Music Enhances the Anointing – Kenneth E. Hagin
We need to understand the role music plays in affecting the prophet’s ministry. The third chapter of Second Kings gives us an example from the ministry of the Prophet Elisha. In Old Testament times, only the prophet, priest, and king were anointed by the Spirit to stand in those three offices.
Otherwise, people didn’t have the anointing of the Spirit of God on them unless God especially called them.
Therefore, if they needed to inquire of the Lord concerning some matter, they had to inquire through the prophet. (The prophet’s ministry is different during this present dispensation.)
An enemy had come against the nation of Israel, which was divided at the time. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was conferring with two other kings—Jehoram, king of Israel, and the king of Edom, both of whom had forsaken God and were backslid. Jehoshaphat asked, “7s there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?” (v. 11). One of the servants of the king of Israel mentioned Elisha, so the three kings went to him.
2 KINGS 3:13,14
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother [because they had forsaken God]. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
The Prophet Elisha regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat because God regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat. God will do a lot of things for his own people. Jehoshaphat wanted Elisha to prophesy regarding the outcome of the impending battle.
Elisha called for a minstrel, and his anointing was enhanced
2 KINGS 3:15,16
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, WHEN THE MINSTREL PLAYED, THAT THE HAND OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM.
16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord….
Elisha went on to give the message of victory God gave him.
“The hand of the Lord came upon him.” Did you notice that?
The “hand of the Lord” is the Holy Spirit, or we could say “the hand of the Lord” is the anointing.
Notice that Elisha couldn’t start prophesying any time he wanted to, so he said, “Bring me a minstrel.” And the hand of the Lord came upon him when the minstrel played. Music comes under the ministry of helps listed in First Corinthians 12:28. The ministry of music is one of the greatest helps there is. Thank God for the ministry of music.
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The Bible has much to say about music in connection with worship. We know that music helps us worship God. If you play the right kind of music in your home when you’re praying or studying the Bible, what a difference it makes.
When David would sing and play his harp, the evil spirit that troubled KingSaul would depart. Music affects all of the ministries; it has something to do with the anointing in all of the offices. Music can help all ministers—not just the prophet—because all ministers should minister under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The right kind of music and singing even will help the teacher teach better. However, it seems to me that music has more to do with the prophet’s office than the others, because the prophet must be so sensitive to the Spirit.
We saw that as the minstrel played, “the hand of the Lord,” or the anointing, came upon the Prophet Elisha and he began to prophesy.
Sometimes the anointing to stand in the office of prophet is so strong I don’t need anything—I can step right into it. At other times, like Elisha, I need a little help. Sometimes I’ll have the singers and musicians sing and play. If they sing the wrong song, however, they’ll kill the anointing (and the service). The words, tune, and rhythm may be right, but the song still may be out of place.
When this happens, the Spirit of God lifts from me—it goes as if it were a bird that flew away. No, the Holy Spirit doesn’t stop indwelling me as a believer, but that anointing to minister lifts. Music will affect the anointing. We are missing it in the area of the minstrel. Many times musicians don’t realize their responsibility. They stand in the office of helps. They need to pray and get the anointing on them just as much as the preacher does. They need to develop a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and learn how to flow with the Spirit.
Singers shouldn’t get up and sing just to be singing. They need to be anointed. Even the choir should be anointed. But people don’t stop to pray before ministering in song. They come into the church from everyday life, laughing and talking. That’s all right in itself, because we need fellowship—but, really, that’s carnal; it isn’t spiritual. Before singers minister, they need to take time to get alone with God or take time to pray together to get the anointing on them.
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I have found that when musicians really flow with the Spirit, it will cause the anointing to come on me stronger to stand in the office of the prophet. I know what the Scripture means when it said the minstrel played and the hand of the Lord moved. There have been times when I have gotten the right kind of music, and I have moved over into the prophet’s office and have ministered for as long as three hours. Prophecy just flowed out of me. I can’t minister that way every time—even though I do minister in a certain measure of anointing—for there are measures of anointing.
THE RIGHT SONG
In 1958, I was the main speaker at a convention being held in Kansas by the Foursquare denomination. One night the spirit of the prophet moved upon me. I can’t bring it on myself, but I can yield to it when it comes, and music helps.
They had an orchestra there made up of people who had come from different churches. I said to them, “The anointing of the prophet is coming on me! Play something.” They began to play “Preach the Word,” a song written by Aimee Semple McPherson.
The anointing came on me and I ministered under it from 9 o’clock until midnight—three hours. Oh, what a service! I got caught up in the glory. Half the time I couldn’t see. It was as if there were a hazy cloud over the whole room. I don’t know to this day what I did or said. I just remember when the anointing came and when it lifted.
If they had played the wrong song, they would have killed the whole thing. You see, it’s necessary that singers and musicians be in tune with the Spirit of God as much as the minister is. If they’re not, everybody would be better off if there were no musicians participating in the service! (That’s the reason I don’t want anykind of singing sometimes.)
Other things affect the anointing as well. Often the spirit of the prophet will begin to move on me and something kills it. I think it’s because of the environment, or maybe because of certain people present. After all, Elisha said, “If it weren’t for Jehoshaphat, I wouldn’t look your way, as far as you other two kings are concerned.” And because they were present in their backslidden condition, Elisha needed a little help.
“Bring me a minstrel…,” he said.
