The Anointing
This article is by Kenneth W. Hagin
The anointing is a simple thing! It is the power of God activated in a person’s life when they believe. Isaiah 10:27 says, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” Another word for yoke is chain. The anointing destroys bondages, chains, and anything the enemy tries to place on us. It has the potential to change everything in and around us! But it will not set us free from the works of darkness if we don’t understand how to activate it.
Activating the Anointing
Terms such as the anointing, the power of God, and the Holy Spirit are often used interchangeably. God’s power is always present, but it only manifests when people exercise their faith. It is faith that activates the anointing. We see an example of this in the story of the paralytic in Luke chapter 5.
LUKE 5:17–20 (NIV)
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.
18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The power of God was present to heal everyone there that day. But the anointing wasn’t activated until Jesus saw faith!
“God’s power is always present, but it only manifests when people exercise their faith.”
KENNETH W. HAGIN
The Anointing in Us: All Christians have the anointing in them. It helps believers to live the Christian life successfully.
1 John 2:20, 27 (NIV)
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
Many times people only look at the anointing as a shout, a prophecy, or being there for healing. Once I was in a service that 200 people attended. The presence of the Holy Spirit was strong, and we sat motionless for 45 minutes in complete silence.
Shouting and praising God is part of the anointing, but it’s more than just having a good time in the Lord. The anointing is in us to teach, lead, and guide us. It helps us do what the Word tells us to do and that is to walk in love!
The anointing also strengthens us. Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” It was the power of God—or the anointing—that raised Christ from the dead. That same power dwells in us to strengthen our mortal bodies. That quickening power gives us strength when we lack the energy to accomplish what we need to.
The Anointing Upon Us
The anointing upon us is for ministering to others. Every child of God is equipped to go out and do the work of the Lord. (See Eph. 4:12.) God didn’t intend for us to minister in our own strength and ability. The anointing is the equipment He gives us to fulfill our calling.
We can say what Jesus said in Luke 4:18 (NKJV), “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” What has God anointed each of us to do? To share the Gospel to those around us and set the captives free.
One problem we see among Christians is some people don’t want to serve where they are called. They want to be behind the pulpit, even though God hasn’t anointed them for that position.
Each person in the Body of Christ is vital for the Church to function properly. The Apostle Paul illustrates this in First Corinthians chapter 12. Some parts of the Body that seem the weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.
For example, one time I found out how important my little toe is. Before Lynette went to bed one night, she told me she had moved a chair in our house. I woke up in the middle of the night and walked through the house to get a drink of water, pray, and check on the dogs. I didn’t bother turning on the lights because I know where everything is. But I had forgotten what she said about the chair. I bumped into it and stubbed my little toe. I yelled so loud I woke her up.
For the Body of Christ to operate correctly, we need to be wherever God assigns us. It doesn’t matter if we are an usher, traffic team member, youth pastor, or businessperson. We are anointed to function in our role. A reward waits for those who are obedient. However, when we step out of our calling, we risk losing that reward.
We must never allow ourselves to get caught up in what I call “The Disease of Comparisonitis.” God has given everyone a different anointing, and we are never to compare our gifting to someone else’s. We have to be comfortable with who we are and where God has us and then flow in what He has anointed us to do. The more we understand how to operate in the anointing the Lord gave us, the more great things will happen in our lives and in people around us.