Ministry:   Power

Understanding Your Anointing

The Joy of God’s Choice and God’s Power

1 John 2:27 NIV
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.

“The Anointing” is one of those terms we use often, but seldom define. The Worship Leader may experience the anointing on the platform but that is not the source of this power-flow. “Our” anointing begins with God. He is the one who anoints.

The Anointing Is God’s Choice
Under the Old Covenant, God chose people, places, things and ministries. For the priests and kings and the tabernacle/temple and their furnishings the anointing was literal—a pouring on of a special oil mixed and used only for this purpose. The anointed people and things were set apart for the use of God and for His glory. Oil, of course, is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Prophets and judges who may have never had the anointing oil poured on them, had the power of God flowing in their lives. They too, were anointed.

The Anointing Is the flow of God’s Power.
Under the New Covenant, the symbol is replaced by the real thing—the power of the Holy Spirit. While we still employ the symbol of oil, we are really seeking the power of the Spirit. The anointing may be on a song or a production, or a ministry. The mark of the anointing is the flow of the power of the Holy Spirit.

It Is Time to Understand God’s Choice and God’s Power.
When we are called into the ministry, we discover that we have been set apart, just as people, places, things and ministries were under the Old Covenant. Some of us are called to a life-time pursuing a specific task and others may be called to serve with the ministry of helps and have many tasks over a lifetime of service.

The important thing is for each of us to know what God has anointed us to do and stay within that anointing. Trouble comes when we envy God’s choices for others. Our job is to discover what God has called us to do and to do that thing unto the Lord with a pure heart.

The power of the anointing is a different power than that of music itself or of personality. Music and personality are powers within the soul-ish and physical realms. The anointing is power in the spirit realm. This is such an important distinction. Worship music that is exciting or moving may move people in their bodies and souls and never touch their spirits. There are no musical tricks to bring the anointing. It has nothing to do with tempo, volume or style. The anointing is a gift from God that does the work of the Spirit in our spirits. When the anointing comes, the work of the Spirit is done: Jesus is exalted; the church is edified; and our worship is fitting and orderly.

This understanding of the anointing leads us to some concrete choices. We can deliberately prepare, rest, and understand. Here’s what I mean:

• We must take care of the calling of God on our lives. One day we will give an account of our diligence within our anointing. If God has chosen a life in music for me then I had better become the best musician I can be. Musical growth becomes an integrity issue. Worship should be carefully and prayerfully prepared. Rehearsals are as important as services. The anointing demands our best! Our skills in the human realm shape the flow of the Spirit’s power through us.
• We can rest in our anointing! We don’t have to make things happen. We are the earthen vessel, The Spirit is the power. We just have to do what God has called us to do in the ways He has anointed and then watch the Spirit do things far beyond us. That is so cool!
• We will know things in the area of our anointing that no man has taught us! That is the meaning of the quote from John. Of course teachers are an important part of God’s plan for us, but with our anointing comes an intuition from God Himself.

Compound Anointing
The Lord also anoints the tools of our ministry. For worship leaders and teams the Lord can anoint a song set. For a pastor the Lord anoints a sermon or a counseling session. These things happen because an anointed person is doing an anointed ministry using anointed tools. Like interest in the bank, the anointing acrues! The Lord puts teams of anointed people together for the work of the ministry. He’s really good at this. Each team member doing what he/she is called to do creates ministry that is greater than the sum of its parts. How? By the power of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Finally then, we must understand this: God anoints. It is His choice and His power. We cannot deceive Him. He knows when we are coasting musically or when we are prayerless in our preparation. He knows our hearts. Each time His power flows through us, it is a precious, priceless gift, never to be presumed upon or taken for granted.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved