A-noint-ed v.t. to choose by or as if by divine intervention

Monday

If you could name the thing your were ‘made for’ what would it be? For me…I was made to be a mother. And they don’t even have to be my children! I’m quite happy to nurture anything smaller than me!!!
Is this an anointing?
What do you feel anointed by God to accomplish in your life? Have you started yet?
Can you be anointed to do multiple tasks? If so, how do you balance this?

Tuesday

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour.Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)

I love the way verse one sets the stage for what is to follow in the rest of the passage. The Lord’s Spirit is on us. Why? Because we are anointed for the tasks He wants us to accomplish. Women of God are anointed. And He doesn’t send us off with a wave and a ‘wish you well’. No. He rests His Spirit on us to fulfill the purposes His anointing will provoke.
Are you provoked to be a woman of presence in this world? Anointing is special, purposeful and deliberate. God doesn’t anoint His girls without reason. The plan is revealed in the verses that follow…to preach, to bind up, to proclaim freedom, to release, to comfort and to bestow good gifts. Wow! These tasks require a woman of purpose who willingly submits to the Spirit of God resting on her in an anointing from her Father.
Sweetheart, the time is now to stand before the Lord as a woman of purpose. The Word reminds us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. But remember, despite an overwhelming harvest, you are equipped abundantly for each and every task God sets before you. Let Him anoint you with gifts that bless, uplift and honour others in your life and become the anointed woman He intended for you to be.

Wednesday

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” 19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.Genesis 17:15-22 (NIV)

At the time this promise was given it may have been hard or even impossible for Sarah to look at what God had anointed her for as anything but special. Let’s put aside the idea that she was old - in her mind, too old to have a baby - the fact was, she had only been called to do what women do - have a baby. Become a mother? Was this God’s grand plan for her? Perhaps she saw this anointed role as hum drum. After all, don’t women have babies every day? But, God had an extraordinary plan for this ordinary task. He was going to create a nation from this baby Sarah would have. Her anointed role was special and unique and deliberately planned.
Sarah was a woman with an amazing purpose! Did God call her to do something nearly impossible to prove His vast purpose? No. He chose for her to fulfill a purpose in a role she was made for. Her willingness to submit to Him was vital of course. Without obedience the anointing was fruitless. It took some time for Sarah to realize that she had been anointed for a purpose God had planned with her in mind. Finally, in Genesis 21:6-7 Sarah is able to celebrate the fruit of God’s anointing on her - a beautiful son!

Thursday

In looking at being ‘anointed’ I want to focus more on the passage from Isaiah, although Sarah is a example of what that can look like. As a woman of God (belonging to Him and willing to do what He asks) you become an excellent vessel for Him to invest in and to invest through.
To be a woman of anointing  has two facets:
 1. It begins with God blessing you - because He can and He chooses to. This is something you need to be open to.  God doesn’t hit you over the head with His anointing, but rather, calls your name to come  forward and let Him  rest it gently upon you. So bow your head and ask Him to anoint you - because  you are a woman keen to fulfill  God’s purposes.
 2. Now that you have been anointed, take hold of it and through the power of the Holy Spirit step out to be  His hands and feet in this world - to bind up, to release, to comfort, and to bestow good gifts.

Friday

Reflect back on a time you had a purpose to fulfill. Journal what happened in this situation. Was God prompting you?
If so, how? How did you fulfill this task? What tools did you use?
List the purposes of God’s anointing in Isaiah 61:1-3. Put a mark next to each point that you have fulfilled at one time or another. I think you’ll be surprised at how much God uses the ordinary in us for the extraordinary in others.
Now spend some time praying for God’s anointing and the purpose He has for it. Journal all your thoughts and pray for the Spirit to guide you. Remember, it is more likely that God will expand on the gifts (tools) He has already placed there. Suggestion: Look there first, but He may take you outside the box, and that can be one exciting ride!