Why Prophetic Art is Valuable
You regularly forget what Yahweh has said. I repeatedly forget what Yahweh has taught me. This has been the case since the beginning of time. Adam momentarily forgot what God told him (Genesis 2-3). Samson forgot that he was commissioned by God to free Israel (Judges 13:5). If we don't have a way to preserve the promises and instructions given by the Holy Spirit we are likely to forget. If you read my previous blog post, then you know that prophecy can be described as God's heart communicated to his people. This is why I am so passionate about prophetic art. I believe prophetic art is a beautiful way to remember the words of our Heavenly Father.
As believers we should have an unsatisfiable hunger to hear from God. He is our lover and creator (Isaiah 54:5). Why would we not desire to spend our days communicating with Him? If you're married, I want you to think of the passionate desire that existed between you and your spouse when you initially got married. The feeling of wanting to be closer than you could physically make yourselves, staying up late to talk about the things on your heart, and enjoying every thought shared. Not only is intimate conversation fundamental in viewing God as our lover, but Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that all should seek to prophesy. We should long to hear God's heart and to never forget what he reveals.
When the Holy Spirit whispers or someone shares a word of encouragement, a prophetic dream, etc. we have a tendency to forget about it. Our memory often fails us because we are human - we don't always see the immediate value or the information fades from our mind with time. If something is not written down, we must find another way to preserve it. Throughout history, this has been done through storytelling, art, etc. Prophetic art is one way we can forever treasure the whisperings of God.
We were made to be visual, physical beings. God gave us a spirit that occupies a physical body, he gave us eyes and brains to perceive beauty, and fingers to experience texture. Psychologically, we remember things such as pictures and colors easier than words or ideas. Therefore, prophetic art can be a daily visual reminder that sticks with you in an impactful way. I believe that choosing to fix your eyes and heart on good things will prove to be a blessing (Philippians 4:8).
The arts are a beautiful way of keeping the words of our Lord held up as a daily reminder so that we may not forget.
Prophetic Art Defined
If you have questions about what prophetic art is, you have landed in the right place. The terms “prophetic art” and “worship art” have become increasingly popular since the beginning of the 21st century. Even though those terms are modern, the use of visual arts for worship and prophecy is not new (Exodus 31). I’m excited to share with you an overview of what prophetic art is, who a prophetic artist is, and a little bit about the process behind it.
If I had to quickly define prophetic art, I would say it is creating art with God. (God created us with the intention of partnership in tending to the Garden of Eden, sharing the Gospel, etc.) The artist yields themselves to the Holy Spirit so that He can work through them and their skills in order to speak to the artist and viewers. Matt Tommey says, "The essence of creating prophetic art is learning to listen with the ears of your spirit via your imagination in order to release the Light and Life of God through the work you create." Therefore, prophetic art is what God shares with the artist put into a visual through the artists skills, tools, and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is a visual and tangible God (Psalm 19)!
A prophetic artist is an artist who has a yielded heart and desires to partner with God in bringing heaven to earth (Matt. 6:10). The title prophetic artist insinuates that the artist is a prophet, which may be a turn off to some. In fact, this used to make me uncomfortable and I would opt for the term “worship artist”. I have learned the importance of understanding and defining the word prophet. A prophet is someone who listens to and receives a message from God, then shares it with others in order to call them to the feet of God. Because of this definition I cannot deny that I am a prophet. In fact, I now identify with this title more than worship artist. A worship artist typically refers to someone who spontaneously creates during a time of worship and whose inspiration is to praise God through art, not necessarily what is being spoken from God.
Every artist has their own artistic process, in the same way, every prophetic and worship artist has their own process. My personal process typically begins one of two ways: impromptu or seeking. By impromptu I mean that I will be praying, reading scripture, or meditating and will receive an image or scene. In that moment, I know in my spirit that God is urging me to create what he is showing or speaking. Other times I have to first seek God by sitting in silence with him in order to be able to see and hear him. I will ask him “What do you want to show me Lord?” I usually receive something as small and as simple as a word, topic, or feeling. Then I lean into that and continue seeking until he gives a clear image and message. Being able to hear from God and be certain it is him and not another voice takes time but is possible for every child of his (John 10:3-5).
Prophetic art is important because prophecy has always been important, God is pleased when his children desire to listen to him and use the gifts he has given (1 Corinthian 14:5, 1 Peter 4:10). I pray that this short article brings some clarity to your understanding of what prophetic art is, who a prophetic artist is, as well as a glimpse into my personal process.