Burning Love
Painted: Worship Service, DaySpring Church, 17 March 2019.
As the worship team stepped up to pray Sunday morning after an intense conference, the image of the torch came to mind. We had prayed into keeping the fires burning – the eternal flame – the fire that is ignited and tended to intentionally – we prayed that it would be kept alight. I prayed that despite any physical tiredness, our hearts remain burning.
As I painted these three symbols, I received a simple message from the Lord. He has set a fire within us, in golden vessels made specifically and uniquely for us, that is fuelled by a love that burns forever. When struck by the quickening of the Spirit of God, this fire releases revelation. Lightning represents this quickening, and honeycomb represents revelation.
What I did not realise at the time of painting was how the Lord was speaking a message of hope for one 12-yr-old boy in the congregation and his family.
The prophetic artist is in a unique position to receive such feedback from the impact of their work. To hear how the Lord encourages, strengthens, and comforts people through what is painted is a humbling privilege.
Here is part of what the boy wrote to me:
Dear Wendy,
This painting stood out to me because that week that you painted it my dad passed suddenly on Wednesday from a heart attack in his sleep. I kept watching you paint the fire picture from the start, like how you started with the peach colour pot and then you pushed the brush up and down the page making the fire, after that you did the white lightning and the honeycomb, but the one thing that I really like about the painting is that you took the whole time of that service to paint it you didn’t just paint it in worship you took time and care with the details and everything. When you shared about the fire, I knew my heart ignited just like you said. Every time I look at the flame my heart ignites for God. No matter what happens to me with my dad God is always with me in my heart. When I look at the painting, I feel support from the honeycomb how it sticks together and how the fire makes me feel comforted because I know people will be around me because how the fire stays up. And like the lightening is bringing me up higher because it’s up in the sky and it’s bringing me back up because the lightning strikes down at me and brings me back up.
Here is part of my reply:
This painting is meant for you.
I want you to also notice how the fire is contained in the pot. A fire outside is out of control and dangerous. You are the vessel the Lord has made, and in that sacred place, the raging fire is safe, and valuable, and brings life. That sacred safe place is both the fire inside you and you in a family community. The honeycomb is an important place for community. A bee in isolation does not survive, but in the hive, it fulfils its purpose.
I believe you have a great destiny, and just as honey represents ‘revelation’, I believe God will reveal things to you that will help you flourish in your life and lead the young people of your generation into real relationship with Jesus. The painting will keep speaking to you, maybe even many years later, He will whisper new things into your heart. Stay open to Him.
