1 Samuel 9:27 (NKJV)
“As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.’ And he went on. ‘But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.’”

When God prepares a man or woman for an assignment, He doesn’t normally do it as a public event (at least not in the beginning). God usually begins with quiet spiritual encounters. There are two important things that God does to any man or woman whom He intends to send on an assignment.

Firstly, God will secretly show you things and tell you things that nobody else knows about, sees, or understands. In these secret encounters, God will reveal His heart to you and make His word come alive to you. You will hear things for the first time, and you will begin to get a sense of some sort of calling. You might not have the full picture in the beginning, but you will get a direction; a sense of destiny and purpose. Every man of God, saved by grace, needs this encounter. And this sense of purpose can evolve and develop.

Secondly, in those quiet moments of listening and responding to God, He will anoint you. This private anointing is the real anointing – it is God’s heavenly endorsement and empowerment. This secret encounter is powerful because that is where you get the enablement to move forward with your calling. Every pilgrim who hears God’s call on their lives must also seek for endorsement and empowerment to move forward.

Whether as a church minister or a marketplace minister, the pilgrim who is listening to God will repeatedly have these quiet encounters where God will speak and then empower. Without both encounters, life will be full of vanity and purposeless activities.

When Samuel was ready to commission Saul, he asked the servant to give them some privacy. What he needed to do with Saul had to be done privately. Samuel gave Saul the word of God, poured oil on his head and kissed him, and then repeated the mandate God was giving Saul (chapter 10 verse 1). All this was done in secret, with no witnesses and applause. It was a sober moment that needed full concentration; no distractions from third parties.

God wants us to encounter Him in private. God wants to speak to us in private. God wants to empower us in private. God wants to kiss us in private. God wants us to experience Him in a way that we can fully embrace the gravity of what He is doing.

Expect Him to speak to you about specific assignments. Expect Him to reveal His heart to you. Expect Him also to pour out His oil of blessings and power on you. Learn the discipline of withdrawing to have genuine secret encounters. And know that each encounter comes with new levels of expectations from God and empowerment from Him as well.