He lifted the veil and revealed that every part of me was ‘in HIM’. Even the parts I didn’t like!
I am an artist, writer, and jewellery designer. My lifelong identities, my three career paths, my loves and passions.
I have held these separate from each other. Although I have written books about prophetic art and illustrated short stories with prophetic paintings, and thus, there was a crossover. But I didn’t see it.
Until now.
Last year, I was immersed in a writing project that I felt had little connection with prophetic art. Sometimes it is hard to see where all the pieces fit together, especially when you are in the middle of something new and meaningful.
Then God speaks.
Who knows that God has a sense of humour, choosing to express truths to you at just the right moment?
He lifted the veil and revealed that every part of me was ‘in HIM’. Even the parts I didn’t like, even the parts I was ‘working on’. It was not a choice between who I am and whom I was becoming. The Lord is in it all.
While I always knew that buying flowers for the table was as much worship to Him as painting on stage, it did not occur to me that every project also contained His nature. His prophetic nature. That’s how weaving baskets, making jewellery, playing the violin, and even puttering on the golf course, all have prophetic elements because everything we do, we do as unto the Lord. We look for Him in every moment.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. [Colossians 3:23-24]
We do everything—work, play, daily tasks, relationships—with our whole heart, we honour God in every action. Our art, family, work, and our current project are much more closely aligned than they feel. They all come from the same place in you.
It is impossible to leave anything outside of ourselves. I’ve always said, whatever you are going through, it will show up on the canvas. It’s all in you.
I have written a novel. ‘Die Quietly’ is a psychological thriller. While writing, I would occasionally stress over how far removed it was from my life as a prophetic worship artist, but still, I knew the subject matter was truly close to God’s heart. It exposes the dark side of marriage.
When people read stories, they feel emotions that help them process or understand things within their own lives. The language of fiction is incredibly valuable.
My question to you is: Have you been stuck believing that whatever else you do is not as important to God as your prophetic art? Do you think that your days in service to the church are more important than serving your family, your home, business or employer? There is no hierarchy of service in the Scriptures. Fully embrace that everything you do is ‘unto the Lord’.
Focusing on one thing is not about narrowing yourself or excluding other parts of you. It’s about taking everything you’ve ever done, the expertise you’ve picked up along the way, the value you’ve offered, the lives you’ve changed, and shaping today’s message. It will not look like yesterday. It will be unique.
Let your New Year’s resolution be to drop all the lies.
Don’t let any thought hold you back.
Happy New Year!
“Prophetic” is simply expressing what we have received from our Father, through whatever medium and whatever is available at the time. Therefore, walking on the grass and whistling a tune could be a prophetic expression, running the fingers through the water under a tap could be another, and walking the dog in the rain while battling to keep the umbrella upright against the strong wind is obviously prophetic. Putting the images on the paper or the canvas is only a way of capturing the moment and turning it into a two dimensional “reminder” note, either for future contemplation or share it to inspire others. We live and move in constant dialogues with our Father, and therefore we can be prophetic in any given moment, whether we express what we have received from our Father, or just quietly keeping it all to ourselves. There are times when we like to “do something”, either in the form of visual art, or writing, or composing a musical piece, or making a dance move, as an offering to our Lord, for the audience of One. Then, we share it with the others as a testimony of His goodness, not for any other reason except as a praise to His Wonderful Name. The outcome could be so encouraging that we want to do more, or even being turned into a financial blessing, but that is not the reason for us to do it in the first place. We do prophetic art simply because we are loved and we want to love Him back.
Excellent. This is so very true, Terry!