LW Resources - Articles
Prophetic Painting
Caroline Jordan lives in a small village near Southwell, Upton, and enjoys the luxury of an art studio in her garden. She has many interests and has produced work using a variety of media. She has blessed the family of Living Waters greatly with her journey of learning about prophetic painting and her work has inspired and encouraged many.
I have always been a painter and creative person from as far back as I can remember and, though I was discouraged from making art a career, I continued painting both commercially and for my own enjoyment in various ways all my life. However, although my work was popular and I had several exhibitions, I was never confident in it and never satisfied with the results. I found exhibiting quite excruciating. It made me vulnerable and I could not handle criticism because I had so little self worth and spent a lot of time apologising for my work rather than accepting positive comments with joy.
My first breakthrough as a Christian artist was being commissioned to create a scene depicting the role of women in the world and their spirituality. I had to overcome my fear of vulnerability and expectation of criticism when the work was the central theme of the summer, seen by hundreds in a public place. This was when I knew my desire to serve God was greater than my fear of people’s opinions.
Following this, I was interviewed for a local magazine where my faith and creativity were linked and I found myself making public confession to my life as an ‘Artist’.
God showed me that being an artist was part of my identity, part of who He created me to be and the acceptance of this freed me into the journey of prophetic painting.
I had not heard of prophetic painting until I began attending a new church where the spiritual gifts were very much used. When the pastor realised I was an artist, I was asked to create twelve banners covering twelve different themes to be used as an aid in intercession.
I had never attempted to illustrate scripture before but as the desire to serve my new church was great, I simply prayed hard and asked God to help me. The outcome surprised me because I was obedient in every case to the prompting of God and due to the demands of time, did not question or reject the ideas. Subsequently these twelve banners were unlike anything I had done before, in fact most of them were not the type of image which would appeal to me artistically at all. Nevertheless, they fulfilled their purpose powerfully.
I now had a great desire to paint prophetically but wasn’t sure how to go about it. I tried finding a verse from the Bible and illustrating it but that didn’t seem to work. I abandoned my other painting and tried to paint in the way I thought was right. However, God eventually showed me that all my painting was in fact spiritual. He had given me this gift and He inspired all I did. I think I had been trying too hard in my own strength and imagined that the work I enjoyed must be unacceptable. So again He set me free from my mindset and I found an amazing freedom. I just began creating free abstract images with bright vibrant colours and textures. I had always used a variety of techniques and included many fond objects in my work and now it all seemed to come to life.
Inspiration came from many sources – a word, a thought, a song – and I felt a great urge to interpret this, asking God at each stage to guide me. It was fun and fulfilling and even when I wanted to change something and paint over it, somehow every aspect of the process was significant, even if it couldn’t be seen. I learned as I went on, more about God, more about myself and everything about trust.
Wonderfully as I gave more of myself to Him, He blessed me and I have produced and sold more work in the last few years than ever before.
My ideas on prophetic painting proved to be wrong. He has not expected me to become a ‘great master’ creating amazing masterpieces. Certainly my work will not appeal to everyone but this is irrelevant. I have a certain style, which God has enhanced and invigorated. I am free because I know He inspires me and works through my paintings, not through my thoughts of how they should be.
Accepting my identity as an artist for God’s purposes is His gift to me and knowing I am valued as a person has encouraged me and given me an assurance of who I am in Him.
I am greatly blessed that my work ministers to others.
Carolines Paintings |
