When Jesus walked the earth, His Anointing was evident by the miracles He performed and the lives He touched. From demons to disease, no malady or evil presence could withstand the power that flowed from Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, you have access to the same anointing. When you activate your faith, you follow in Abraham’s footsteps as noted in Romans 4: “[He] believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing…. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises…” (verses 17, 20-22).
Yet when you are staring death in the face—maybe the threat of physical death, the death of a dream, or the death of a relationship— it can be daunting to find the strength to activate your faith. When all seems lost, this is precisely the time to activate your faith and believe that God will do exactly what He says He will do. Your faith in Christ was not meant to sit unused on a shelf, but to be living and active, working in the trenches of your life. The bottom line is, your faith works when you work your faith. Is it time to take your faith off the shelf and use it? Here are three steps that will help activate the anointing in your life.
1. Activate the Anointing by Focusing on God’s Word
Spend time praying about the situation that needs God’s Anointing. Are you in need of healing? Of a relationship restoration? Of financial breakthrough? Whatever is weighing on your heart and mind, begin to mine the Word of God for scriptures that apply to your situation. Once you find them, write them out, memorise them, and set them in a place where you will see them often throughout the day, such as the background on your phone, laptop or tablet. When your thoughts drift into the lane of fear and negativity, redirect them by grabbing the wheel and focusing on the Word of God. The longer you meditate on negativity, the more opportunity for damage there is, so grab the wheel and “set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that of the earth [which have only temporal value]” (Colossians 3:1-2 AMP).
2. Activate the Anointing by Expressing Your Faith
As you build your faith through feeding your mind and heart with God’s Word, (Romans 10:17), the anointing touch of Jesus Christ becomes activated. Look at the story of the two blind men in the Bible who cried out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 9:27). They were calling Him the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Jesus asked the blind men if they believed He could do this miracle. He wanted to hear them speak their faith, since He knew He was anointed to give “recovering of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18 KJV).
Or consider the leper who came to Jesus and said, “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” The leper was making a faith demand on Jesus’ Anointing (Matthew 8:2-3).
Expressing faith allows the anointing to flow and healing to occur.
How have you expressed your faith? Have you expressed it in faith statements like those above? Have you expressed it in faith actions? Look again at Abraham’s example; he took action without knowing the whole plan. “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith…” (Hebrews 11:8-9).
3. Activate the Anointing by Walking It Out Every Day
Walking in God’s promises is not a one-time action, but a way of life. “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). You walk out your faith in the words you say, in your prayers and in your conversations with others, and, like the Scripture says, by keeping your eyes on the one who is invisible.
But it’s not always easy, is it? The faith journey takes effort, and an act of your will to determine to receive the promises of God. You may even empathise with the father who pleaded with Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. His anguished, raw words may resonate today: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). The good news is, as you daily choose to look to Christ and express your faith, you are strengthened…one day at a time.
Choosing to focus on God’s Word, expressing your faith, and walking it out every day will activate the Anointing of God in your life. As you build your faith and learn to activate the anointing, remember where your faith comes from. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus initiates and perfects our faith. So, you’re not alone; Jesus is right there with you for your journey. It is Christ who first drew you to Himself, and it is Christ who made a way for you to have faith in the first place. It is Christ who continually refines your faith. Always look to Him, and soon, you will be operating in the anointing with signs and miracles following you just as they followed Jesus when He walked the earth!