The anointing the Bible talks about is the manifest power of the Holy Spirit. We can learn an important principle regarding how the anointing works by following the ministry of Jesus. We know Jesus was anointed with power, because Acts 10:38 says, "How God ANOINTED Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with POWER."

Then we also read where Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath ANOINTED me" (Luke 4:18). In that same passage, Jesus said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:21). In other words, Jesus was saying, "I am anointed."

We know Jesus was anointed or empowered by the Holy Spirit, yet most of the time He didn't heal people by the anointing alone. For the most part, the other person's faith was also involved.

As you read the four Gospels carefully, not one time will you find where Jesus ever said to anyone, "According to My faith be it done unto you." Not one single time did Jesus say to anyone, "According to the apostles' faith be it done unto you." But as we saw in this account of the woman with the issue of blood, again and again Jesus said, "According to your faith be it done unto you" (Matt. 8:13; 9:29; 15:28; Mark 10:52).

We need to realize that God is present everywhere. Because He is present everywhere, so is His power. His power may not be in manifestation, but it is there. Why doesn't God's power come into manifestation in every circumstance to heal every sick person?

It doesn't for the simple reason that it takes someone exercising faith to release or activate the power or anointing. You see, the power of God is inactive, passive, or inert until faith is exercised. But once God's power is activated, it will break every yoke.

This same principle of activating a power source applies in the natural realm. For instance, plugging a fan into an electrical outlet on a hot summer day activates the power of electricity and causes the fan to cool the air. However, if no one plugs in the fan, the fan won't work and the room stays hot. In that case, the power of electricity is present and available to cool the room, but it isn't being utilized or activated.

In order to tap into the power and cool the room, someone has to plug in the fan! You can imagine how strange it would be for someone to say, "I have a fan to cool this room. It's not plugged in, but I'm just waiting for the electricity to make this fan work!"

That fan is not going to work until someone plugs it in! The electricity is already there; someone just needs to tap into it to activate it. It is the same way with healing. You just need to tap into the power of God that is already available and activate it by faith in His Word!

When faith is mixed with the power of God, the anointing breaks every yoke! If people only realized it, there is enough power - more than enough power - in every sick room to heal anyone who needs healing.

The power of God won't do a thing in the world by itself. It's inactive, inert, and passive until faith is mixed with it - until someone taps into it by believing and acting upon God's Word! You see, faith gives action to the anointing or the power of God. If there is no faith to give action to the anointing, nothing will happen!

Whatever you are believing God for, mix faith with it! Exercise your faith and watch God work on your behalf as His anointing breaks every yoke of bondage!

Source: Classic Sermons by Kenneth Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications