1 Samuel 15:1 (NKJV)
“Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people…. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord.’”

Some of us may never become leaders over large groups of people, but God may be raising us up to anoint leaders who will lead big groups. Don’t underestimate the power of pouring into people. The ministry of anointing people to become leaders is more powerful than becoming leaders yourself. But there are protocols for doing this.

First of all, consider this as a ministry and be content with it. Accept your role as one of making others leaders without feeling that you are belittling yourself or losing out on something. You may not be very visible, and neither will you control vast resources; yet that is the calling you may be assigned to, and you need to accept it joy, just as Samuel did.

Secondly, follow the leadership of the Lord in knowing who to anoint. Don’t just go about investing your whole life in everyone. Let the Lord point out people you need to spend more time with. Because you are limited in what you can do as one person, and because God knows those He wants to become leaders over others, follow and stick with His guidance.

Thirdly, anointing leaders is not simply pouring oil over people. It is mentoring and instructing them to follow the voice of the Lord. Some people wrongly think that anointing leaders is simply praying over people to become leaders. The real task of anointing leaders is to teach them how to obey the Lord. If leaders fail in this regard, their entire anointing would have been wasted.

We need leaders who will lead God’s people. We need leaders who will build God’s kingdom in the different spheres of human endeavor. We need leaders who will fight spiritual battles in the Lord’s name, pulling down strongholds and raising the Lord’s banner. But more importantly, we need the Samuels who will institute and instruct such leaders.

“Samuel said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people…Now, therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord.’” I am so impressed with the accuracy of Samuel’s words. He could hear God. He knew exactly what the Lord had asked him to do, and to who.

We, too, need to hear clearly if God is asking us to anoint some people as leaders, and if so, let us stick to God’s instruction and pour ourselves into them. Remember, the leaders we anoint may not be leaders today, but our anointing them would prepare them for their future tasks.