IT'S STILL THE ANOINTING THAT BREAKS THE YOKE
By Becky Fischer
Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. KJV
Results without the Holy Spirit
As children's ministers we spend incalculable hours in preparation for our services and classes, making sure we are well organized and have everything we need for our next lesson or sermon. We research to find the best curriculum we can. We attend annual conferences on children's ministry to make sure we have all the latest puppets, DVDs, ideas, games, dramas, and try to stay current with what's going on in our field of passion--ministering the gospel to boys and girls. We care desperately for our kids, and more
than anything we desire to see them walking in all that God has for them. But in the midst of it all, and in the hub-bub of constant activity, do we stop to evaluate--is there an anointing on what we're doing?
The best preparation, newest "gizmos," and latest ideas can never take the place and do the job of the power of the anointing in our lives. It is so easy to get caught up in the activity of what we do, because the activity is necessary in our line of "business." But in trying to reach children on their level and reach for tools that they can relate to, do we leave out the most important tool of all--His Presence, and His approving hand on our shoulders otherwise known as the anointing? If we are to truly see a breakthrough in children's ministry worldwide, and see children transformed and captured by His purposes, we can never forget it is still the anointing that breaks the yoke!
Recently I heard the story of a Chinese Christian who had been visiting the United States, attending as many churches as possible during his time here. At the end of his trip someone asked him what he thought about the level of spirituality in American churches. His convicting response was, "I am amazed at how much the church in America can accomplish without the Holy Spirit."
Held Captive with His Presence
Nothing will impact, change, and mold our children into His image like the anointing. Amazingly some of even the best children's ministries in the nation are missing this in their services. They have the most enviable facilities, gifted staff, closets full of stuff, and yet there's no Presence of God in their midst. We can have the most well-organized and scripted sermons and most creative object lessons in the world, but does the Spirit of God sweep into our services and hold the kids captive with the breath of His Presence? It's okay to have clowns, but are they anointed clowns? It's great to have puppets, but are the puppeteers entertainers or anointed ministers?
The basic meaning of the word anoint in scripture is simply to smear something on an object. Usually oil was involved, but it could be other substances such as paint or dye. To anoint something or someone was an act of consecration, such as anointing the high priest or the altar. Anointing a person with oil in the Old Testament was a precursor and symbolic of what was to come in the New Testament when Jesus became our first example of one who was anointed with the Holy Spirit. He was called the Anointed One. We are told in 2 Corinthians 1:21 that as Christians God has anointed us.
1 John 2:20: But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
In simple terms for us today, the anointing is the presence of the Holy Spirit being smeared upon someone. It is the overflowing life of Jesus, which imparts supernatural strength. It enables an individual to perform a special task or function he is called and appointed to by God. If Jesus needed to be anointed on earth, then we do too!
As anointed ones, we have been set apart for divine use. The purpose of the anointing is to accomplish His tasks. The anointing is not for us. Though it is pleasurable, it is not given for our pleasure. It is given to us for the benefit of others. Its purpose is to accomplish what cannot be accomplished by human means. His incredible, unexplainable anointing is for the purpose of impacting and changing lives--in our cases, the lives of children.
How Can It Be Described?
Though we may be able to define the anointing, how do you describe its mysterious awesomeness? If you have ever once experienced ministering under the anointing, you will never be satisfied ministering any other way. Often when I am preaching or teaching I become suddenly aware of the thick presence of His Spirit, which is one way to describe the anointing. It can be felt by everyone present, though it is more than a feeling. At times it almost causes me to catch my breath with its electrifying atmosphere when I become so very aware He is in the room. Almost always when it is the strongest, the children are glued to what I am saying or doing. In those moments we have their undivided attention.
Although children sense something easily, they do not necessarily know it's God's presence they are feeling unless they are taught. I try to make a point of saying something like, "Do you feel that? It's God. He's here right now." During one service, it seemed the anointing took noticeable incremental increases. At one of those moments, I paused and asked the children, "Did you feel that? God's presence just got stronger when we did such and such." The children nodded their heads in agreement. Later that week one of the mothers who had been with us in the service related how she and her twelve-year-old daughter had been driving down the street listening to Christian music on the radio. At one point as a new song came on, the daughter quickly said to her mom, "Did you feel that? The presence of God just got stronger!" Children can understand but they need to be taught about the anointing deliberately.
Praying Over the Children
To experience the highest anointing, it's important to be praying over other things as well, such as your children and leaders. Every child that walks through your door ideally needs to be bathed in the prayers of their teachers and teacher helpers. I highly encourage you to call out every child by name, and bring him/her before the throne of God. In smaller churches where you can get to know each individual child you will probably know things about his/her families and home life that need prayer. Where would any of us be today if it hadn't been for the people who covered us in prayer! Besides Christian parents and grandparents, almost nobody prays for children. What about the children who come to our services who don't come from Christian homes? Who will pray for them? Here are some examples of how to use the scriptures to pray over your children:
"I pray that _____ may be filled with the full, deep, and clear knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things. I ask that he/she would walk, live, and conduct him/her self in a manner worthy of you, Lord, fully pleasing to you and desiring to please you in all things.
I pray _______will bear good fruit in every good work and steadily grow and increase in the knowledge of You with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight." (Col 1:9-10)
"Father, deliver and draw _______ to Yourself and out of the control and dominion of darkness and transfer him/her into the kingdom of your dear Son and His love." (Col 1:13)
"Heavenly Father, I pray the ________ will so walk and regulate his/her life and conduct him/her self in union with and conformity to You, and that she/he would the roots of his/her being firmly and deeply planted in Jesus, being fixed and founded, being continuously built up in Him, and become more confirmed and established in the faith." (Col 2:7)
How Does the Anointing Come?
We, as servants of the Lord, need a daily infusion of God's fresh anointing. The anointing only comes one way--out of relationship with our Lord and Savior. If one desires to be anointed, there is no substitute except to dwell in the presence of the Almighty daily in communion. It is there we will find a fresh anointing. Daily communion with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost must be our priority. We must never let it be said of us as ministers that we always have time for everything in life, but not time for fellowship with God. There is nothing that is as important to insuring that we will have an anointing on our lives and ministries as maintaining our walk with the Father.
Can we say that we honestly pray over every sermon and lesson topics we plan to bring to our children, asking Him what He wants us to preach or teach on? You might think that sounds silly, but in many cases it is not. It's common for a curriculum series to be purchased for an entire year for Sunday School departments or children's ministries by department heads. Many times the teachers have no choice over the topics they bring to their classes. There are many practical reasons for this. But if we as teachers are not seeking the face of the Lord as to what God wants to say to our children, but are merely extracting information out of a book, how anointed is it going to be?
I say this as a curriculum writer and publisher. We receive profound testimonies on a regular basis as to the wonderful things that happen in children as churches use our materials. That's very encouraging. As the writer, I pray fervently over each lesson, and am constantly asking the Lord for wisdom and guidance because I feel the weightiness of the responsibility of what I am doing. But even our materials can be dry and dull to children if the individual teachers are not spending time praying over each sermon, and seeking God for specific direction for each class. Any curriculum should only be a guide and a "starting point" for the teachers anxious to follow God to the utmost.
How It All Began
Years ago when I first took over the children's ministry in our church, I knew nothing about how to teach the children. I just knew I had to do something for our kids. So after digging around in some church closets I stumbled onto some used curriculum series still in good condition, and by trusted authors I had heard of, so I immediately put them to use. It was a great training ground since I had no idea how to put a children's service together in those days. The lessons were very easy to follow, and what I learned from them laid a strong foundation for my own writing style today.
However, after about a year and a half, I began to notice that I became more and more dissatisfied with the material I was using. I began substituting scriptures for those I thought were more applicable to the lessons. I began coming up with my own visuals and object lessons because I didn't feel like what was in the book was good enough. Mine were always more anointed, not because I was a better minister than the other writer, but because what I was getting was coming fresh from the Holy Spirit for me and my kids. They were my personal inspirations and revelations and came from my heart, rather than from a manual.
While praying in tongues under my breath, I began frequenting toy stores, and other establishments just slowly perusing the aisles looking for just the right creative idea to fit the coming sermon in the curriculum. Even though I was still using purchased curriculum, I was looking for fresh oil for our services! Amazingly, a significant number of the object lessons and visuals I include in our own curriculums today are from those days where I walked those toy store aisles praying earnestly for the Lord to show me how to best
get across the ideas I felt He was leading me to preach on. It was also in those days, over ten years ago God began planting a desire to write my own material some day. But not everyone is called to do that.
For those who are using my material, this is not to talk you out of following our lessons the way they are if you are truly finding life on them! The point is, no matter what you use--our materials or someone else's--it's imperative you as the minister spend time before God praying and seeking His direction over each lesson if you truly want there to be an anointing on your service.
There's so much more that can be said about the anointing we don't have time or space to cover here. But if you remember nothing else, remember regardless of anything else, it's still the anointing that breaks the yoke, and one of the number one ways to insure your children's services are anointed is to spend time in fellowship with the Father, seeking His face over the lessons, the services, and the children.
Suggested Resource: Decree For Kids - MP3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Becky Fischer is the founder and director of Kids In Ministry International. It is most cutting edge apostolic, prophetic ministry for children and those who minister to them. Our mission is to redefine children's ministry in the 21st century by raising up this generation as active members in the body of Christ.
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