Anoint Your House

"And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy." — Exodus 40:9

An Open Thoroughfare

For months two women had endured unrelenting torment in their own home. They would just fall asleep and be jerked out of bed and thrown to the floor by unseen forces. Objects appeared and disappeared. Furniture was thrown through the air.

Exhausted, one night she cried out:

"Father, please — what can we do? I feel like my house is an open thoroughfare to any spirit of evil that wants to come through. I just can't stand it anymore."

The Holy Spirit responded by flooding her mind with the story of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12.

Then He asked a question: "Since the death of Jesus there are no more blood sacrifices. So what would you say is the counterpart of the blood today?"

"The oil?"

"That is right."

And He reminded her of Exodus 40:9, where Moses was instructed to take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it, and hallow it — and it shall be holy.

What She Did

She took the oil she had on hand — ordinary cooking oil — and put some on the doorposts and lintels of every door, on the doors themselves, on each window, on the fireplace, and on every opening into the house.

As she did, she asked the Lord to sanctify her home holy to Himself and to seal it with a shield of the precious blood of Jesus.

Then, leaving the doors open, she went back inside, stood in the middle of the house, and asked the Lord to cleanse it and drive out all human spirits. Then she commanded every demon spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, to leave her home forever.

(Note the distinction she made: she asked the Lord to drive out human spirits, because we do not have the same authority over those as we do over demonic ones.)

The change was immediate and dramatic. The house was sealed, and nothing could get in from that point on.

About the Oil

People ask constantly what kind of oil to use. The answer matters:

The oil is only a symbol. There is nothing magical about it. Oil is oil. She used motor oil once when nothing else was available.

The use of oil is a mark of obedience. The cleansing and the sealing are accomplished by the power of Jesus Christ through His finished work at Calvary — not by the substance in the bottle.

Anyone who tells you a particular oil, blend, or consecration is required has moved from obedience into ritual, and ritual is precisely what we are trying to get out of the house.

When to Repeat It

When you are involved in heavy warfare and, as often happens, have many people coming in and out of your home, it may be necessary to re-anoint and cleanse periodically.

This is not because the first time failed. It is ordinary maintenance in an unusual season.

Point to Ponder

The oil is a mark of obedience. The sealing is done by the blood of Jesus Christ. Never confuse the two.

Verse to Remember

"And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle... and shalt hallow it... and it shall be holy." — Exodus 40:9

Question to Consider

Is my home a place set apart for God — or an open thoroughfare I have never thought about?

Today's Practice

Anoint your house today. It takes an hour.

Get oil. Any oil.

Go to every opening. Doorposts and lintels of every exterior door, the doors themselves, every window, the fireplace or chimney, any vent or opening. Put oil on each one.

As you go, pray aloud: "Father, I ask You to sanctify this home holy unto Yourself and to seal it with a shield of the precious blood of Jesus Christ."

Then open the doors, stand in the middle of the house, and pray: "Father, cleanse this house and drive out every human spirit. And in the name of Jesus Christ, I command every demon spirit to leave this home now and forever."

Then close the doors and thank Him.

Do it with your household if you have one. Let your children see it and explain what you are doing and why.

Prayer

Father, this house is Yours and I have never once formally given it to You.

I ask You now to sanctify this home holy unto Yourself. Seal every door, every window, and every opening with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Drive out every spirit that has had access here. In the name of Jesus Christ I command every demon spirit to leave this home now and never return.

Let this be a place where Your presence is welcome and nothing else has a foothold. Let everyone who lives here sleep in peace. Let everyone who visits here sense something different about it.

The oil is only obedience. The sealing is Your Son's blood. Thank You that it is enough.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"My house is an open thoroughfare." It does not have to stay one.