Absolutely. There is no biblical foundation for the assumption that the use of anointing oil ended with the Old Covenant or that it should be restricted exclusively to church leaders praying for the sick. Throughout Scripture, personal anointing was a common practice among God's people. Ruth was instructed to wash and anoint herself before approaching Boaz (Ruth 3:3), Ecclesiastes 9:8 encourages us not to let our heads lack oil, and Jesus Himself instructed His disciples to anoint their heads and wash their faces when fasting (Matthew 6:16--18). His instruction was not intended to establish a new religious ceremony for fasting. Rather, personal anointing was so familiar that refraining from it could draw attention to someone's mourning or fasting. Jesus wanted His followers to continue their normal personal care instead of deliberately appearing miserable to gain religious recognition. Anointing also expressed the end of mourning and the return of joy and restoration, as demonstrated when David washed, anointed himself and entered the house of the Lord to worship (2 Samuel 12:20). In the New Testament, the disciples also anointed the sick with oil and healed them (Mark 6:12--13), while James 5:14--16 gives specific instructions concerning the elders praying over and anointing those who are sick. Personal anointing and the anointing of others are therefore both present within the biblical record, although their circumstances and responsibilities differ.
The widespread personal use of anointing oil continued among early Christians but gradually became increasingly restricted as church customs and formalised religious practices developed. In the Western Church, anointing eventually became strongly associated with prescribed rites administered by church leaders, particularly in connection with serious illness and the approach of death. Yet church tradition must never become the final authority for determining what Scripture allows. Every believer is part of the royal priesthood established through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4--9), and personal anointing does not require permission from a pastor or another religious official. The situation is different when anointing other people, appointing someone to a position of authority or consecrating places and possessions. Such actions involve the biblical principles of responsibility, appointment and recognised authority, which should not be disregarded. Personal anointing, however, remains available to believers as a visible expression of faith, blessing, restoration and dedication to God. It should never become an empty ritual performed out of habit, superstition or religious obligation. Its purpose is to give expression to a living relationship with the Lord and our dependence upon His Holy Spirit.
House of Anointing