A Fresh Anointing

Recently, while heading home from work, i was praying for a certain person whose need i had become aware of a couple weeks prior. Their specific pray request was for anointing and a clear ministry direction. As i mentioned their need, the Lord clearly spoke these words to me, “The anointing will come when the ministry begins.” i have thought about those words and contemplated how they play out.

We often hear the term “anointing” used in many circles today. The definition, should you ask, may be: “the presence of God upon a church or individual life”. We think of the “warm fuzzies” that we feel when the Holy Sprit touches our heart. This is all true and good, but i want to approach it from another angle.

The Bible talks about people and property being anointed. The priests or elders would anoint people for healing or sending them out for service in the Kingdom of God. Property was anointed as a way of consecrating or dedicating it to the Lord. Sometimes the warm fuzzies would come upon the people, but we obviously cannot speak for the property, since it has no feeling.

What the Lord was speaking to me is this: Too often we wait for the anointing to come before we begin the ministry. Then when we are blessed with power from on high, we want to bask in it’s fullness instead of sharing it with others.

A frequently referenced portion of scripture is Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (NKJV) Here we find the infilling of the Holy Spirit, or an anointing. But what we need to note is what happened next. When the Holy Spirit came upon Peter he was anointed. But the anointing for ministry did not begin until Peter opened his mouth and began to preach. The Lord was saying to me that too many times we wait until we are “filled” according to our standard of measurement. What He wants is a people who will open theirs mouths, even while feeling inadequate, so that His anointing can flow through us. i am not against good study of the Word and preparation for the ministry, but i am troubled when we place all of our trust in those things which come from man.

When we accepted Christ and dedicated our entire beings to the Lord, we became anointed. We shouldn’t wait for a feeling to come before our ministry begins. Seek the Lord and see where He is placing you, then go boldly into that position, knowing that when you speak His anointing will begin.

How many times have you been asked a question and you had no idea how to answer it? Yet, when you opened your mouth suddenly words began to come out that blessed the listener as well as yourself. That is an anointing, but it never would have happened if you had kept your mouth closed.

We should begin to live a normal Christian life. Not the life we are currently living, but the one which God desires for us to have. A life where we totally rely upon Him for a fresh anointing. In our actions, our words and motives. A normal Christian life involves the loss of all things for the joy of knowing we are a channel for His anointing. The “anointing” is not intended for us to feel good, but to be shared so that others may feel His goodness.

Begin to believe that through Christ you have been anointed, be in constant contact with Him, then open your mouth and declare the wonders of Jesus - His anointing will begin to flow.

Glen E. Spaugh

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE