What Does It Mean to Be Anointed by God?
April 20, 2022
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What Does It Mean to Be Anointed by God?
By Brooke Holt
“You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:37–38).
What a sight it must have been to see Jesus baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. John had done hundreds of baptisms in the Jordan River, but none like Jesus. Luke describes the day: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21–22). Take a moment to imagine yourself standing by and watching. The heavens opened, the Spirit descended, and a voice spoke from heaven. No one had ever seen or heard this kind of thing before the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and he lived faithfully by that Spirit. What does it mean to be anointed by God? It means that Jesus was given everything he needed for life and godliness. Through that Holy Spirit, he had the strength to overcome temptation. He had spiritual wisdom that surpassed those who studied the Law and the Prophets. And he had power in his teaching, preaching, and healing of illness, demon possession, and infirmity. Jesus was no ordinary man; he was the Son of God who lived in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus embraced the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, he lived a perfect, sinless life—while still experiencing all the temptations that we encounter.
If you are in Christ, you have been filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord has a calling on your life that can only be fulfilled if you live in the anointing of that Spirit. That means daily surrender, daily filling, and daily obedience to his plans and purpose. Not one time, but every day, all day. To be anointed by God is to be filled with all the fullness of God so that you can faithfully do his work in this world. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).
Reflection:
Are you living as one who has been anointed by God? There is joy and purpose in embracing your calling and purpose in Christ. Are you tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit within you and asking to be filled anew each day? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Related Resource:
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a "gift" who will guide us, lead us, and empower us. Yet many believers don't experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This unique Christian small group Bible study provides a space in which we can explore what it truly means to "walk in the Spirit" on a daily basis. The Spirit-Filled Life small group curriculum centers on a 6-part video teaching series examining the life-giving and creative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Begin to experience the gift today!
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Allen Howard
December 30, 2024
Last night, in a dream, my father who was a Pastor of 30 years came to me. I was in a dungeon of some sort when he approached me. He held my hands and prayed, repeatedly pleading and crying to God, “Father please anoint my son.” Anoint him! anoint him?! Anoint him?! He begged over and over, pleading with God to anoint me. He never said to save me from the dungeon but to anoint me. This was all he said in his plea to God. When I woke my hands were aching. At that moment I didn’t know why. I assumed I must’ve slept on them somehow. Then, I remembered the dream and my father squeezing my hands while he prayed. I thought to myself, “did my father just visit me in my sleep?” I got out of bed hands still anching annd attempted to start my normal morning routine. I went to play music on my phone but when I picked up my phone, something led me to search the meaning of the word anoint. I looked at several meanings and different sources from which they came. Keep in mind I wasn’t a frequent church goer. In 30 years of my father operating his church I had on visited maybe 10 times. Even after his death, 4 years ago, I still hadn’t visited my siblings who attended his church nor other members of the congregation. My father had given me a task months before his death that I did work diligently on. However, his death came sudden and soon after he had given me the task. I was destroyed that I didn’t get to finish it before his passing. It haunted me for months that I didn’t get to show him my work before he passed. I lived in shame feeling that I let him and my siblings down. I hadn’t spoken to them since his funeral which I didn’t attend. My life spiraled down, up, down and up in circles. I became lost. Now, last night, 4 years after his passing I see him in a dream. It was so vivid, so real that I somehow got sidetracked from my daily routine when I woke up and somehow here I am texting this message to whomever may get to read it. The entire time I’m texting, all I can hear is the voice of my Father from the dream continuously begging THEE FATHER to anoint me. So here I am in mystery, wondering what do I do next?
Was this a sign? If so, what is it telling me? Please add me to the study group? I think I know what this dream means and I may need some help. Thank you for reading.