We often pray for more of the Holy Spirit's anointing. But if God gives you
His power, will you actually use it? A few years ago the Lord challenged me
about my level of spiritual hunger. He showed me that even though I had
stood in many prayer lines and repeatedly sung the words, "Lord, I want more
of You," I wasn't as passionate for Him as I thought I was.
In 1999 my church sponsored a conference on the Holy Spirit. At the close of
one service I was lying on the floor near the altar asking God for another
touch of His power. Several other people were kneeling at the communion rail
and praying quietly for each other.
Suddenly I began to have a vision. In my mind I could see a large pipeline,
at least eight feet in diameter. I was looking at it from the inside, and I
could see a shallow stream of golden liquid flowing at the bottom. The oil
in the giant pipe was only a few inches deep.
I began a conversation with the Lord.
"What are You showing me?" I asked.
"This is the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life," He answered.
It was not an encouraging picture; it was pitiful! The capacity of the
pipeline was huge-enough to convey tons of oil. Yet only a trickle was
evident.
Then I noticed something else: Several large valves were lined up along the
sides of the pipeline, and each of them was shut.
I wanted to ask the Lord why there was so little oil in my life. Instead I
asked: "What are those valves, and why are they closed?"
His answer stunned me. "Those represent the times when you said no. Why
should I increase the level of anointing if you aren't available to use it?"
The words stung. When had I said no to God? I was overcome with emotion and
began to repent. I recalled different excuses I had made and limitations I
had placed on how He could use me.
I had told Him that I didn't want to be in front of crowds because I wasn't
a good speaker. I had told Him that if I couldn't preach like T.D. Jakes
does, then I didn't want to speak at all. I had told Him that I didn't want
to address certain issues or go certain places. I had placed so many
cumbersome conditions on my obedience.
After a while I began to see something else in my spirit. It was a huge
crowd of African men, assembled as if they were in a large arena. And I saw
myself preaching to them.
Nobody had ever asked me to minister in Africa, but I knew at that moment I
needed to surrender my will. All I could think to say was the prayer of
Isaiah: "Here am I, Lord, send me." (Isaiah 6:8). I told God I would go
anywhere and say anything He asked. I laid my insecurities, fears and
inhibitions on the altar.
Three years later I stood at a pulpit inside a sports arena in Port
Harcourt, Nigeria. As I addressed a crowd of 8,000 pastors who had assembled
there for a training conference, I remembered seeing their faces in that
vision. And I realised that God had opened a new valve in my life that day
in 1999. Because I had said yes, He had increased the flow of His oil so
that it could reach thousands.
Many of us have a habit of asking for more of God's power and anointing. But
what do we use it for? He doesn't send it just to make us feel good.
We love to go to the altar for a touch from God. We love the goose bumps,
the shaking, the emotion of the moment. We love to fall on the floor and
experience one filling after another. But I am afraid some of us are soaking
up the anointing but not giving it away. Our charismatic experience has
become inward and selfish. We get up off the floor and live like we want to.
Pentecost is not a party. If we truly want to be empowered we must offer God
an unqualified yes. We must crucify every no. We must become a conduit to
reach others; not a reservoir with no outlet.
Search your own heart today and see if there are any closed valves in your
pipeline. As you surrender them, the locked channels will open and His oil
will flow out to a world that craves to know He is real.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can find him on Twitter at LeeGrady.
Useful link: www.charismamag.com
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