It is my discovery and experience that if a minister of the gospel lacks compassion for anybody or any people that he is ministering to, he can’t really minister in the power of God to meet their needs. But when compassion is developed, it is easy to release and flow in the anointing. For the anointing flows when compassion is present. I am not talking about head-knowledge love, but real compassionate love for the person or people you are ministering to.
This is one basic truth everyone who wants to do miracles and walk in the miraculous must understand. If you lack compassion, you can’t see the power of God flow through you.
This principle was exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ; compassion always precedes the miracles He does. Before Lazarus was raised back to life, the Bible recorded that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35); that was an expression of compassion. Such compassion is the kind of love that always changes situations.
Some references that point to the fact that our Lord Jesus always shows compassion before doing miracles are found in the following scripture:
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when he saw the multitudes, HE WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION ON THEM, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Matthew 9:35-38
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was MOVED WITH COMPASSION TOWARD THEM, and he healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14
Before Jesus fed the 4000, He had compassion for them.
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I HAVE COMPASSION ON THE MULTITUDE, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Matthew 15:32
Before Jesus gave sight to the two blind men, He had compassion for them.
So JESUS HAD COMPASSION ON THEM, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Matthew 20:34
I can go on and show you many other scriptures, how Jesus’ compassion precedes the miracles He did. So, you can see that He didn't just have sympathy, but He also went further to give a helping hand. His love was practical; with the aim of changing a situation into something better.
It is my discovery that the stronger the compassion that I have for the people I am ministering to, the stronger the anointing of God flows to bring healing, baptism of the Holy Ghost, deliverance and enlightenment.
Do you want to see the sick healed through your hands? Have compassion for them.
Do you want to see insane (mad) people delivered through your hands? Have compassion for them.
Do you want to be used by God to feed hungry people, to meet the needs of orphans and the less privileged? Have compassion for them.
Your compassion does two things; it opens you up for God to give you the resources to meet the need at hand and it also helps you to channel the resources appropriately.
One of the reasons why God is using me in the area of enlightening the body of Christ with the truth of the word of God is simply because of the compassion I have for brethren who are sincerely ignorant about the basic truth of the Kingdom of God. It is not compassion that is infected with pride or criticism, but one that is filled with love, humility, sympathy and is willing to be used by God to bring light to the Church through the instrumentality of the word of God which in itself is light itself.
Without genuine compassion, our ministry becomes showmanship and eye-service that is only geared at receiving the praise of men not minding God’s approval.
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