What is anointing?
In the Old Testament, anointing was done by pouring oil over someone’s head as a symbol of consecration to the Lord and in recognition that God had chosen that person to lead others as his representative. In this case, oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s presence. It was also common to use oil medicinally for those who were sick.
How to anoint with oil
- Prepare your heart with expectation and faith in God. It is the power of his Spirit not the greatness of our faith that accomplishes the impossible.
- Gather your family together or go to the one needing prayer.
- With your finger, place some oil on each family member’s forehead, hand or both.
- Pray! Pray for needs to be met, whether healing, provision, wisdom or something else. Pray to commit yourselves and your circumstances to God. Pray an invitation for his Spirit to dwell and work in and through you and your family.
- You can also anoint and pray over your home as a family. One way to do this is to anoint the doorway together and pray for all who go in and out to experience the presence, peace, power and provision of the Spirit of God.
Why do we still anoint with oil?
In the New Testament, the apostles “laid hands” on people to receive the Holy Spirit. James teaches leaders in the church to pray for the sick by anointing them with oil and their prayer of faith would “save” or “heal” them. We continue anointing with oil and praying both for healing and for consecration to the Lord’s purposes today.
Oil is not magical; it is symbolic. Just like water baptism, it is a physical act of obedience, faith and public testimony to the work the Spirit is doing in and through us. The Spirit does the work. The prayer of faith is his method, the anointing is our act of obedience. These symbols recognize the reality that physical things matter to God and that our whole life is spiritual. Healing—even by medical means—is still an act of God’s restoration, and only he can do the miraculous things that are impossible for us. Anointing the forehead is a symbol of consecrating our minds and desires to seek God in all ways and invite his Spirit to fill our lives. He alone can make us whole—body, mind, and spirit!
With God, all things are possible!
Oil is not magical; it is symbolic. Just like water baptism, it is a physical act of obedience, faith and public testimony to the work the Spirit is doing in and through us. The Spirit does the work. The prayer of faith is his method, the anointing is our act of obedience. These symbols recognize the reality that physical things matter to God and that our whole life is spiritual. Healing—even by medical means—is still an act of God’s restoration, and only he can do the miraculous things that are impossible for us. Anointing the forehead is a symbol of consecrating our minds and desires to seek God in all ways and invite his Spirit to fill our lives. He alone can make us whole—body, mind, and spirit!
With God, all things are possible!