KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:5 KJV” Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”

Psalm 23 gives us a Biblical road map to encountering the anointing.

The first point is to make the Lord your shepherd and that you are His sheep. The sheep is a very vulnerable creature and needs perfect humility to survive in our world of countless predators.  The sheep must submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As your shepherd He is the most important person in your life and the one you want to please. He is your bread winner.

A sheep must be submissive, so it could lie down in green pastures and be fed properly. God’s word must be the delight of the sheep. (Psalm 1:1-3) The word of God is food for nourishment, light for our path, life to create everything we need. The word is the armour that makes a sheep fully equipped to face terrible predators and overcome them. When the sheep humbly takes in God’s word the psalmist lists a number of stages of blessings that would lead to being anointed.

1.The sheep would be refreshed with the waters of life. Water is an indispensable requirement for the survival of life and cleanses the sheep from all filth

2.The soul, that is the will, intellect and emotions of the sheep is restored or strengthened. Anyone with an unstable intellect or mind becomes an easy prey for devils. Such a sheep would have very disturbed emotions. The word rightly received restores the soul.

3.The sheep would be led in the paths of righteousness. These are the path of the just that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). Note that God imparts his special anointing as a trust of His glory, and that, it cannot be given to one who works the acts of iniquity. God’s name or glory is always at stake and so everyone who bears his name must depart from iniquity.

4The next step is standing or overcoming trials and challenges of life. The Bible said when the Lord fasted for forty days and nights he was in the wilderness with the wild animals (Mark 1:13) The man God anoints must learn to trust God with his very life. This is very vital for God to impart the anointing on an individual. It was after the Lord Jesus had gone through this that he came back in the fulness of the Spirit Luke 4:14

Submission and diligence to doing the word of God, is God’s prescribed path to the anointing.

CONFESSION

The Lord is my shepherd, and I have everything I need. I submit myself to doing his word. My life is elevated, making all blessings available to me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 23:1–6.-The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

KEY SCRIPTURE:2 Kings 2:9 “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”

The special anointing does not come on a silver platter. One must diligently pursue God for the anointing. The disciple Peter, followed Jesus diligently and so Jesus’ anointing came upon him, to continue with His work. Elisha pursued Elijah so diligently that the double portion, or the first-born portion (Deut 21:16&17) came upon him. One must always seek God for the anointing. In the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, he came in the power of the Spirit after fasting for forty days and forty nights.

To catch the anointing, one of the first criteria is a desire to be used by the Lord. Matthew 5:6 KJV ” Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” It is the hunger to be used of God, that would drive you to make any sacrifices to receive the presence of the Spirit to do what God requires of you. We will now consider the cases of some brethren and how the anointing came upon their lives.

1.Bishop Dag Heward Mills: He said he had been an ardent listener of teaching tapes of Kenneth Hagin. On one occasion as he was listening, he said something jumped from the tape and entered him. He then heard “from now you can teach” This encounter ushered him into a new sphere of ministry.

2. Emmanuel Makandiwa: He said he had been fasting and praying on his father’s farms for about sixty days and over, when he had an encounter with the Spirit of God.

3.Bishop David Oyedepo. He said at one of Kenneth Hagin’s conferences., he sat in the meeting with a strong desire to encounter the anointing. Indeed, he had that encounter.

The above are only a few cases of how people got into the anointing. Dear child of God, you can likewise employ the following ways to receive God’s anointing to bless lives. Have a desire to bring glory to God by serving Him. Seek the anointing solely for God’s glory. You may do the following.

1. Fasting and Prayer.

Luke 4:14 KJV “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

2. Diligently follow an anointed man of God. Through listening to his messages and watching his videos, you can contact his anointing.

3. Sacrificial service of an anointed man of God. (Elijah and Elisha)

4. Sacrificial giving to an anointed man of God.

There are some people who just realize they are operating in a special grace without doing any of the above.

PRAYER

Dear father, I pray for as many who would be reading this study to be stirred in their hearts to walk in the anointing of the Spirit to bless the body of Christ.

FURTHER STUDIES

Joshua 1:2 KJV “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel”.

Psalms 23:5 KJV “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Judge 14:6 KJV “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done”.

God throughout history have anointed various men to do great and incredible feats. Moses brought water from a very dry rock, Elisha made an axe head to suspend or float in water, Daniel survived the threats of devouring lions. In post Bible times the trend has not changed for the Lord God is the same yesterday today and forever. Men like St Patrick of Ireland survived the fires put on as a challenge between him and the king’s magician. The magician was consumed and he survived. Evangelist TL Osborne was used to perform incredible healings. E W Kenyon would just look at a cripple, and the leg would be straightened up. PS Chris Oyakhilome would point his finger to a completely possessed person and the demons would depart.

There are so many great servants of God who have been used in amazing ways that beat natural considerations. These men had specific anointings and not a general one. Such anointing do not come on a silver platter. Matthew 7:6 KJV” Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you”. The Lord meant that, precious things as the anointing of the Holy Ghost, must not be given to wasters or a prodigal person. One must demonstrate that he will diligently preserve the anointing when it is given to him, and would effectively use it. To preserve it means, leading the kind of life, that befits, the anointing of God resting upon you.

In 2nd Kings 2:1–12 God’s word tells us about the departure of Elijah to heaven, and the transfer of his anointing to Elisha. Elijah tried to frustrate Elisha to give up the pursuit in following him, but he was determined not to give up. At the final moments before he received the anointing, Elijah told him that, if he could see him (Elijah) going to heaven then, the anointing could fall on him. There was a chariot of fire, there was a whirlwind, yet he focused his attention on Elijah and so he obtained the anointing. The anointing, that is the Spirit of God on a man, to do mighty works, comes on those who are ready, or better still those who would pay the price for it.

PRAYER

I pray o heavenly Father, for every child of God who desires to make a greater impact in this earth to commit his or her life to go for the anointing of God to affect changes in the lives of others.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 7:7 KJV “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”.

Jeremiah 29:13 KJV “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”.

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Judges 14:6 KJV” And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

The word anointing is a very significant word when it comes to life in the Spirit. From the Hebrew, the word anointing means, consecrated portion, unction, ointment, fat. Smear. The underlying essence of the anointing is a consecration for a special service through the endowment of the Holy Spirit. In the anointing the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual for a special role or function. In the old testament there were certain offices that were mainly or always anointed. This includes, The priest. (Exodus 40:15), the prophet (1st Kings 19:16) and the king. (1st Samuel 15:1). The Lord also anointed others at specific times to perform special duties. (Exodus 36:2)

Under the new covenant, every child of God has a general anointing. There are also special or specific anointing (This would be considered later). The Spirit of Christ is the anointing upon every Christian. The word ‘Christ’ means the anointed. The word Christians, means the anointed ones. 1 John 2:20 KJV” But ye have an unction(anointing) from the Holy One, and ye know all things”. Every child of God has an anointing and can operate in the Spirit to release the power of the Spirit to save, heal and bless lives. Mark 16:17 KJV” And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues”. Every Christian has an anointing and so long as he or she believes and acts in faith God would manifest His power to save any under satanic bondage.

 Please understand that one is anointed as a consecration unto a particular task for God. As Christians, what have we been anointed or consecrated to do? We have been anointed to stop the work of Satan in the lives of humanity. Act 26:18 KJV “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”. There is enough ability in us to meet this demand. Believe that you have been anointed so don’t sit in your room, you would not see any power there. Get out to where the sinners are and you would see that power working through you.

CONFESSION

I am the anointed of the Lord. The same spirit in Jesus is the very Spirit living in me. By the Lord’s grace I turn the lost from darkness into the light, and I bring healing to those bound by sicknesses and diseases.

FURTHER STUDIES

Colossians 1:27 KJV” To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Galatians 3:27 KJV. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 4:10 KJV” For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”

In our previous study we realised that worrying places us out of the Spirit. We now continue with some of the principles we’ve got to be established in, so that in the day of crises, we would not be plunged into worrying. We learnt earlier that, firstly, one has to believe that God is and He is a rewarder of them that that diligently seek Him.

2. Know without doubt that Jesus is ever present with you, and will never leave you under any situation: so never be moved. Hebrews 13:5b KJV”…. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”. Please take some moments to meditate on this till your heart is fully settled on it. You can meditatively say it over and over again. (Daily practice His presence, i.e., imagine He is presently with you)

3.Know also that it is impossible for God to lie. Hebrews 6:18 KJV” That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie…. “These statements are anchor scriptures that would make you very ready to confront any difficulty and not be moved.

4.He has asked us to cast every care on Him, because He cares for us.1 Peter 5:7 KJV” Casting all your care upon him; for the careth for you”. These are scriptures that should not just be committed to memory but should be life dependent principles that continuously fill your heart.

In times of difficulties or challenges one’s emotions can be carried away such that the condition can overwhelm you. Always remember to boldly speak out these scriptures. Tell yourself, I have committed them into God’s hands. Say again my Lord is too mighty to handle this matter, and I refuse to be worried about it. The scene may play back to your mind again. Say to yourself Phil 4:6, commands me to be anxious for nothing, and I will never be anxious about anything. Maintain your grounds and make these declarations.

CONFESSION

Thank you, father, for you have called me to a life of rest, and I have every provision to be at peace all the time. I refuse to let any situation put me down. I choose to rejoice and celebrate my victorious king all the days of my life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 4:6 KJV “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

Isaiah 43:2 KJV” When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Heb 4:10 KJV “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his”.

‘ To live in the Spirit is also to live a life of peace or to be at rest. Resting is a state of repose from labour. There is a kind of labour that is not physical but mental. It is more distressing than the one doing physical labour. The man at rest is exempted from this mental labour. Another word for this kind of labour is anxiety or worry. Any Christian who gets into worrying, has left the life of the Spirit. Worrying is a sin, for worrying is not of faith. Rom 14:23b KJV”…… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”. The Christian according to the word of God, must have a 24/7(that is, around the clock) life of rest.

Unfortunately, many of us have very turbulent emotions. They worry from their hair to their toe. Life is filled with an abundance of issues that we may not have answers to. In spite of all these the Lord says, we must not be anxious. Mat 6:31 KJV” Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” The Lord says, no amount of worrying would add any good thing to you. You would rather be destroyed if you do not stop it.

What is the answer to these states of emotional unrest? Faith in God is the answer. Heb 4:3a KJV” For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said….. “. These are issues that most of us know very well, yet, a number of people find themselves worrying about the turbulence of life troubles. There are some principles for faith that are so fundamental, yet many have not gotten a hold of them.

1. Believe that God is and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6). Please this is a very important point. In the days of deep crises, what makes people tough or break under the challenge is whether this point is firmly settled in them or not. Believing that God is there, is not settled by convincing yourself about it, but a decision to accept it as the truth and keep to it.

CONFESSION

I live in the Spirit by living a life of rest. I cast every care on the Lord who is always with me and takes care of all that concerns me. I always conquer by the power of the Spirit who works through me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 23:1 KJV” A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”.

1Peter 5:7 KJV “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 3:3 KJV” Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

The brethren in Galatia were seriously reprimanded by Apostle Paul about their swift turn to the flesh. They had been introduced to the faith by receiving the word concerning Jesus death and resurrection. Some Jewish believers taught them that it was not enough to believe in the Lord Jesus for justification, they must also be circumcised to complete their salvation. They believed it and started teaching that They had begun in the Spirit yet they were seeking perfection through the flesh. Most people are not comfortable just to believe to be justified, they want to do something for justification. This is very unfortunate. Justification or being declared righteous is only by faith, never by what we do. Romans 5:1. Adam and Eve fell from grace because they were not satisfied in believing what God had done for them, they wanted to do something, so they would be like God (Gen 3:1-7)

The issue of circumcision is not a big matter these times yet there are some subtle ways that many Christians leave the spirit for the flesh. Throughout the Bible, men of God have used various tokens to minister the power of the Spirit. Some of these tokens include, the anointing oil, anointed water, handkerchiefs and mantles and many more. The danger in this is when people make fetishes out of these tokens. They worship it, rather than believing in God. . All these are means of forsaking the spirit for the flesh. 

One other way of forsaking the Spirit for the flesh, is when they have to see before believing. When Thomas missed the appearing of Jesus to the disciples, after His resurrection, he said the following.in John 20:25 KJV “The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” By Thomas’ confession he had decided to function solely in the flesh. Many children of God behave this way. The Lord said blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed. God lives in the Spirit realm, and will only relate with us from the Spirit. STAY IN THE SPIRIT.

CONFESSION

I live in the Spirit. The spirit realm is God’s realm. I access the spirit realm by believing God’s word. I do not permit anything to draw me from this place of trusting God’s word and placing my confidence in the finished work of my Lord Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 5:7 KJV” (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Galatians 5:4 KJV” Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace”.

KEY SCRIPTURE:2 Corinth 3:6 KJV “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life”.

Our key scripture reveals something very profound about us. It says we are ministers of the Spirit. To be a minister is to be a servant or a waiter. It takes supernatural beings to be servants of the spirit. The scripture says it is God who has made us able ministers. A waiter at the restaurant dispenses food. As ministers of the Spirit, we dispense the Spirit. We give out the Spirit. The essence of the Spirit is life. This means we give life. This places us in the very ministry of our Lord Jesus. John 20:21 KJV” Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”.

One error that most Christians make is that we see ourselves as people who must be present at Sunday church services and attend other Christian functions and programs, and that is it. Unfortunately, we do not see ourselves as a people on a mission. We have been equipped by the Lord Himself, with divine life to give life to our would. The scripture says we have a more superior ministry to that of Moses. 2Corinth 3:7 KJV “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:2Co 3:8 KJV “How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?” Moses ministry is called the ministry of death. We have the ministry of life.

Moses committed himself to his commission, and made a mighty impact in the lives of the Jews in Egypt. We have the Ministry of life, a more glorious ministry. We have been sent to bring life to a dead world. Men are dead in their sins. Eph 2:1. Stop considering yourself as a Sunday bench warmer, but a man or woman endowed with supernatural life and abilities to minister life to men, who are bound by death.2 Corinth 3:3 states that we are letters of the Spirit read by all men. This means our lives are supposed to be messages of life and light to many in darkness.

CONFESSION

GOD has made me an able minister of the Spirit. I minister life to a lost world. My ministry is a very glorious one, and so I commit myself totally to it.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 3:3 ISV “You are demonstrating that you are the Messiah’s letter, produced by our service, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

2 Corinth 3:9 ISV “For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, then the ministry of justification has an overwhelming glory.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:23 KJV “Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”.

In our previous study we saw that temperance or self-control, is love’s, expression of freedom from the obscure mastery of the flesh. There are a number of believers who are unfortunately controlled by self, instead of they, controlling it. Some are requesting for more practical ways to control the self. Some of the enquiries are as follows. How do I control my temper? How do I break free from watching pornographic materials? These challenges cut across every category of Christians, church members, church workers and even some Pastors.

In Romans 7:25, apostle Paul gives us how he broke free from the control and impact of the flesh. Rom 7:25 KJV” I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. Actions and deeds are always cooked up in the mind (Mark 7:21-22). Your mind must be filled with the truth. You must know and accept that because of the death and resurrection of Christ, of which you have been born again, you have been transformed into an holy person. Rom 6:6 KJV” Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”. Please acknowledge that, that tendency to follow the flesh has been crucified. Say to yourself that you are no more bound to that action, whether bad temper, fornication or over eating.

Continue to tell yourself, always that you are free from that action. Every action is an execution of some instruction, either from God, demons, others or yourself. When you speak to yourself, you are giving your being a prescribed instruction to follow. Say,’ I have self-control and I will, not allow the flesh to dictate to me’. Remember that, the scriptures teach that a very big ship is controlled by a very small compass. The tongue is a small member, yet it can control how one behaves. The one who    speaks the right words acts rightly all the time (James3:2).  Do not allow your mind to hang on those things that led you into sin. When you have suggesting in your mind that instructs you to go that way, just say ‘no, I have control over this lifestyle, I will do what God’s word says. Never allow any negative word or thought to stay without responding with the scripture.

CONFESSION

The Holy Spirit has shared his love abroad in my heart. I have self-control. My flesh or my mind does not lead me in any way. I do what God’s word says always. I have joy, peace and a continual feast. Glory be to God.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 3:2 ISV “For all of us make many mistakes. If someone does not make any mistakes when he speaks, he is perfect and able to control his whole body”.

Romans 8:13 ISV” For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 16:32 KJV “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city”.

 A car without breaks is a casualty going somewhere to happen. Self-control in the life of a Christian, is like breaks in a car. Without it your end can be easily predicted as a disgrace.

 A Christian who controls the self, can never be denied a lasting greatness, so long as he or she maintains his diligence in whatever he or she is doing. Self-control is ruling over your spirit. Satan and his demons are not the real problems of Christians, but the self in a man. Self is the big enemy of the Spirit. Galatians 5:17 KJV “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”. Self-control is the answer to the confusion seen in Gal 5:17

LIVING in the Spirit, means killing the flesh or the self (Rom 8:13) (Remember that the flesh in this context is not the body but rather the influence of the body on the mind). It must not in any way dictate anything to you. The scripture in Romans 8:10 says the flesh is dead if Christ is in you,

 Self is an obscure master over men, yet when one is born again, self-control becomes love’s expression of true freedom. 1Corinth 13:5 KJV”(love) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Love behaves properly. Love’s actions are always in the light of pleasing God and blessing men.

NO Christian must be led by the flesh or self. You share in the very nature of God. Through your faith in the scriptures you are a partaker of the divine nature. You are a spirit being living in this body. You have escaped the corruption of the flesh. (2nd Peter 1:4). A little bit of self that controls you corrupts you, and introduces death into you. Rom 8:6 KJV “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”. Remember that because of your knowledge of God you have received all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Self and its dominance will deprive you of this life and godliness. Thank God you have self-control and can always put the flesh or the self under check.

CONFESSION

I am filled with love and I am free from all carnal persuasions of the flesh or self. I have total control over my flesh. Every investment of the Spirit in me is preserved because self is under control.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Peter 1:3&4 KJV” According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.

Colossians 3:1 KJV” If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”.