Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
In this season where many are experiencing “visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Cor. 12:1), it is important for us to remember and understand that the primary way by which God leads New Testament believers is by the anointing within.
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. 1 John 2:27
There are other types of anointing. Bill Johnson put it like this,“The Holy Spirit is within me for me, and He is on me for you.” So each of us has an inward anointing for ourselves and there is an anointing given to serve others. This anointing varies from person to person depending on the calling and gifting God has bestowed upon them. There is also an anointing that comes upon a corporate body of people.
We have a great example of a corporate anointing at our church. Over the last two years God has given us an increasing anointing to heal the sick. We have seen a lot of healings and it has been the body, not one specific gifted individual or leader, God is using to heal the sick. Some of the most spectacular healings occur when the children are involved in the ministry.
As important as the corporate anointing and the anointing to serve others are, I believe the anointing that abides within each of us is by far the most important anointing we will ever receive. All other anointing is built upon and around our individual anointing. I believe this is what Paul was talking about when he said, “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son” Romans 1:9. God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul (Acts 19:11) and he had many visions and revelations of the Lord (2 Cor. 12), however, Paul’s foundational and guiding anointing was within him and not upon him or in the atmosphere.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us in any type of ministry situation, whether it is, to an individual or to a corporate group, we are to constantly ensure what we are sensing on us or in the atmosphere is in alignment with the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. This includes every impression, feeling, vision, etc. and regardless of how strong these may seem we must not go against the inward witness of the Spirit. I have personally found when the inward witness of the Holy Spirit is not in alignment with what I am sensing on me or in the atmosphere, it is usually a timing issue or the Lord does not want to use me to facilitate what He is doing at that moment.
The majority of the failure I have experienced in ministry situations is due to not obeying the inward witness of the Holy Spirit or not understanding the particular purpose of the anointing that God was releasing at that moment. God is not only interested in us growing in our discerning and following the anointing but also in knowing the particular purpose of the anointing in any given situation.
The Bible tells us we can grow in faith (2 Cor. 10:15), grace (2 Peter 3:18) and even the glory of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). We can also grow in our inward anointing. In fact, a growth in faith, grace and the glory of the Lord will result in a growth in our inward anointing (see Rom. 12:6 & Eph. 3:16-20). As we grow in our inward anointing our ability to function when the Holy Spirit comes upon us or fills the atmosphere corporately is also sharpened and increased.
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
Finally, we can develop or grow the anointing by practicing the use of the spiritual senses within. We all have the five spiritual senses as we have five natural senses. By the anointing within our spirits we possess the sense of spiritual sight, taste, hearing, touch and smell. In order to practice and use our spiritual senses we must bring our physical appetites and our soul realm into obedience to our spirits. Praying with the spirit, worship, meditation on the word and soaking in the presence of the Lord are some practical ways to facilitate the training of our spiritual senses.
Many Blessings, BW