“The anointing of the Holy Spirit is given to illuminate His Word, to open the Scriptures, and to place the spiritual man in direct communication with the mind of God.”
Charles Fox Parham
The more mature I grow in Christ, the more I realize I don’t want to minister without the anointing of God. In Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, he describes the anointing as “the act of smearing with oil, a consecrating. Kings, prophets, and priests were set apart or consecrated to their offices by the use of oil.” I can tell when the anointing takes over while mentoring women. The Holy Spirit gives prophetic words, insights, and wisdom from the mind and heart of God, and there’s Spirit-led direction, all of which are obviously not from me.
1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie – just as it has taught you, abide in him.”
Anointing comes from abiding. We abide in Christ when we rest, dwell, and remain close to Him. Recently, the Lord promised that if I stay close to Him, then His anointing will remain upon me. My part is to abide in Christ, while God’s responsibility is to provide the anointing. We abide; God anoints. The Holy Spirit shows us the mind of Christ and His heart in a particular situation. Then He empowers the words He shows us to speak. The Spirit causes the weightiness of a word to resonate within the hearts of those who hear.
Abiding is the act of staying near to Christ. It’s as if we are leaning upon His shoulders, much like John the Beloved, and depending upon His strength. A picture of what one looks like when they’re abiding is likened to a little girl stepping up on her Daddy’s shoes and holding onto to Him as they dance together. Wherever He walks, she walks. He leads as we embrace His torso, and we follow wherever He goes. It’s in that close position that we abide and hear His whispers through the ears of our spirit.
As we abide in Christ and stay close to Him, His anointing will remain upon us. And it’s God’s divine anointing that enables us to fulfill each of His assignments.
“When the Holy Spirit comes into your life and you allow Him take charge of your life, He’ll bring in the anointing.”
Chris Oyakhilome
Relevant Reflections:
1. What are some ways you can abide in Christ?
2. Describe how you have experienced God’s anointing upon you.
Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay
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