You’re an evangelical or charismatic Christian who desires to grow closer to God. You want to know if God has marked you – set you apart for His purposes. How can you tell if you’re one of the Lord’s chosen ones? The Bible provides signs to look for that indicate God’s hand is on your life. When you see these signs manifesting, you can have confidence you’re marked by the Almighty to walk in His calling.
Introduction
As Christians, we know from Scripture that we’ve all been sealed with the Holy Spirit when we first believed in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit indwells every born-again believer and marks us as God’s children. But some Christ followers appear to have additional supernatural markings from the Lord beyond salvation. God singles them out and places a special anointing and calling on their lives for His glory. How do you discern if God has uniquely marked you in this way? Here are key biblical signs to look for.
Key Takeaways:
- God speaks to you personally through supernatural means.
- You have spiritual gifts operating through you.
- You’re given divine visions, dreams or angelic visitations.
- You have a powerful anointing when ministering to others.
- You’re entrusted with deeper revelation of God’s Word and mysteries.
- Your prayers result in miracles and breakthroughs for others.
- You have a strong burden to pray, intercede and travail in the Spirit for God’s purposes.
- You’re able to drive out demons and experience victory over spiritual warfare.
- Your character reflects the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, etc.
- You have a holy boldness to preach the Gospel and make disciples.
- Your life experiences many miracles, signs and wonders from God’s hand.
Let’s explore these signs in greater detail from Scripture to understand what it looks like when God uniquely marks someone for His service. As we examine the following signs, prayerfully consider which ones apply to your own life. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into greater awareness of God’s hand upon you.
God Speaks to You Personally in Supernatural Ways
One key indicator of being marked by God is that He speaks to you personally, giving you revelation, guidance and instructions for ministry through supernatural means beyond just Bible study. There are several ways God may speak:
- Through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit who lives inside you. As you cultivate intimacy with God in prayer and worship, the Spirit will bring specific thoughts, impressions and promptings that feel personal (John 14:26, Romans 8:14). Pay attention when the Spirit speaks to your spirit with an inner knowing or conviction.
- Through prophetic words, visions, dreams or angelic visitations (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17). If God gives you or someone else a direct supernatural word about your life and calling, pay close attention and test it against Scripture.
- Through divinely ordained circumstances, arrangements of events or opening/closing of doors (Acts 16:6-7). Look for God’s providence guiding your life.
- Through other believers who provide confirmation of what God is speaking (2 Corinthians 13:1). Fellow Christians may share timely words or discernments that align with what you’re hearing from the Lord.
- Through the still small voice of God that speaks quietly within (1 Kings 19:12). As you cultivate an attitude of listening, God will speak through promptings, thoughts and ideas that come from Him rather than your own mind.
If you’re marked by God, expect Him to communicate with you personally in these kinds of ways as you seek His voice. He will bring supernatural revelation, direction and insight into your calling. Test everything carefully against Scripture and godly counsel to ensure it lines up with God’s character.
You Operate in Spiritual Gifts
Another sign of God’s hand on your life is the manifestation of spiritual gifts He’s given you to serve His purposes. Scripture mentions gifts like:
- Prophecy – hearing God’s voice and communicating His words to others (1 Corinthians 12:10)
- Healing – supernatural restoration of health through prayer (1 Corinthians 12:9)
- Miracles – channeling God’s power to alter natural circumstances (1 Corinthians 12:10)
- Word of knowledge – specific revelation about people or situations from the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8)
- Discerning of spirits – insight into spiritual sources behind manifestations (1 Corinthians 12:10)
- Tongues and interpretation – bringing edification through Holy Spirit languages (1 Corinthians 12:10)
- Administration – organizing, leading and making decisions (1 Corinthians 12:28)
- Giving – extraordinary generosity out of love for God (Romans 12:8)
- Mercy – exceptional empathy, care and help for the hurting (Romans 12:8)
- Hospitality – joy in welcoming guests and strangers (1 Peter 4:9)
If certain gifts flow strongly through you by God’s grace, it’s a sign you’re anointed for spiritual service. Covet earnestly the greater gifts like prophecy to build up the church (1 Corinthians 14:1). But above all, pursue love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Operate your gifts in humility, wisdom and sound doctrine for God’s glory.
You Receive Visions, Dreams and Angelic Visitations
God marked certain Biblical figures like the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel by appearing to them in unique dreams and visions (Daniel 7, Ezekiel 1). They received divine images, symbols and revelations that guided God’s people. Sometimes God sends angels to deliver messages and assist in ministry work as well (Hebrews 1:14).
If you’ve had any experiences where God opened the spiritual realm to you through visions, insightful dreams, or angelic visitations bearing messages, guidance and strengthening, it likely confirms God’s hand upon your life. Treat these experiences as profound privileges. Seek interpretation, application and confirmation through prayer and wise counsel. But don’t get distracted by the supernatural. Keep the focus on bringing glory to Christ in all you do.
A Powerful Anointing Accompanies Your Ministry
When God marks you for service, you’ll likely notice a special grace, persuasive power and heavenly authority attending your efforts to minister to others. Your teaching, preaching, evangelism, counseling, deliverance, healing and prophetic ministry carry noticeable spiritual weight and effectiveness. People are drawn to Christ through your ministry and testify to feeling God’s presence in your words and actions. Lives change as devils flee, sicknesses vanish, and people get born again and set free through your Spirit-empowered ministry.
This supernatural “anointing” is the work of the Holy Spirit imparting God’s power, wisdom, love and gifts through a yielded believer (1 John 2:20). If He gives you this anointing, walk humbly in its flow. Pray for greater measures of His anointing. Use it to point people to Christ and give all the glory to God. Continue serving Him faithfully with the gifts He’s entrusted you.
You’re Given Deeper Revelation of God’s Word and Mysteries
Those marked by God will often receive deeper understanding of God’s Word and the mysteries of the kingdom (Daniel 2:21, Amos 3:7, 1 Corinthians 2:10). Through diligent study, illumination of the Spirit, meditation on the Word, and revelation gifts like prophecy, God gives you insight into the deep truths and treasures of Scripture. You receive divine clarity on topics like Christ’s second coming, God’s judgments, end time prophecy, the cross, salvation, healing, spiritual warfare and God’s hidden wisdom.
Don’t take this privilege lightly. Approach the Word with awe, humility and accountability. Don’t get puffed up with knowledge. Use revelation to build up others and bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 8:1, 1 Corinthians 14:26). Stay anchored in God’s written Word while pursuing fresh manna from Heaven. New revelation must align with Scripture or it doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit.
Your Prayers Release Breakthrough for Others
A key part of God’s purpose for marking you is to support and strengthen fellow believers through prayer. Your life of intercession releases breakthroughs, miracles and help from Heaven for others (James 5:16). Your prayers have authority to demolish strongholds, open prison doors and usher God’s people into their promises and destinies. People around you receive healing, deliverance, salvation and divine alignment when you pray for them. Your strategic intercession helps advance God’s kingdom purposes on earth.
This kind of prayer effectiveness only comes through intimacy with God. As you cultivate your secret history with the Lord, your prayers become powerful and effective because He shares His heart, will and authority with you. Continue developing your personal prayer life as the foundation for seeing your prayers accomplish great things for God’s glory.
A Burden to Pray, Intercede and Travail
Along with powerful prayer and intercession for others, you’ll find God marking you by giving you a strong burden, passion and inner groaning to pray, often in the Spirit, for extended periods of time. This “travailing” prayer goes beyond interceding for specific needs to intense prayer labor where you identify with the depths of Christ’s sufferings for humanity and cry out for God’s purposes to come forth.
God deposits this travailing and groaning anointing within you for key assignments He wants fulfilled on earth (Isaiah 66:7-9, Romans 8:26-27). As you learn to labor in prayer under this anointing until “birth” happens and breakthrough comes, you’ll see strongholds fall, captives delivered and salvation and justice prevail. Embrace the burden when God impresses it upon you. Let it draw you into deeper levels of intercession powered by the Spirit.
Authority Over Demons and Spiritual Warfare
If God marks you for service, one manifestation may be heightened authority and victory in battling against demonic spirits and forces (Luke 10:19). What you bind on earth is bound in the heavens. You drive out spirits oppressing other believers and set captives free from spiritual bondage. You’re able to discern spirits, uncover demonic activity and close doorways allowing the enemy to operate. Your spiritual gifts, anointing and authority in Jesus’ name prevent demons from hindering ministry God has called you to fulfill.
This authority is not to be wielded lightly, proudly or for selfish purposes. It comes from intimacy with Christ, not personal power or abilities. Use it humbly and wisely with much prayer support when engaging in deliverance and spiritual warfare. Give glory to Jesus alone for every victory gained in setting captives free. Continue cultivating your authority in Him through faith, obedience, holiness and the Word.
Your Character Reflects the Fruit of the Spirit
While gifts, anointing and authority are crucial, God also marks you by developing His fruit within you – Christlike virtues and character reflecting the beauty of Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23). As you walk closely with the Lord, the Spirit transforms you into greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Your thoughts, speech and actions increasingly mirror God’s heart. You become more graceful, compassionate, wise and holy through His sanctifying work in you.
This fruit blossoming in your character confirms you’re marked by God because it testifies to His very presence within you. Without His fruit, gifts and anointing mean nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Cooperate fully as God develops His fruit in your life through His pruning, testing and refining. Yield to His work of making you more like Jesus for His glory.
A Holy Boldness to Preach the Gospel
When God marks your life, He’ll likely give you a special measure of holy boldness to preach the Gospel and make disciples (Acts 4:31, Ephesians 6:19). You have unusual confidence, courage and authority speaking God’s Word. You share your faith, teach openly about Christ, and call others to follow Him as Lord without fearing what man can do to you. Your words carry heavenly persuasion and deliverance power that draws people to be born again. Your bold witness advances God’s kingdom near and far.
This boldness comes from the Holy Spirit, not natural personality. Be careful not to speak out of unbridled zeal. Temper boldness with wisdom, humility and sound doctrine focused on the cross and resurrection. Don’t shrink back timidly from declaring the whole counsel of God. But always speak the truth in love and gentleness as Christ’s ambassador (Ephesians 4:15). Let your supreme boldness be showing unwavering confidence in God, regardless of circumstances.
You Experience Supernatural Signs, Wonders and Miracles
An undeniable sign God has marked you is when the supernatural realm regularly manifests around your life and ministry in the forms of signs, wonders, healings and miracles by the Spirit’s power (Acts 2:43, Hebrews 2:4). As you pray for the sick, you see God do the impossible by restoring health and wholeness. As you evangelize, preach or minister in Jesus’ name, powerful signs, wonders and miracles follow to testify to the Gospel. Your ministry brings a demonstration of God’s supernatural kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.
If God moves in these miraculous ways, humbly give Him all the praise and glory. Don’t become prideful or reliant on the supernatural. Ground your ministry in prayer, Scripture, the cross and sound doctrine – not chasing experiences. Maintain your awe and gratitude as God displays His wonders through you. But keep your eyes on Jesus, not the miracles themselves. He alone is your exceeding great reward.
Conclusion
If you’re marked by God for greater Kingdom impact, you’ll see various signs from this biblical list manifested in your life by the Spirit’s power. These confirmations help assure you of your calling and equip you for victory as you answer His upward call. Stay humble, teachable and obedient as you wait on the Lord and fulfill your purpose. He who promised is faithful – He will complete the work He’s begun in you (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Philippians 1:6). Keep seeking intimate knowledge of Jesus above all else. His grace will empower you to walk worthy of your calling as a special messenger of the Most High God.
