Faith, prayer and anointing are closely connected, but they do not perform the same function. Faith is our confidence in the truth of God's Word and in what He has established through Jesus Christ. Prayer gives expression to that faith and enables us to act in dependence upon His authority. Anointing is a prophetic act through which our inward conviction becomes visible in the natural world. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith in relation to realities that are not yet seen, while Mark 11:23--24 teaches the importance of believing when we pray, rather than waiting until a result becomes visible before trusting God's promise. This principle is essential to understanding anointing. We do not apply physical oil in an attempt to establish something in the spiritual realm. We use it as an expression of faith in what God has already established. The action itself does not replace prayer, and prayer must not be reduced to a religious formula. They belong together as expressions of a heart that trusts God's Word and acts upon that conviction.
James 5:14--15 provides a particularly clear example of this relationship. The elders are instructed to pray over the sick person and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, but the passage specifically identifies the prayer of faith as the means through which healing is received. Anointing oil serves as a physical point of contact, while faith is what gives the prophetic action its spiritual significance. This also explains why spiritual maturity is important for those ministering to others. Faith is developed through the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and genuine prayer must arise from confidence in what God has said rather than from human optimism or religious enthusiasm. If we desire to grow in faith, we must spend time reading, meditating upon and proclaiming Scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to bring God's Word alive within us. Prayer then becomes an expression of that living faith, and anointing makes it visible. The oil does not deserve the credit for what God accomplishes. All glory belongs to the Lord, whose power saves, heals, delivers and restores.
House of Anointing