I heard that the word anointing means ‘smearing’ but also that anointing means ‘favor.’ What does it mean to be anointed with oil?

In Hebrew, anoint—māshach—means “to smear or rub with oil.” In Scripture, this act marked a person as set apart for God’s purpose and covered by His favor. The oil represented the Holy Spirit coming upon someone to empower, guide, and equip them for God’s work (Exodus 29:7, 1 Samuel 16:13).

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form as a dove (Luke 3:21–22). This was His divine anointing—the Spirit of God resting upon Him, filling Him with power to heal, teach, and bring salvation. As Acts 10:38 explains, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” Every work He did afterward flowed from that anointing.

For believers today, to be anointed with oil is to declare that the Holy Spirit is actively at work with power in that person’s life—the outward sign of God’s inward favor and His Spirit working within (2 Corinthians 1:21–22, 1 John 2:27).

If you desire healing that already belongs to you through the body of Jesus broken for you, ask a Team Jesus member to anoint you with oil and declare God’s promised blessings over you. (James 5:14–15).
(Exodus 29:7, 1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 3:21–22, Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 1:21–22, 1 John 2:27)

If you’re ready to receive the healing Jesus already secured for you through His broken body, ask a Team Jesus member to anoint you with oil and speak God’s promised blessings of restoration and peace over you.