"The Power of Impartation"
By Steve Backlund
Here is an excerpt from my book, Victorious Mindsets, about the biblical grace of impartation.
“For I (Paul) long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established” (Romans 1:11). “Therefore, leaving the...elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works...of laying on of hands... ” (Hebrews 6:1-1). “Now Joshua...was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deuteronomy 34:9).
I have always liked shortcuts. As a child, I remember the joy of finding shortcuts to school, to the ball field, or to a friend’s house. As an adult, I am appreciative of those who can help me find a quicker way from Point A to Point B. Nobody likes to go the slow way if there is a faster route available.
One powerful shortcut of the kingdom is impartation. We receive impartation when someone lays hands on us and passes on a spiritual substance in an area of life where they have power and victory. Moses imparted wisdom to Joshua when he laid his hands on him. Joshua did not have to work for it, but it came freely as he received by faith what Moses had been given.
Paul wanted to impart a spiritual gift to the Romans, but he apparently could only do so if he was physically present with them for the “gift” to be transmitted. Paul valued impartation and so must we, as it is vital for our spiritual growth and our positive influence on others. (Hebrews 6 actually lists laying on of hands as one of the six basic things to know about our Christianity.)
We can activate impartation in three ways: 1) regularly ask strong and anointed Christians to impart to us; 2) stir up faith concerning past impartations received; and 3) as the Lord gives us favor, we can impart to others in every area where we have gained victory. These three steps keep us from having to “reinvent the wheel” because we can take a shortcut toward learning, power, and growth through impartation.
Who’s imparted to you? Affirm now what you received and believe that impartation is vital for your future. You’ll be glad you did.
LIES TO OVERCOME REGARDING IMPARTATION
Only naive and uneducated people believe in spiritual realities
Impartation won’t work in modern society
If I receive impartation and it does not seem to be working, then it is not working
We are not powerful enough to give an impartation to others
We will not be victorious unless we have every strong Christian we have ever heard of give us an impartation
DECLARATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THIS MINDSET
I get transformed when overcoming Christians lay their hands on me
The impartations I have received in the past are mightily working in me now
I have great faith in the power of impartation
My words and my hands impart great grace to others
Every area of my life where I have won a significant victory is an area where I can release an impartation to others
PRACTICAL WISDOM
Believe in the power of blessing – The people of the Old Testament believed so much in the power of a blessing that Jacob lied and cheated to get one. They were convinced it would positively affect their lives and the lives of their descendants for generations. We live in a better covenant with better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Impartation is a part of these better promises.
Know honor releases an impartation of blessing and longevity – “‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:2-3). “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward” (Matthew 10:41). As we believe in the gift or position someone holds, we will receive grace and life.
Be wise when releasing impartation to others – Here are some impartation-releasing habits to avoid: 1) Pushing people down, 2) Bad breath, 3) Only giving impartations when you feel anointed, 4) Blindness to the importance of personal integrity in building and maintaining trust with people, 5) Only believing an impartation was released if the person receiving it manifests in their encounter with God, and 6) Thinking it takes a long time to release a significant impartation.