Anointing oil was used in the Old Testament for pouring on the head of the high priest and his descendants and sprinkling the tabernacle and its furnishings to mark them as holy and set apart to the Lord (Exodus 25:6). Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed outwardly with oil to symbolize a more profound spiritual reality – that God’s presence was with them and His favor was upon them (Psalm 20:6). While David was still a young shepherd, God told Samuel to anoint him to become king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:3). From that day forward, the Spirit of the Lord rested powerfully upon David’s life (1 Samuel 16:13). Prophets operated with the anointing oil, especially when the Lord commanded Elijah to anoint Elisha as the prophet to succeed him (1 Kings 19:16). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reveals Himself as our anointed King, Priest, and Prophet. He is God’s Holy and chosen Son, the Messiah, which directly translates to mean “anointed one†(Questions, n.d.). At the launch of his ministry, Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor . . . to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free†(Luke 4:18). Jesus Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as the Anointed One, the chosen Messiah (Luke 4:21). He proved His anointing through the miracles He performed and the life He sacrificed as Savior of the world (Questions, n.d.). As you walk through these prayers, perhaps your life has been characterized by breakdowns – in your health, business, family, and finances. The good news is that the coming of the anointing upon you will bring to an end the breakdowns of your life, and grant you perpetual breakthroughs, in Jesus’ mighty name!
