 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  |
Copyright 2008 Pocket Amphoras All Rights Reserved
Along with the amphora images given, there also came the image of a gentle wave rolling across the
land as believers began anointing and consecrating with oil in the name of Jesus within their own
individual spheres of influence. As the ankle-deep wave lapped eastward across the dry, parched
miles of the Great Plains, it was understood that the physical act of prayerful anointing provided a
contact point for the Holy Spirit to flow and pour out with power and purpose according to the will of
God into areas of daily life that had been overlooked as quiet ministry opportunities–simply because
too many activities and too much ground had been designated as secular. The enemy had been able
to simply stand by patiently and scoop up huge chunks of life that we had sorted into his pile. The
areas of life we sorted into God’s pile became so refined and narrow that we all but stopped
expecting Him to be there; but every little drop of oil that believers began to apply in faith joined with
all the other drops of oil until everyday life became soaked and overflowing with God’s presence,
power and protection. And in the presence of God, ordinary life begins to become extraordinary.
land as believers began anointing and consecrating with oil in the name of Jesus within their own
individual spheres of influence. As the ankle-deep wave lapped eastward across the dry, parched
miles of the Great Plains, it was understood that the physical act of prayerful anointing provided a
contact point for the Holy Spirit to flow and pour out with power and purpose according to the will of
God into areas of daily life that had been overlooked as quiet ministry opportunities–simply because
too many activities and too much ground had been designated as secular. The enemy had been able
to simply stand by patiently and scoop up huge chunks of life that we had sorted into his pile. The
areas of life we sorted into God’s pile became so refined and narrow that we all but stopped
expecting Him to be there; but every little drop of oil that believers began to apply in faith joined with
all the other drops of oil until everyday life became soaked and overflowing with God’s presence,
power and protection. And in the presence of God, ordinary life begins to become extraordinary.
The Anointing Project
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds.” ( 2Cor 10:4)
Oil as a weapon? The pulling down of what strongholds?
Even now, there are brewing strongholds swirling and settling over already established strongholds
to sweep up and lock down ever more of humanity away from the movement of God’s Spirit.
Strongholds of oppression, fear, financial destruction, despair and hopelessness overlay entrenched
strongholds of deception, lawlessness, corruption, secrecy and control that place individuals and
groups into a bondage they are unable to recognize as the enemy’s workings. By itself, a drop of oil
has no power; but there is all power in the indwelling Holy Spirit, your faith, and the name of Jesus.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds.” ( 2Cor 10:4)
Oil as a weapon? The pulling down of what strongholds?
Even now, there are brewing strongholds swirling and settling over already established strongholds
to sweep up and lock down ever more of humanity away from the movement of God’s Spirit.
Strongholds of oppression, fear, financial destruction, despair and hopelessness overlay entrenched
strongholds of deception, lawlessness, corruption, secrecy and control that place individuals and
groups into a bondage they are unable to recognize as the enemy’s workings. By itself, a drop of oil
has no power; but there is all power in the indwelling Holy Spirit, your faith, and the name of Jesus.
Bind the spirits of defeat and suicide associated with those strongholds using the authority Jesus
Christ gives to His Church. Anoint with oil the walls, objects-even the ground of the affected
territory and invite the Spirit of God to fill the void instead. Dedicate recovered ground to the
service of the Lord. Speak deliverance to any that are held captive or tormented by the enemy.
Anoint your children as they head off to school. Daily if you feel so led. They may grow to appreciate
the outward evidence of God's protection and claim over their lives.
Anoint the tools of your trade, whether they be in the kitchen, workshop or the office and dedicate
them to God. Whether or not your company is in the service of the Lord, you are and so is the
work you perform while on earth. Food may become scarce or of increasingly poor quality in the
days ahead. Anoint your table when you ask God's blessing so that the food you do have goes
farther and is more vital when sanctified by the Lord.
Anoint your vehicle and dedicate it to God. May His blessing and protection minimize repairs and
accidents. Homelessness will increase in the coming troubled times and a vehicle may one day
become home for many people. Anoint it now and ask the Lord to establish a hedge of protection
around it. Anoint another's vehicle if it has become their home.
Anoint yourself when you fast and pray to seek the Lord's guidance. Anoint your eyes and ears for the
eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord would have you to know. Anoint in gladness to
celebrate blessings, miracles and answers to prayer.
Anoint your home and each person's room. Declare the Lord's protection and presence over the
living spaces. Anoint your doorway so that all who pass through enter into the presence of the
Lord and His blessing upon your home. Anoint your pets that they be protected, cared for and
safe from the enemy's attacks.
Anoint the sick. Anoint those who grieve. Anoint those who come to you for prayer.
Anoint whenever you feel led to, and refrain whenever you feel a check in your spirit that it is not
appropriate in that instance.
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Lk 10:19)
Christ gives to His Church. Anoint with oil the walls, objects-even the ground of the affected
territory and invite the Spirit of God to fill the void instead. Dedicate recovered ground to the
service of the Lord. Speak deliverance to any that are held captive or tormented by the enemy.
Anoint your children as they head off to school. Daily if you feel so led. They may grow to appreciate
the outward evidence of God's protection and claim over their lives.
Anoint the tools of your trade, whether they be in the kitchen, workshop or the office and dedicate
them to God. Whether or not your company is in the service of the Lord, you are and so is the
work you perform while on earth. Food may become scarce or of increasingly poor quality in the
days ahead. Anoint your table when you ask God's blessing so that the food you do have goes
farther and is more vital when sanctified by the Lord.
Anoint your vehicle and dedicate it to God. May His blessing and protection minimize repairs and
accidents. Homelessness will increase in the coming troubled times and a vehicle may one day
become home for many people. Anoint it now and ask the Lord to establish a hedge of protection
around it. Anoint another's vehicle if it has become their home.
Anoint yourself when you fast and pray to seek the Lord's guidance. Anoint your eyes and ears for the
eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord would have you to know. Anoint in gladness to
celebrate blessings, miracles and answers to prayer.
Anoint your home and each person's room. Declare the Lord's protection and presence over the
living spaces. Anoint your doorway so that all who pass through enter into the presence of the
Lord and His blessing upon your home. Anoint your pets that they be protected, cared for and
safe from the enemy's attacks.
Anoint the sick. Anoint those who grieve. Anoint those who come to you for prayer.
Anoint whenever you feel led to, and refrain whenever you feel a check in your spirit that it is not
appropriate in that instance.
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Lk 10:19)
Jesus was invited to eat at Simon the Pharisee’s house where the woman who
was a sinner came in and kissed His feet, wept and wiped the tears off with her
hair, and broke ointment over His feet. When the Pharisee murmured within
himself about the woman touching Him being a sinner, Jesus chided him by
saying that he had offered no water for His feet, no kiss of greeting, and did not
anoint His head with oil when He entered Simon’s house as the woman had so
done for His feet. (Lk 7:36-50)
Anointing was a far more common and expected practice during Bible times than
it is for us today. (Imagine a woman walking into your house and anointing the
feet of your dinner guest while you pensively observed!) And it wouldn't have
been ordinary cooking oil that was used to anoint. It would have been fragrant
oils and spices that were chosen for their specific health benefits, their effect on
mood and emotion or fragrances that held particular scriptural and spiritual
significance. Not only have we lost the common knowledge of the physical effects
of individual oils, we are likewise missing out on a meaningful gesture of our faith
and expression of our heart by not anointing---even if we use only pure olive oil.
As you become alert to situations that present opportunities to anoint, may you
grow in sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading or restraining in the ordering of your
steps.
was a sinner came in and kissed His feet, wept and wiped the tears off with her
hair, and broke ointment over His feet. When the Pharisee murmured within
himself about the woman touching Him being a sinner, Jesus chided him by
saying that he had offered no water for His feet, no kiss of greeting, and did not
anoint His head with oil when He entered Simon’s house as the woman had so
done for His feet. (Lk 7:36-50)
Anointing was a far more common and expected practice during Bible times than
it is for us today. (Imagine a woman walking into your house and anointing the
feet of your dinner guest while you pensively observed!) And it wouldn't have
been ordinary cooking oil that was used to anoint. It would have been fragrant
oils and spices that were chosen for their specific health benefits, their effect on
mood and emotion or fragrances that held particular scriptural and spiritual
significance. Not only have we lost the common knowledge of the physical effects
of individual oils, we are likewise missing out on a meaningful gesture of our faith
and expression of our heart by not anointing---even if we use only pure olive oil.
As you become alert to situations that present opportunities to anoint, may you
grow in sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading or restraining in the ordering of your
steps.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh;”
“And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit.”
(Acts 2:17 & 18). “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his heart shall flow
rivers of living water.” ( Jn 7:38) “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.” (Ps 23:5) The biblical imagery of
pouring, flowing, quenching, filling. . . .cannot help but inspire an outward representation that matches
the spiritual fluidity that moves within us whenever there is contact with the living Creator. "And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen 1:2) God's Spirit is dynamic and ever in
motion, saturating our lives and our world like the purest oil.
***You don’t need one of our amphoras to begin using anointing oil in your world. Fill a small bottle of
olive oil that you consecrate to the Lord and start carrying it with you. Anoint when it seems obvious to
do so, always following the leading of the Lord. As you become more aware of situations where
anointing oil is appropriate, we pray that the Holy Spirit begins to increasingly move and flow in and
through your life so that you are a blessing (and a warrior) wherever you go.***
“And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit.”
(Acts 2:17 & 18). “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his heart shall flow
rivers of living water.” ( Jn 7:38) “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.” (Ps 23:5) The biblical imagery of
pouring, flowing, quenching, filling. . . .cannot help but inspire an outward representation that matches
the spiritual fluidity that moves within us whenever there is contact with the living Creator. "And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen 1:2) God's Spirit is dynamic and ever in
motion, saturating our lives and our world like the purest oil.
***You don’t need one of our amphoras to begin using anointing oil in your world. Fill a small bottle of
olive oil that you consecrate to the Lord and start carrying it with you. Anoint when it seems obvious to
do so, always following the leading of the Lord. As you become more aware of situations where
anointing oil is appropriate, we pray that the Holy Spirit begins to increasingly move and flow in and
through your life so that you are a blessing (and a warrior) wherever you go.***
