In October 2015, as I was praying and worshipping, I began to paint. As I drew abstract brush strokes across the canvas, the face of a lion began to emerge above the trickling clouds that had formed beneath him. But for several months afterwards, the canvas remained unfinished on its easel in my bedroom.

Last week, God woke me in the night and told me to finish His painting.

In fact, He told me twice.

So I finally picked up my paintbrush again and got to work.

After I finished it, I felt no leading as to whether or not to publicise it but today, I had the incredible joy of knowing what purpose God had for it.

I was due to go to a day of prayer and worship and on the way out of the front door I said to my mum, “I feel like I’m maybe meant to bring my painting, but I’m not sure if that’s just me.” At once she insisted that I listen to the still small voice and so I ran back in to grab the canvas. On my way down the stairs, I heard the Lord say one word: “Gift”.

And that was it.

Once at the meeting, I felt the prompting to show the painting to the congregation, which I did without words, for the Lord had not given me anything to say. Later that afternoon, a man came up to me and asked after it. With tears in his eyes he told me that as soon as he saw it, the Lord had begun to speak to him about His Majesty and it had triggered such a breakthrough in his life. One of the words I had felt as I was painting it was ‘Majestic’ and I immediately knew this painting was a gift for him. “Then it is yours!” I said, and he exclaimed, “It is my birthday today! I am 50 years old today!”

As I had only recently finished the painting, it was yet unsigned and so I was able to sign it personally addressed to its recipient.

God is wonderful.