Ekklēsia (Assembly) – Dyed4you Art

Ekklēsia (Assembly) reminds us of our interdependence on one another and the need to gather. We need one another in order to thrive; therefore, we must make it a priority to find time to connect both to be the encourager and the encouraged. 

  • Hebrews 10:24-25 (VOICE) Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community…
  • 1 Peter 4:8 (TPT) Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins.
  • Isaiah 2:3 (NLT) People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.

A prophetic download from Elisa Eaton of Waiting In the Wings is connected to this. 

The concept of unity and oneness with God is another aspect to this piece. It is reflected in the very nature of the ocean itself. The ocean is made up of countless water droplets, and yet it is considered to be one body of water. This concept holds true for you as a member of the Body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote, we are “one body but many parts.” You have a unique “voice” and calling in the Body and in God’s creation. Yet as an intercessor, your unity with the Body and with God is an essential component to remaining in the flow of God’s Spirit.

A Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Lift One Another in My Love.”

Ecclesiastes 4:10 (GW) If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.

Beloved, don’t be found alone. Resist the temptation to close yourself off or to try to protect yourself from getting hurt by refusing to develop deep, intimate relationships. I will protect and heal your heart, and I have put people in your life to bless and challenge you, to encourage you and build you up. 

Human relationships will always be imperfect because people are imperfect. Align your expectations accordingly. Look for both the blessings and the opportunities to bless. Bolster those around you. Lift one another in My love. 

A prophetic download from Elisa Eaton of Waiting in the Wings is connected to this. It is called “The Open Door to Harmony.”

John 17:20-23 (TPT) “And I ask not only for these disciples, but also for all those who will one day believe in me through their message. I pray for them all to be joined together as one even as you and I, Father, are joined together as one. I pray for them to become one with us so that the world will recognize that you sent me.

One night, I dreamt that I was in a corridor. I heard beautiful music upon the air, a man and woman singing together in perfect harmony. Totally enraptured, I followed the sound of their voices to an open door in the corridor. On the door, there was a picture of two musicians that I like to listen to, a husband and wife team named Peter and Evynne Hollens. I knew that this was their room. Yet as I listened to their voices, I was suddenly filled with a deep longing. I desired to be married to someone I could sing with in this way. There was something so beautiful about a man and woman’s voice singing together in harmony.

As I pondered this dream and walked through several things in the months that followed, I came to see that the dream had several applications. First, it speaks of an open door to fellowship and deeper intimacy with the Lord. It is about a place of learning to find unity and harmony with Him—not by being exactly like Him but discovering how we as the Bride of Christ are meant to compliment our Bridegroom and how He compliments us. 

Too often we may focus on our differences. We may focus on our weakness versus Christ’s strength. We may lament over our earthly wisdom versus His heavenly wisdom. And we may feel completely inferior when we compare His infinite knowledge of the past, present, and future to our finite and limited knowledge of the same. 

However, just as a man and woman should not be pit against one another with one person being more important than the other, neither does Christ wish for us to feel at such odds with Him. Balance and harmony can be found when a husband and wife can discover more about how their differences compliment one another. In fact, when they learn how to walk in harmony, the mutuality of their love for one another brings glory to God.

As I sought to find such balance and harmony in my relationship with Christ, I began to see the beauty of our combined “voices”. Our harmony bears witness to the truth of God’s Word and His character, which is love. And this harmony with Christ can extend into our relationship within His Body. For I believe the key to finding harmony within ourselves and as a unified Body of Christ is by focusing most on how all of our differences actually compliment one another. Our completion in Christ is found when we can recognize our unique role as part of a beautiful whole.

Another Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Be Steadfast in Hope and Shine.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (AMP) Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.

Beloved, I have wired you to speak life and give hope. Shore up the broken ones around you. Let them be bolstered by your own overflow of faith. Live and walk in the light, for as solar power is charged by the sun, so you are emboldened and your own faith quickened and invigorated by basking in the glory of My presence. 

So reflect Me, and do so unashamedly. As you live your life for Me, people cannot help but see and be encouraged as they see my hand at work. So walk in joy. Walk in truth. Be steadfast in hope. And shine, beloved. Shine. 

A final Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Cultivate an Atmosphere of Peace.”

James 3:18 (NLT) And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Beloved, do more than simply walk in godly wisdom – cultivate it in those around you. Encourage them to bear fruit. Work together to walk in unity. Be intentional to inspire one another to pursue righteousness. Allow joy to be your strength, and share one another’s burdens. 

For truly the Body of Christ is called to live in peace and love. You are called to strengthen one another and encourage one another towards that which is good. Create an atmosphere of peace. Reflect Me – YHVH Shalom, the Lord your peace. For living in this manner is the greatest testimony you can share and it is achieved without a word. 

{Artist note} The inspiration for this piece (as well as a couple of the images used in it) came from something my mother shared with me as she was vacationing in California. She and my sister took a boat ride tour to see the dolphins. And when they shared the pictures, she noted these dolphins couldn’t survive in captivity because they are so social. 

God immediately highlighted the need for community – the need to gather. In this piece, we also see birds flying in a structured pattern. This pattern helps lessen the effort required to fly by making them more aerodynamic as a whole. Gathering can give support, ease burdens, and be an encouragement. It can also create a more significant impact (like the many drops of water which together make the ocean) or simply beauty (like a field of flowers versus a single one). It’s not that each of us isn’t lovely on our own; it’s just that together we’re something greater – and that is powerful!

The name of the silk hidden in this image is Koinonia (Fellowship). The colors in it are fuchsia representing koinonia (fellowship), pale yellow representing joy, white representing purity of intention, candy apple representing standing in awe of the Creator. 

Father, may we be international to gather, may we allow ourselves to be bolstered by community, and may we be intentional to sow into others within the community as well. Burdens are made lighter as we share our load, so may we be intentional to share and receive each in their season.