Description

A reminder that you’re not the only one praying for your state and for the USA. There are others, and many more than anyone knows. Place a print in your prayer closet for your state and any other states God lays on your heart.

These Artful Prayers developed when I didn’t know how to pray. I painted them first, and then the prayers came. For several decades, art has been a place for me to still all the chaos around me and hear from God. When I did shows, so many people commented about how peaceful my work was and that they enjoyed the peace it brought. Amid the tumult of 2020, I turned once again to my artwork to bring me peace.

I’ve explored the transference of blessings such as healing through my artwork in recent years with a measure of success. I even conducted a small study of prints of my piece Ask and most people reported breakthrough in several areas after they received a print. So, though I don’t know how exactly it works, I know it’s possible.

As you read and join your prayers with mine, my prayer is that heaven invades the earth and brings peace and wholeness to all those here. 

Invades is such a violent term – but it’s the most accurate that I know. I’m constantly intrigued by the oxymorons in the Bible. The last shall be first and the meek inherit the earth. And we are the army of the Lord who are to bring peace.

It’s probably partly my being raised in church, and going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and singing that great song “I’m in the Lord’s Army”. I loved all the actions with it. I’m not sure why, but that song has resonated with me ever since at interesting times. 

But fighting is so violent! Surely that’s not the Christian thing to do… Ah! But the weapons that we fight with are not of this world, but they have the power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4, NIV) Yet, we’re given armor, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit among others. (Ephesians 6:14-17) So how are we fighting this war?

And then I found this:

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah so that no one lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to frighten them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.” Zechariah 1:18-21

Interestingly, the word craftsmen means exactly what you think it means, one who is skilled, a fabricator of a material, a carpenter, mason, artificer, engraver, etc. I thought maybe it was some sort of allegorical use, and maybe some would interpret it as such. But whenever possible, I find the simplest, straightforward interpretations to be the best. And, I’m a bit biased as I like this one.

These verses dropped into my spirit and it was like a lightbulb went on. “Oh! This is how I fight. My paintbrushes and mark-making tools are my swords and arrows. I get it, now.” 

I find it interesting that art has always been deemed a bit of a wild card. Artists have had very interesting reputations in recent years and have been considered disruptive and dangerous more often than not. I’m not a fan of art that’s edgy or pushes boundaries just for the sake of watching societal norms shatter. I think that’s a twisting of what God intended for his artists to do. 

Pablo Picasso said, “We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.” I’m not sure I entirely agree that art is a lie, though it can be. And, it isn’t in actuality the thing it represents, so there’s that. But, I think that there is something transcendent about really good artwork that points us to the truth, goodness, peace, and hope. 

After all, the first thing we see God doing is creating. He is first revealed to us as a craftsman himself, creating light and earth and sea and flesh. So I think we do express a unique aspect of his nature when we create, and even when we engage with things that are created for that purpose.

Another oxymoron: peaceful warfare.

We serve the Prince of Peace. Let’s expand his dominion as far as we can.

Each Artful Prayer print is on archival paper with a matte finish. Each 5×7 print is matted in white to 8×10 for easy framing. The prayer is included, for your reference. The mat is signed and numbers.

Prints may take 4-6 weeks to arrive. The mat may cover some edges of the pieces.