God came to bring us life, and life more abundantly. We were created mind, body and soul, and it’s my belief that in order to experience Him fully and experience an abundant life, we need to be open to letting Him reach in and through us in each one of those areas. Because He created our intellect and imagination, He can use both as avenues by which to reach us. One of the ways I found that I am able to connect with Him, is through art. Art is a language of the imagination, and, like music, has a way of connecting your soul to ideas beyond words, art can be used in touching emotions, finding conclusions and providing understanding at a depth words cannot penetrate.
There are many methods of worship and service to God. Some are more widely accepted as “normal” or comfortable, and others are less so, but that does not mean they can’t be used in powerful ways. Each individual was created to be unique, so some methods of relating to God come more naturally than others. While one person can hear God clearly through teaching, preaching and logic, others connect through music, and still others connect through movement like dance and artistic expression.
I have found that when I use my artistic talents while I pray and worship, my inner ear grows in hearing God speaking to me, and adds to my connection with Him. I like to have music on when I paint, I close my eyes and simply ask the Holy Spirit to meet me where I am, and speak to me. When I receive an idea it often comes visually through pictures, along with a stream of thoughts. When I get one, I sit with it, think about it, and really soak in it. Then after a few minutes I open my eyes and see if I can capture it on paper with paint. I love the fluidity of watercolors, so I usually choose those in order to express myself on paper. Colors are very meaningful in prophetic art and are often talked about and used specifically in the bible, so when I paint, I like to take special care in asking the Holy Spirit for which colors to use as I dip my brush into the palette. If no color comes to mind, I just choose the one I like best and ask that God works through me. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the creative process.
Because art is given to us to use to connect with an ever present God, it makes sense that our experiences with prophetic art would also not be static, that it would be ever changing in order to help us see His full nature. It can be used in many ways—for worship, praise, thanksgiving, for ourselves or for others. And since our God is a relational God, it makes sense that the giftings he gives us would lead us towards others. Often I find that although my art-encounters with the Holy Spirit hold lots of encouragement for me, it also has been given to me to be passed along as encouragement for someone else. I have learned recently how art can be used as a form of intercessory prayer on others' behalf. How beautiful it is to be given such a gift to be used not only for the growth of my own soul, but also for the betterment of His church and the community, and that we’ve been given the opportunity to partner with Him in bringing heaven down to earth.
