One of the most powerful truths in all of Scripture is found in a single phrase from Isaiah 10:27:
“And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”
Notice what the verse does not say.
It does not say the yoke will be managed.
It does not say the burden will become easier to tolerate.
It does not say the chains will simply loosen a little.
It says the yoke will be destroyed.
That is the power of the anointing.
Today, many people think of the anointing as merely an emotional feeling during a church service. Others reduce it to good preaching, uplifting music, or spiritual excitement. But biblically, the anointing is the manifested power of the Holy Spirit that removes burdens and destroys yokes.
The anointing is heaven’s answer to bondage.
As my mentor Jeremy Pearsons often says, Satan is in the burden-building business.
Jesus said in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy wants people bound by sin, trapped in shame, crushed by fear, tormented by sickness, and weighed down by oppression.
But Jesus—the Anointed One—came to destroy the works of the Devil.
I witnessed this firsthand during a ministry outreach to a remote village in Pakistan. We preached the Gospel through Zoom and taught about how Jesus restores honor and breaks the power of sin and shame.
As the Word went forth, people began responding to the Gospel in powerful ways. Ninety-one people gave their lives to Christ, and sixty-seven people testified to being healed.
One woman in particular had suffered for years with severe arthritis in her hands and feet. Her fingers had become bent and twisted from the pain. As we prayed, expecting the Holy Spirit to confirm His Word with signs following, the power of God touched her body.
Her fingers straightened.
Years of pain disappeared in moments.
Think about that.
For years she had lived under the burden of pain and limitation. But when she heard about Christ, the Anointed One, faith came alive in her heart. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
First, the yoke of sin was broken as she believed the Gospel.
Then she realized something else: the same anointing that destroys the burden of sin can also destroy the burden of sickness.
And it did.
That is what the anointing does. It destroys what human effort cannot fix.
Another unforgettable moment happened while I was preaching in Rochester. After the service, a man came forward for prayer. I laid hands on him under the anointing, and afterward he kept repeating:
“I feel so free. I feel so free. I haven’t felt this free in 40 years.”
What made the testimony so remarkable was that he was only 47 years old.
That means from the time he was seven years old, he had carried a yoke of trauma, pain, disappointment, and heaviness. For forty years he lived under something he was never created to carry.
But in one moment, after hearing the Word of God and receiving prayer, that yoke was destroyed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Forty years of bondage broken in minutes.
That is the difference between religion and the anointing.
Religion often teaches people to cope with burdens.
Jesus came to remove them.
Religion says, “Learn to live with it.”
The anointing says, “Be free.”
When Jesus stood in the synagogue in Luke chapter 4, He opened the scroll of Isaiah and declared:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me…”
Then He began describing what that anointing would accomplish:
Freedom for captives
Healing for the broken
Deliverance for the oppressed
The anointing has always been connected to freedom.
And the good news is this: Jesus Christ is still the Anointed One today.
He still heals.
He still delivers.
He still restores.
He still breaks chains.
He still destroys yokes.
Maybe the yoke is fear.
Maybe it is an addiction.
Maybe it is a sickness.
Maybe it is shame from your past.
Whatever the burden may be, the power of God is still greater. The same Holy Spirit who moved in Scripture is still moving today. The same Jesus who opened blind eyes, healed broken bodies, and set captives free still confirms His Word with signs following.
The anointing is not hype.
It is not emotionalism.
It is the power of the living Christ working through the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to people who believe.
And according to Isaiah 10:27, that power still destroys yokes today.
Copyright © Murrell Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
At 18 years old, Elijah Murrell heard the Lord speak three life-defining words to his heart: "Preach Righteousness. Declare Faithfulness. Do Greater Works." Those words became the foundation of Murrell Ministries International and continue to shape everything he does in ministry today.
Elijah is the host of the Greater Than Podcast, which he launched on November 19, 2019. Since its debut, the podcast has reached listeners in over 70 countries worldwide, tackling real issues facing culture and the Church while bringing them back to the truth of God's Word. His teaching style is both practical and Spirit-filled, making deep truths relatable for everyday life.
Before stepping into full-time itinerant ministry, Elijah gained hands-on experience that prepared him for the calling he walks in today. He served as an intern for a television ministry in Texas, where he learned the importance of excellence, vision, and media in advancing the Gospel. Later, he spent a term as an associate pastor in Atlanta, investing in people's lives, preaching, and shepherding a local congregation. These seasons gave him a depth and perspective that continue to fuel his heart for the global Church.
On February 4, 2021, Elijah was set apart as an associate member of Faith Life International under his spiritual parents, Keith and Phyllis Moore. Today, Elijah travels full-time across the U.S. and beyond, preaching an empowering message of righteousness, faith, and the supernatural life available in Christ. His passion is to see believers awakened to their identity in Christ—living boldly, walking in victory, and doing greater works by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(When he is not traveling, Elijah enjoys movies, classic television, sporting events, and Batman)
