I used to think art was something only a few gifted people could do. And adding prayer to the art made it sound even more inaccessible. But, the Lord is faithful to share his heart with those who seek it. Let me tell you how prayer art works in my life.
I love color. When I graduated college and started collecting decorations for my first apartment, I thought neutrals were the way to go. I thought: neutrals = classic. I wasn’t wrong, and some people rock the neutral palette as a lifestyle, but I am not one of those people. I need to be surrounded by colors that are bold and bright and vibrant. To me, color = life. It only takes a quick glance at creation to see God feels the same way. The world is full of tropical plants living in green humidity, deserts dressed in bold red heat, Arctic waters brimming with deep blue life and humans designed with a vast array of melanin in skin tones. God made the world to be full of color and it is breathtaking. So, when I approach prayer art, I am drawn to color.
There are people who prefer painting with acrylics for the structure or oils because something can always be changed. I prefer painting with watercolors because I have less control in the process and it’s easy to see redemption in my painting mistakes. (I think we can all agree letting go of control is a difficult discipline.) In cooking, there is a French word for the process of gathering and measuring all the ingredients you need before you begin cooking; mise en place. This is a time before the actual cooking happens when the chef takes time to prepare the space and their mind. I like to mirror this practice before I begin painting. I gather my brushes, fill a jar with water and lay out the paper. Once the physical space is cleared, I invite the Holy Spirit to calm my mental and emotional space. I sit quietly and ask for alignment with Christ. I ask the Lord to bring someone to my mind to pray for while I paint and then I begin.
A few months ago, the Lord gave me a picture of my next prayer art project. I saw a simple black outline of a person filled with colors. The colors were wild and beautiful, and each had a specific meaning for the person. Thinking about it now, I wonder if that’s how God sees us, full of beauty and wildness and intention.
The painting pictured is a result of that vision. Once I had completed my own version of mise en place, the Holy Spirit immediately suggested a family who is very dear to my heart. I started with the outline and let the Spirit guide the colors I chose. I started with blue because the family is connected through baptism. There’s yellow at the crown of each head to represent the light of Christ. The mother and daughter are connected by warm colors for great passion and emotional strength. The father and son are joined by a cool blue for their ease with whatever comes their way. The entire family is united in green for their continued growth in relationship with each other and the Lord. The bottom is filled with purple because they are a redeemed people. The mixture of green and blue at the top is a prayer that they might meet all coming changes with inextinguishable hope and a steadfast trust in the Lord.
I used to think I wasn’t good enough to be a prayer artist, but now I know the Lord takes me (and my art) as I am.
Prayer Art - Sarah Kate Davis
