Pouring it Out

As I write this, I am staring at this painting hanging on my bedroom wall. It is hung right beside my side of the bed. Each day it reminds me of the good work God is doing in our world...let me explain. 

It definitely looks like outer space or some sort of celestial form, but I painted this during a worship and intercessory prayer session for my sister. She and her husband were going through a dark time to no fault of their own and they needed the truth to be revealed. We needed Jesus to conquer the darkness that was attacking their family. I kept hearing the words, “He makes the darkness tremble.” And then I realized, I’ve got to declare that statement in existence with prayer and worship. Then a lightning bolt idea came:  “I’m going to paint that!” 

I began to map out the painting. Once I had the concept in mind, everything flowed (literally and mentally) from there. Here are a few things I knew I needed in the painting to truly convey its meaning: 

I wanted the darkness to be ugly. 

Of course, the darkness needed to be black, but I also chose a muted purple gray color too. Christian tradition uses the color purple to symbolize the royalty of Jesus. The enemy takes the truth and the divinity of Jesus twists it. The purple gray color mimics Jesus royalty, but it pales in comparison to the true version. 

I also added in red. As I was mixing paint, I kept feeling the need to add crimson. Sacrifice to conquer the darkness is absolutely necessary. Christ’s sacrifice conquered the darkness and his blood remains there as proof. It is forever part of the equation. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:17, NIV.)

I wanted Jesus to be beautiful. 

I chose white paint, royal purple and gold...lots of gold. I wanted a stark contrast between the darkness and Jesus. “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty…” (Isaiah 33:17, NIV).

I wanted Jesus to be bigger than the darkness. 

In the painting, Jesus and his nature is physically swallowing up the darkness. The darkness look pretty bad, a large black hole and an abyss to nowhere, but even with that, it’s not the main focus of the painting. It is situated towards the left side and the gold, white and purple swallow it up and take over. The beautiful colors pour infinitely off the canvas, but the darkness has finite boundaries. 

“Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? ‘It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’" (Isaiah 63:1, NIV). 

I wanted the purity of Jesus to remain. 

If you look closely, the white and purple do not mix with the black. I wanted Jesus to conquer that darkness and not a speck of evil can infiltrate him. I layered the white and purple over the black after it dried as to not swirl and mix the paint together. 

Now onto the miraculous side of this painting and why intercessory prayer is so important: 

I first poured out that ugly cup of black and gray paint and pleaded with Jesus. I cried out to him and longed for resolution for my family. Odds were against them; the situation seemed hopeless. I shook the canvas to throw the paint off-kilter. It quaked against the taut canvas. 

With the resonant notes of the song “Treble” in my ears, I began to mix the paint to represent Christ. 

Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble

Jesus, Jesus, You silence fear

I poured pure white on one corner of the canvas, pure gold on the other. I connected them with purple and white paint, blending them together in a sweeping arch. 

Your name is a light that the shadows can't deny

Your name cannot be overcome

Your name is alive forever lifted high

Your name cannot be overcome

I moved closer and closer to the darkness on the left side of the canvas with the gold and white paint, slowly surrounding it and swallowing it whole, praying all the way through for truth, resolution and justice for the innocent. 

Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble

Jesus, Jesus, You silence fear

And just at this moment of connection, when the paint to represent Jesus conquered the ugliness of the black paint, a text came in from my brother-in-law. “All has been resolved!” 

Jesus defeated the darkness and brought truth to my family that day. As I painted in the physical world, He was working in the spiritual to make things right. While I was painting in the physical world, He was conquering the darkness of the spiritual one! 

So this painting is more than just pigment and canvas. To my sister, Lauren, it’s a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness in her life and in our entire family’s life. I gave a bigger version of the one I painted to her for Christmas this year. It’s hung in her bedroom too, a constant reminder of how Jesus makes the darkness tremble. 

Thanks for letting me share my process and what’s going on in my spiritual life too. 

If you have a personal experience you would like to portray through paint, let me know. I love painting how the physical and spiritual worlds collide. We can work on your story together for your own personal piece. 

Until next time,

Brooke