TEACHING

Going with the Flow: The Power of God's Anointing

By Laura Bagby
CBN.com Producer

A couple of months ago I was complaining to my friend that I didn't feel close to the Lord, that God hadn't seemed to be talking to me, and that I was at a spiritually dry place. I missed being anointed for ministry. Sickness and busyness and fear of man had made it hard to move in the prophetic and I felt badly that I wasn't doing what God had intended.

God chose the most unusual time and way to answer that prayer.

In the midst of a busy day, I was asked to help with worship at one of CBN's staff chapels. I agreed, though I lacked spiritual exuberance. While my coworker was expectant that the Lord would move mightily in power, I was hoping chapel wouldn't go too long because I had a lot to do. Knowing that I was unprepared for what the Lord might do, I prayed that God would just allow me to worship Him and not worry about what anyone else thought of me. I prayed for God's peace and for His anointing -- never expecting that God would come in power an hour later.

And God did come, at first very gently. As the Holy Spirit swept through that chapel room and into my heart, the tears flowed, slowly and then steadily. Soon I was an embarrassingly soggy mess of brokenness before the Lord -- in front of a large crowd of people. There was no hiding my face, but that was OK, because I knew that it wasn't for man to judge my tears, not this day. I was in the presence of the Almighty. I couldn't explain why the dried up well suddenly sprang to life except that it was God being gracious to answer my prayer.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Faith rose up within me, bolstering what God had begun. I sensed God's presence strongly in love and in peace. I felt ready to do battle for the Lord. It wasn't about the singing. It wasn't about performing anymore. This was about the Lord and His business.

I felt God nudge me several times while I was singing, compelling me to pray and prophesy over people, but at first I was a little unsettled. After all, I wasn't an "intercessor." There was a team in place for that. I watched as those needing prayer came forward toward the intercessors. As soon as one came up, someone stepped in to pray. I was almost disappointed, because I really felt led to walk off that platform and pray for them myself! Now that is audacious. But sometimes God calls for that. God doesn't care about our rules or even about us saving face or looking good in front of others.

Yet still, I watched and waited. The room was abuzz with intercessors speaking prophetic words and those prayed for weeping and praising the Lord. The spiritual decibel level was high. Maybe this wasn't my time to pray, I wondered. But I noticed that there were those who were waiting to be prayed for. They were waiting and waiting. What are they waiting for, Laura? God seemed to be speaking to me. Get out there and pray, and I will give you the words to say.

So off I went into the wild blue yonder of God's grace, along with those intercessors who had boldly gone before me, to the throne room of God. It was a little scary. I am new to this spiritual gift. I am not a prophet. I certainly don’t have "a word" in every corporate meeting. I don't claim to know all things. If I did I would be God. No, but God has given me the mind of Christ, as He has you, dear saints of Christ. And when you and I have His mind and He brings His power to match it, amazing things happen, simple as that. And this day I guess God wished to use me as one among many. It didn't happen because I was somehow chosen. We are all chosen. I am not more special; I would be thinking about myself more highly than I ought if I thought that way.

I am beginning to understand that you can't be afraid when God asks you to speak over someone. Fear snuffs out faith. I experienced a bit of that snuffing when nervously praying for the first individual that I saw who needed prayer. I was worried about offending the individual and about saying the wrong things. As the words came out from my lips, I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake. It didn't seem right. But instead of walking away like I was tempted to do, convinced that I should leave the work to one more experienced, I decided to press in further by asking the Lord to grant me wisdom and faith so that I would know what to say.

And it was amazing. God met me every time. God is such a personal and specific God. He knows the hearts of those who love Him. And though we don't always need a word from God to get us moving -- most days we just must obey, relying on His word -- a word of edification or exhortation or healing can be just what we need to build our faith, to turn our cold hearts again to a God who is truly concerned for us, or to step out in a new direction with boldness and joy.

And the second thing I have begun to learn is that you can't bottle up the power. The Israelites tried to do this when God sent them manna from Heaven. Some gathered more than a day's worth of the bread. They were trying to bottle up God's anointing. God was not pleased. God gives us our DAILY bread. We need His new perspective every day. Those Israelites who stored more food than was necessary for the day had moldy bread.

Likewise, when you are moving in the realm of the prophetic, you can start to think you have a bibidee-bobidee-boo wand of spiritual insight that you can wave over people any time you want. Not true. Only Jesus has that kind of anointing. We as humans must rely on His impartation and His timing.

God's power is never meant to be some warm and fuzzy sideshow. To do so would make a mockery of a God who is so holy that we can't stand before His presence without the robes of Christ. We must be careful not to go about proclaiming that we are Prophet So-and-So or Prophetess So-and-So, wanting to justify our actions and bring the glory to ourselves. Have we forgotten this is the Lord God we are dealing with?

We do this not for ourselves. We don't speak a word over another like some misguided psychic trying to piece together an individual's future. It is not intended to please man, but to do the will of God, as is the case when we use every spiritual gift. If we do so to seek the praises of men, then we have missed the point entirely and are in grave danger of deceiving ourselves and of disillusioning others. All the gifts of the Spirit, whether they come in power or in gentleness, in meekness or in strength, are all about God. It isn't about us.

All I did was show up and obey. God did the rest. And that, my friend, is all you have to do, too.

If God is calling you, nudging you, or compelling you, and it lines up with Scripture, go out and do what He asks of you. Lay hands on sick people if that is what God is speaking to you. Give your entire paycheck to the poor if God is directing you to do so. Speak a word of knowledge that is directed by God. And do it all humbly, giving thanks to God and praises to Him. Expect nothing in return except God to show up and accomplish His purposes. You will stand in awe of what He can and will do in your midst.

^"So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11, Amplified).

Comments? E-mail me.

• Find your way to peace with God
• Send us your prayer request online
• Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 700-7000, 24 hours a day.

A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.