Your Anointing Is Not for You! What?

 A while ago, last year, in fact, I listened to a video of a minister that made me think about some things differently. I took a few notes to share them in a post, but as things usually go, I turned the page and forgot about it. 

Today I flipped through my notebook and ran across my notes from that video, and I think now is as good a time as any to share it. I have to be honest here and say that this information gave me insight into some things that have troubled me a lot. 

The anointing you have is not for you. It's for others. Elijah died of sickness, but his bones still raised the dead. However, he couldn't heal himself! The devil doesn't care about you. He cares about those you will help. So stopping you prevents you from helping others. 

So, the last two statements opened up a whole avenue of revelation. Now, months later, that avenue has broadened. I don't know that it made me feel better, but it seemed to explain some things so that now I pray for an understanding of what I learned.

Looking for answers is often like beating your head against a wall. I don't know about others, but I spend a lot of time struggling with the "whys" of my journey. There are times I know things and they seem so pointless because I can't do anything useful with it. I can't use what I know in any way that produces something positive. So I pray about it and walk away. That feels like defeat. 

Then there's the writing. I write this blog because these thoughts pour out and demand to be written. I have to do something with them. The important ones won't leave me alone until they're written. I have no earthly idea if a single person reads it, needs it, or heeds it. I just pray for something good to come of it. Sometimes, I'm the one who needs it. Sometimes I read it and wonder what in the world it means. 

This post, though, this one is for my enlightenment. I needed to know this. Desperately needed to know. I'm tired of feeling like a failure, tired of wondering why my gifts don't work FOR me. It never occurred that they weren't FOR me. There are things I am called on to do that I can't, for the life of me, figure out why I have to do them. Only God and I know about it. I do them but ... they aren't my favorite things. It's exhausting, stressful, and feels risky. And yet, this is something I've had to do again and again for YEARS! Sometimes I see some positive results and others, a dismal failure. I know the failure isn't my fault. But it's still a disappointment when it happens. Each time I think this task won't happen again. I ask God, "Why do you keep sending me this? I'm no good at it!" And yet, it arrives. 

This brief message from a stranger is an explanation that fits. I'm just an instrument to perform a task. I don't benefit from it in any tangible way. Because it's not FOR ME. That's hard to grasp, hard to accept.  

Only I'm OK with it. When you can be of service, expecting nothing in return, that in itself is a gift.

Cleaning House

When I was growing up, Mama used to pray a lot and I'd hear her many times. She prayed for all of us and even for our animals if they were sick. From somewhere, and I think it was her, I learned about praying for every room in your house.

Now, I want to be clear here. This is not like what you see on television where a person is performing an ancient ritual of cleansing burning sage and other herbs. I believe cleansing rituals have been around probably longer than formal religion. Even the Hebrews practiced burning incense in the temple and it was considered a "sweet savour to the Lord" and they probably did the same in their homes. Although, I can't be sure about the homes it wouldn't surprise me.

People have always, forever believed that evil could inhibit the space they lived in, whether it be caves, grass huts, or frame houses. I am certain many religions practiced some kind of cleansing rituals to protect themselves and their loved ones. Christians pray for the same reason other faiths pray, and yes, most "religion", whatever or whoever it is based on, have some kind of prayer or incantations. That is a common feature. So, it isn't surprising to me that cleansing rituals cross cultural and religious lines.

We've been seeing some problems with Sarah lately that just seemed too far off the chart for her and it has us stymied on how to deal with it.  Of course, I pray for her. I pray for my own children, too, even now. However, the issues that began to present themselves were of such concern I felt that prayer wasn't enough. She had developed such a negative spirit it was affecting everything from school work, behavior to emotional feelings. Is there ever a time prayer wasn't enough? Jesus thought so. He said so in Matthew 17:21.

So, I decided to do something I've only done a few times in my life but that I learned as a child. I "swept" the house. The first time I remember doing it I used an actual broom. I started in the room that was farthest from the exit doors of my house and began praying, using the broom in sweeping motions while I ordered every unclean spirit, every bad attitude, and every negative emotion from the room. I moved through the whole house, ending up sweeping it all out the door.

A few years ago, I was having some problems and I talked to a minister about it and he advised me to anoint my windows and doors with oil. Of course, we anoint people with oil when we pray for them in church because the scripture instructs us to do that. In fact, I prefer that they do that rather than just laying hands on me. Anyway, I followed his instructions and anointed my windows and doors and followed with prayer similar to what I did with the broom.

This week, I felt that I needed to sweep the house again, I didn't do it right away. Something kept telling me that it would help with our situation. It took me two days to actually follow through. Well, I got a bottle of olive oil and started in Sarah's room. I anointed the windows first and ordered every window sealed against any spirit not of God. I "flushed" the room clear through the door and then, sealed the door with the oil. I moved through every room, sealing windows first then doors. When I reached the last exit door of the house, I opened the door and ushered out anything negative or evil that had made it that far and then, I sealed the last door with oil. I even did the garage.

When Sarah came home that evening, she was still a bit "dark". She just didn't care about anything. When a child starts uttering "I don't care" about serious things, there is a problem that spanking and grounding won't cure. But I did notice a few minutes after getting home, she seemed to get in a better mood. By the next day, home behavior was much more relaxed, less arguing, less resistance to instructions, more friendly. She voluntarily read and did things that didn't require her Ipad. Last night, she got the cane I have to use on occasion, put on my glasses and began imitating me. It was hysterical and we were laughing and having a wonderful time. Two days before I couldn't get a civil word out of her.

I've been praying the same way for my property ever since I've been in this house. I pray a spiritual fence around the property and seal it off. I don't know why I started doing it but I've always done it. I've only done the house twice because I've only felt the need for it twice. I suspect I may do it more often for a while.

This may all seem foolish to you and hokey religion. Just don't tell me it didn't work. She's still struggling with some things and since life is a daily struggle I am sure it will require more work. However, I'm thankful God doesn't take the foolish things lightly. That some ancient rituals are not out of date. Remember Jesus, purging the temple? He physically took a whip and went through the temple court and tossed everything he found abhorrent out, including people and animals. I just used his method in the spiritual world, rather than the physical. That's what cleansing is, removing every dirty thing from your realm and restoring order to it.