Luke 4:18-19 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Anointing is always connected with oil or ointment. The woman in Bethany that entered into the house of Simon the leper recognized and demonstrated that the anointing was not something that was marketed or manufactured, but rather spontaneous, something that is so supernatural that it is out of man’s control. Man can limit what God desires to do, but they cannot heal or save anybody within themselves. It takes a special anointing from God to accomplish such feats. This woman broke the alabaster box, the very religion that captivated her anointing, and poured it upon His head. Some nearby cursed the work with their tradition, saying it was a waste, that it could have been used for a much better cause, such as selling it and giving it to the poor. However, Jesus distinctively and immediately denounced such carnal talk, “Leave her alone. Why trouble her? She is bringing a good work upon me. She has come to anoint my body for the burying. Wherever this gospel is preached, what she has done will be spoken of as a memorial of her.” A lot of times, if we are not careful, we can miss God through our works of service. Sometimes, we just need to get alone with God, break all of our religiosity, and give Him the time that He deserves. Could that time and costly sacrifice be used for another purpose? Absolutely. But nothing is greater than dwelling in the secret place of the Most High! People will always criticize in their flesh the supernatural works the anointing brings, but it was not destined to please everybody; its purpose was and is to break bondages, heal the sick, raise the dead and win the lost. It was the reason why this woman anointed Jesus because through His burial, there would be a resurrection, one of which would bring healing, salvation and deliverance to multitudes, a work that is still going on in the earth today and will continue to go forth. The anointing speaks of purpose and God’s favor. That anointing spoke of Christ’s purpose. He was born to die for the sins of the world, but through His costly sacrifice, nations of people would be redeemed. So, we must be cautious in what we label “the anointing.” It is a precious word that should not be overused or underestimated. It is a word that should boldly declare holiness and victory. If you do not have a prayer life, you will never bear the anointing of God!

 

James 5:14 says, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” The oil itself never brings healing or miracles, but it is what it represents that means everything. It represents the tangible anointing and power of God that touches and changes people’s lives. How oil is formed is very interesting? It is always connected with the “oil press”, which was what the name “Gethsemane” means, which was the garden where Jesus took Peter, James and John to pray before He was betrayed by Judas and taken to the worst punishment a person can suffer, being numbered with the transgressors. While there, He prayed and sought for strength from His Father, as He was under such emotional strain and pressure that His sweat became as drops of blood. Although the devil tried to kill Him in the Garden so that He would not reach the cross, He pressed through in prayer, and He would be strengthened to bear His sufferings that would become the ultimate remedy for people’s pains and sins, for He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes, we are healed! There is no anointing that could ever compare to that!

 

Never fold under pressure because pressure produces the anointing. You can never be anointed unless you have been through a wilderness! Oil is formed under pressure. According to Dake’s Commentary, it says, “Beaten olive oil was made by bruising the olives in a mortar or mill without the application of heat. Inferior oil could be made under stronger pressure and with the aid of heat.” It was the beaten oil that was formed by pressure that was used for the golden lamp stand of the tabernacle of Moses in the Old Testament, so that the lamp would always be burning, meaning that it would always give light. The anointing brings the light, shining the brightest in the darkest and most troubling times. The pressure brings the oil, and in the wilderness, you will face pressure, but after you endure it, you will come out of it even stronger and wiser than ever before. You will go through a spiritual “valley of decision”, where you will be tempted, but after you make the right choice and remain stedfast and faithful to God, you will be anointed with the oil of joy for morning and the oil of gladness. It is time we get rid of the spirit of heaviness and be clothed with a garment of praise!

 

It is not God’s will for us to be stuck in the wilderness. It should only be temporary, but people stay there too long because God is waiting for them to pass the test and overcome the temptation that has took them down time and time again. You will stay stuck in the wilderness until you sacrifice what is holding you back, and when you do, you will obtain an anointing that brings you to a new level in God. It is time we leave our lackadaisical state and elevate higher in the LORD, and by our obedience, God will make ways where there seems there are none. We must first do what we know to do and let God open the doors of opportunity instead of prying those doors open or trying to break through the lock. We can make a much bigger mess than way when we should just go with the flow of the Spirit. What God shuts, no man can open, and what God opens, no man can shut. Let us obey God and climb higher in Him so that we no longer stay stuck, but get out of this wilderness and follow the personal vision God has given you, as well as the group vision God has given the church. We must work together, and then God can send an even greater anointing, for Psalms 133 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Unity is the sweetest anointing, and instead of disrespecting, blaming or gossiping about authority, we must love, respect and obey it, and with it comes a supernatural blessing. No doubt people will always think they have a better plan or idea, but when you submit to the authority God has placed over you, it is similar to obeying God Himself, and by doing that, God will pour His precious oil over your life and open doors of opportunity to use you in ways that will blow your mind! Unite with God, and God will paint you in His majestic glory!