James and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, came to Him asking a very peculiar question. Mark 10:35 (NKJV) says, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” I believe in prayer of petition as well as whatsoever you ask in My name I will do it, but the nature of this request seemed tainted and yet listen to how Jesus responded in Mark 10:36, “And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’” Don’t you just love Jesus? Here two disciples have the audacity to ask Jesus a very selfish demand, and yet Jesus’ reply was that of a true servant, not haughty or demanding, but with a heart of humility.
As we move closer to the end of this age of grace, I believe it is important that we walk it out correctly and in the fullness of the purchased possession of Christ that is worthy of His finished work. With this stated, I want to ask you a question that the Lord asked me during prayer. How do you know you are anointed? Without thought the first response is, you have power. Although this is correct it’s insufficient and lacks true understanding as power is the result of the anointing but not the purpose.
Many times, we associate anointing with the showmanship of an individual, as we are starstruck by their words and actions. Even if miraculous in nature, it is from the wrong heart. I’ll say it like this for the sake of what I am wanting to communicate, glowing in the dark and floating may impress some people but it will not impact them eternally.
Isaiah 11:27 gives us the definition of anointing, “It shall come to pass in that day that his (Satan) burden will be taken away from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.” In short, the anointing is the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God. It is God coming on flesh to do what only He can do.
Jesus expresses this thought after emerging from the desert having been tempted by the devil 40 days. Arriving at the synagogue on the Sabbath day as was His custom, He was handed the book of Isaiah and He read Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to…” Now I want to stop right there in this verse for this reason, the next portion, if read fittingly, provides a clear and true description of the anointing’s purpose of power and I want to condense it for the sake of making a point. Jesus was anointed to prosper others, heal others, liberate others, give sight to others, remove others’ burdens, and restore others.
The first indication of anointing is thoughtfulness. Let that sink in for a moment. It doesn’t have the glitz and glamor that we normally expect and yet it is when we turn our focus from ourselves to others that the anointing’s power begins to function at its highest capacity. Love is the underlying support of the anointing.
Back to Mark 10:43b (NKJV), “But whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.” And then in Mark 10:45, Jesus concludes the lesson with, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
If you want to observe if someone is anointed don’t look to see if they have a title, but rather if they carry a towel. (John 13:12-15) Anointing rises to its greatest level of effectiveness when we serve others. When we are truly looking for what someone else may need, even if it’s as simple as refilling someone’s drink, (Psalms 23:5). This is a true expression of anointing, and it is from such that the miraculous and supernatural manifestations that we seek and desire are seen.
Jesus always gave illustrated lessons. If you jump down to Mark 10:46-52 you find the story of blind Bartimaeus who continuously shouted, “Son of David have mercy on me!” Jesus came to a complete stop and told the people to bring the man to Him. Upon Bartimaeus’ arrival, Jesus asks him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus was not bothered like the multitude was by this man’s incessant shouting, rather Jesus had a heart of compassion and desire to serve him. When we are aware of being anointed, we do not demand others to do for us, but instead, seek to see what we can do for those around us.
Remember this: when problems, persecutions, oppressions, and hardships occur, they are simply tools the devil uses to pull our eyes away from serving others, which in turn pulls the plug on the anointing as we begin to turn inward, selfishly wondering and fearing how we will make it.
Anointing is never concerned about self, as self is eliminated and already taken care of. When the devil tries to get you to panic, begin to look for ways to allow the anointing on you to bring deliverance and freedom to someone else. Lay hands on the sick, speak words of grace to a discouraged heart, give financially as the Lord leads…the list is endless. As you do these things your situation will be dissolved and satisfied with a great outcome of victory!
Anointing is not provided to build a platform or gather a crowd, but instead to intimately know that the creator of the universe lives in you and rests on you for the sole purpose of serving you your daily bread and filling your cup to overflowing, and in turn removing all trepidation and concern. You are to walk about and spill the fullness of Him on those around you and watch God work!