"שְׁאָגָה" (Roar), by Denise Neel, 2023.© 16"x20" acrylic on canvas

"שְׁאָגָה" (Roar), by Denise Neel, 2023.© 16"x20" acrylic on canvas

"I want you to paint it upside down." It was an invitation from Holy Spirit.  "What is coming is not what it will appear to be as first. What you think you are looking at isn't necessarily the reality of what I am doing."

I felt prompted by Holy Spirit to paint this weekend during worship. I saw a lion roaring. An excitement was building in my innermost being. I texted my pastors, Tim and Kelly, to see if that would be ok with them. Pastor Tim sent me the notes and said, "Use them or not."

I never have...until this time. Honestly, I think I didn't want "to cheat", as if reading what he prepared would mess up the "purity of the download" I received during worship. That can sound prideful, but for a season, it may have been accurate in what God was working in me and my ability to step out in faith and trust Him again.

Presently, it would be prideful because we aren't in that season anymore. We can't keep doing things that worked in the past, as we are in a season of functioning as a body of believers melding gifts, giving Him all glory.  Of course, when I read the notes -"All Eyes On Jesus! “Roar, Lion of Judah, Roar.”" - we were both encouraged. 

I Googled "roaring lion" images, scrolling through. I felt like I was supposed to add the lioness. Holy Spirit said the background was to be a deep purple, so I prepped the canvas. As I painted, I kept seeing turquoise and orange. I didn't understand what that meant, or how it played into the piece, so I sketched out the pair of lions and waited.

The morning I painted this, as I sat down at the easel, I squirted black, white, and purple on my palette. I then remembered the turquoise and orange, still not knowing how these colors were going to fit.

I quieted my heart and waited.

"Start with the lioness; she is to be turquoise, the lion purple." My heart grew expectant and content as directives came from Holy Spirit.  Eventually, the colors would meld together because we are being called into a more intimate place with Him. The things of heaven will be seen here on earth, as we listen and hear what He is doing, where He is going, and what He is saying.

All Eyes On Jesus! “Roar, Lion of Judah, Roar.”

There are infinite facets of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah--The colors, shades, expressions, fierceness, tenderness, majesty, peace, strength, warfare, comfort, weightiness, security, wisdom... There is a depth, a story, an awakening, an unshackling, a roar in each of us, which can shatter things in the atmosphere, and shift something in your inner man that is going to be powerful. It will rattle the heavens.