To follow is a guest post by Janet. She has written here for us before but today is a specail treat. She shares her personal story of worship and I KNOW it will touch you. Read all the way through and then watch the 15 second video at the end. I PROMISE you will be changed. Hugs, Lynn
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There is no one size fits all standard when it comes to an
intimate time of praise, prayer and worship with God. I know because I’ve tried
everyone’s formulas. The result? I felt like a failure. What worked for them just wasn’t working for
me. Praise and worship music was the easy
element. Morning time with God? Not only am I not a morning person, but neither
is our wee tot who enjoys sleeping in our bed and asking for midnight snacks. Disciplined, concrete pattern reading of the
bible from Psalms, Proverbs and gospels?
I tried, exhausting myself to no avail.
Sadly it became a regimented routine transitioning into discouragement. Specific prayer patterns? The focus became assuring I mastered them,
leaving no detail forgotten, instead of heartfelt conversations with God. While these work for some, I personally felt
like a blue spruce planted on a tropical island.
Yet this insatiable desire for more – continued to manifest
and convict me. I just knew there had to be more. But I had no idea where or how to find it. I was left to seek help from God while being
honest with myself. I had to accept the
realization that God, the creator of not only the universe but me, created me already knowing I thrive after the hours
of noon. Freedom in peace of that
knowledge empowered me to take the next step.
I released myself from the “morning time with God guilt”, and I began to
carve out daily afternoon time with God.
I purchased the Daily Chronological Bible. Reading, which seemed like an insurmountable
goal, was thrilling and intriguing as I read the bible in a story form.
Most interesting was the transformation of my prayer time. My prayers moved from “me focused” to “Him
focused”. Prayers reminding Him who
wronged me and how I needed this or that, dialogue asking for His blessings on
my plans became conversations asking for His anointing and courage to move
forward with His will and plans.
During a recent phone call with Lynn we explored worship,
prayer and the divine power released when we pray asking for anointing. I esteem anointing to be a sacred topic-a powerfully
holy one, filled with awe and mystery.
The supernatural possibilities of it challenge my human mind, and I
still have much to experience and learn.
Let’s journey this together as the joined Body of Christ,
open to what He chooses to reveal to us uniquely and individually, through
prayer and by learning from one another.
Gracious Father, we are so humbled by Your love that You entrust each
one of us with one of the greatest mysteries-direct access and power of Your
Holy Spirit, which is present, alive and moving within each of us. It is an honor we choose to not take
lightly. Remove stumbling blocks and
falsehoods in our paths, experiences and traditions that limit our yielding. Awaken our spiritual senses blessing us with
wisdom and discernment as together we journey to better understand and know You
and Your power unleashed. By the blood of Jesus, all for Your glory and honor,
Amen.
We see beginning in Genesis and up through the life of Jesus,
oil was used in the Old Testament to anoint. ”Early
the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it
up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.” Genesis 28:18 NIV Read Exodus 30:22- 33 NIV. In these scriptures the Lord reveals a divine
recipe of anointing oil to Moses, and He had Moses anoint places, items and people-
Aaron and his sons. “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and
healed them.” Mark 6:13 NIV
During the baptism and after death of Jesus the bible continues
to speak of oil to anoint, but also begins to include a different and powerful
anointing through, by and of the Holy Spirit.
“how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and
healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
Acts 10:38 NIV “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to
pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” James
5:14 NIV “But you have
an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
1 John 2:20 NIV “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He
anointed us,” 2 Corinthians 1:21 NIV
I am convicted to believe His Word shows us physical oil is
indeed an element for anointing, used for all time in accordance to His Word
and will, but so is unseen oil of the Holy Spirit poured within us straight
from His throne. In each of these
scriptures we see a common theme of anointing being mandated before God’s will
is purposed and carried out. Let me
stress before God’s will is purposed
and carried out. Anointing is the
consecrating, making holy and set apart for His purposes and glory. For me personally this is convicting. This isn’t about me telling God my plans and asking for His blessing upon them. This is me asking for His anointing as I move
forward in His will.
Regularly I pray for God’s Holy Spirit to be unleashed and
pour down anointing our home, town, church, congregation, family and more. There is no rhyme or reason to these
petitions other than I pray as I am led based on circumstances, need and
conviction. I pray for the anointing of
our Pastor whose spiritual gift is to preach to His children each week, for His
glory. I pray for the anointing of our
community requesting divine healing, for His glory, because in a short span of
time we have experienced tremendous and heartbreaking loss after loss. I pray for the anointing of my husband’s
friendships and work that God will move in them and in him, for His glory. I pray for anointing of my friends and myself.
In these prayers I am asking God to be
the forefront and focus, that His will is accomplished on earth.
When I pray these I believe with full confidence God is at work hearing and answering my
prayers. He never fails to amaze me with
answers-divine, supernatural, unexplainable answers. As Lynn and I ended our conversation she
prayed over me asking the Holy Spirit to anoint my writing. I, the self-doubter and fearer of both
success and failure, later prayed again asking for an extra measure of anointing
upon my hands as I piece together the writing.
Hours later I endured another occurrence of what I call
“gold glitter” upon my hands. This is
not the first time, nor the only place it physically appears on me. Each time I am taken aback and startled. This time though, it was only on my hands. Specifically the prayer request of anointing both
Lynn and I asked God for, for His glory, not
mine. (see video below)
Supernatural activity and answers can be found throughout
the bible-talking donkeys, burning bush, a rod and snake, and so much
more. We are called to not seek, idolize
or worship miraculous signs and wonders.
But we are called to believe with full confidence expecting His answer. In God’s perfect and holy timing we see many
examples in the bible where anointing occurred revealing His power, sovereignty
and glory.
Everything can be set apart, made holy, for His glory, including
our day-to-day tasks, and His will and purpose for us. We just need to pray asking for the anointing,
and be an open, willing participant. We
participate by allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us and to conform us to the
likeness of Christ. And we seal it by
stepping out in belief and faith that the anointing has empowered us to do His
will-be it writing, preaching, serving or any other gift, for His glory, not ours.
Have you prayed for anointing? How can we pray for you to be anointed? Has God answered your prayers in a
supernatural way?
Janet.
–My friends, Lynn here. Now behold the glory of God as below is the video of Janet's hands after her prayer time. Thank you Janet for your faithfulness and your love for our Lord. You bring Him great honor today. Lynn
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