DAniel, a holy sound & DUNAMIS POWER
WHY consecrated creativity?
God creates. It’s one of the first things we learn about Him. One look at creation shows just how extravagantly, intelligently, and imaginatively creative God is.
What’s fascinating is, some of God’s creativity doesn’t even have a logical function other than for our enjoyment.
- Water quenches our thirst
- Oxygen keeps us alive
- Food sustains us
…all logical. But the different colours of the flowers? They only serve to put a smile on our face.
Why does this matter?
When I speak of consecrated creativity it can seem as if I’m speaking of restrictions. Many think restriction and art don’t go well together, and that the best approach to creativity is to be completely unrestricted and unrestrained.
So, why consecrated creativity?
The word consecrate means ‘to set apart.’ It’s to be set apart from certain things for specific purposes. It’s not simply about restriction; it’s for the sake of greater effectiveness. It’s pruning for growth as Jesus speaks of in John 15:2. So, consecration is both “no” and “yes.”
Daniel’s “no” brought greater authority and effectiveness to his “yes.” Because he said “no” to eating food sacrificed to idols God gave him favour. Daniel 1:20 says he ended up “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” His restriction made him more effective.
As we connect with and trust God as Creator, we need to believe that we can walk in a level of effectiveness that has the potential to be ten times better than what the world has to offer. But it can often mean we need to restrict ourselves from certain things. When we do this with our creativity, it sets our creativity apart to God for Him to use greatly.
It doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in the world’s eyes, but it pleases God. It’s preferring a pure sound that pleases God to a mixed sound that’s ineffective in releasing the power and Presence of God. It’s not an unhealthy form of striving for perfection that leads to burnout but rather a holy desire to please God in everything.
None of us are perfect, but that’s not an excuse to lower the bar either. It’s a reminder for us to lean on Jesus as He refines, purifies and leads into holiness.
I’ve been motivated by this question, “what if God has a unique sound for us but we’re too busy mixing it with the world’s influence?”
In Daniel, we see music being used to accompany idol worship. In the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who were told to bow to an idol and compromise their faith, we see music used in the process of calling people to worship. There’s a clear list of the variety of musical instruments being used.
Why does this matter?
Well, Jackie Hill Perry says, “the sound weakens discernment.”
We often nod our heads to things we would normally completely disagree with, because the beat can make us loosen our convictions. The sound accompanying the idol worship was intended to lull the three Hebrew boys into bowing to something they never intended to.
Creativity opens our hearts, but we have to be careful it’s not opening us up to idols and in turn compromising our sound.
The young Hebrew boys said “no.” Even at the risk of their own lives. Consecration costs. Conviction costs. But so does compromise.
In Acts, the Apostles gathered to pray and the power of God fell. They spilled out onto the streets, preached the gospel and thousands were saved. But what gathered the crowd to listen to the gospel? It was actually a sound. Acts 2:5 says, “when they heard this sound, a crowd came together.”
Jesus told the disciples they would receive Dunamis (dynamite) power when the Holy Spirit comes. This miraculous power caused three thousand to get saved in a day. But it comes from the Holy Spirit, so the sound that came was holy. The power that fell was holy. The God who sent it is Holy. He wants His people holy. The song of Heaven is holy. So should ours be.
I was stunned to recently discover that this kind of conviction has been in British heritage before. My Mum spoke about it in our book Way Maker that we wrote together. This inscription is in the entrance hall of BBC headquarters in Portland House, London:
"To Almighty God, this shrine of the arts, music and literature is dedicated by the first Governors in the year of our Lord 1931, John Reith being Director General. It is their prayer that good seed sown will produce a good harvest, that everything offensive to decency and hostile to peace will be expelled, and that the nation will incline its ear to those things which are lovely, pure and of good report and thus pursue that path of wisdom and virtue."
It's time to reawaken this same desire to release creativity into the world that reflects the purity of our God. If we want a sound that has true power to make a kingdom impact, we must be ready to receive a holy sound.
Why am I sharing all this?
At Gen Zeal we’ve been working hard on a creative project to reach young people with consecrated creativity. A sound that expresses our desire to see a generation rise up who are “all-in” following Jesus.
It’s called Zeal Records and we’re launching on 21st November with our first release, “Your Way Yahweh.” Our heart is to release a sound that says something different to a generation searching and longing for truth.
If you’re an artist or musician, we want to hear from you as we begin this creative project to see the next generation rise up with a holy sound. Together, we can bring consecrated creativity to a world crying out for something different.
We’re contending for revival in the next generation through holy passion, fervent prayer, and bold proclamation, are you in?
Pre-save Your Way Yahweh on Spotify here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/genzeal/your-way-yahweh-feat-josh-green-otc--twelve24
17/10/2025 - Josh Green
GIVE
Would you give to the work of Gen Zeal today?
Join us as we contend for the next generation to be awakened to holy passion, fervent prayer, and bold proclamation.
WHY PRAYER MATTERS
Despite growing up in a non-Christian household, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus at the age of 15. From that moment, I was immediately gripped by a hunger for God and wanted to pursue Him in the most passionate way I could. That meant studying the Bible, attending worship services and serving in my local church. But there was one area that didn’t come naturally—praying out loud.
Whenever my leaders asked me to pray out loud, I often felt awkward and uncomfortable. I loved praying at home, but the idea of praying passionately in front of people felt intimidating. Sometimes, when my youth leader asked me to pray, I would stumble over my words and end up apologizing. Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just nerves—I didn’t believe my prayers were important or powerful.
Why did I need to pray out loud when the youth pastor knew all these big words and sounded so confident?
Why should I pray when someone else in the group knew the Bible way better than I did?
I assumed their prayers carried more weight than mine. But as I matured in my faith, I recognized that the enemy had planted a seed of intimidation and discouragement inside of me—one that only grew over time.
But why would the devil be threatened by a 15-year-olds prayer? The answer is simple: because prayer is powerful.
Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” That means whatever stands in my way—whether anxiety, lust, or addiction—I have been given authority over it.
But having authority doesn’t mean we just sit back. Isaiah 54:17a says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” We often quote the first part but overlook the second. God gives us the authority, but we are the ones who must condemn every voice that rises against us. As a young girl battling insecurity, comparison, and anxiety, I had no idea I had the power to silence those lies.
As we learned in the last blog, whilst God is Sovereign, and it’s His power at work, we know from Ephesians 3:20 that His power works “in us.” God’s power works mightily through our prayers.
As a young child, I had recurring dreams where I was trapped in dangerous situations—someone breaking into my house or trying to kidnap me. In every dream, I tried to scream for help, but I couldn’t. It was as if something was silencing me. Looking back, I realize the enemy had been trying to silence me from the beginning because there was a sound inside of me that had the power to trample on all his works. Psalm 8:2 says, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”
This isn’t just for me; it’s a word over this generation. God’s power can work through your voice! So many in this generation feel silenced by intimidation, fear and comparison—unaware of the power of their voice. One in five children in the UK is dealing with common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.[1]The word of God speaks a better word. We have a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. I believe God is raising up a generation of intercessors—young men and women who will stand firm in the place of prayer.
The world may say prayer isn’t that important. In the West, we love the idea that we don’t need to do anything, that God will do what He wants regardless. But the Bible paints a different picture. When God told Elijah that rain was coming, he didn’t sit back and wait - he travailed (desperately cried out) in prayer until the promise became reality. Elijah knew the power of his prayer, and the sound inside him changed the climate of a nation. That same power is inside us today.
James 5:16b says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” We are made righteous through faith in Jesus and can therefore trust our prayers are greatly effective.
At Gen Zeal, we’re believing for a generation that stands on the Word of God, knowing that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5a). This is the generation that will rise up in prayer, take their authority, and shift the world around them.
[1] Jamie Grierson, “UK Childhood Mental Health Criss to Cost £1tn in Lost Pay, Study Finds,”, The Guardian, February 5, 2025
28/03/2025 - Macy Counsell
GIVE
Would you give to the work of Gen Zeal today?
Join us as we contend for the next generation to be awakened to holy passion, fervent prayer, and bold proclamation.
WHY ZEAL MATTERS
Zeal matters because, in the words of Pastor Karen Wheaton, who oversees The Ramp: “YOU MATTER!”
Recently I did a Bible study on all the times God acts independently of humanity vs when He works in cooperation with us to achieve His purposes. I was stunned to discover that roughly 10% of the time God does things without any human participation, but 90% of the time He works in partnership with us.
Let me break it down:
- In creation God worked independently from humanity. He didn’t look for people to pray, they weren’t created yet. He didn’t search for a prophet. He simply decided to make the world to share His love with us.
- In the plagues of Egypt, out of His own justice, God punished Egypt for their disobedience. He didn’t use humans to outwork the wrath and destroy His enemies, like He did with Joshua and David.
- In the Resurrection, God defeated death Himself through His Son, and as the Bible says, “God raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 2:24).
You get the picture…
…And this is good theology for us to hold. God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants. We need this in our framework as those who are busy, stressed-out, and rushing around trying to help God out (just me?)
We all need a healthy reminder that He doesn’t need us. But He does want us…
What I began to discover was that even when God acts independently, humans still show up in the story.
- In creation, He made humanity.
- Through the plagues, He saved His people.
- Through the Resurrection, He defeats Satan, sin and death for us.
Even though God is Sovereign and highly exalted, and at times acts independently, He is always working for our good. His heart is for us, His love is towards us, and His plans are for our good.
I need to remember this too. Why? Because while God’s sovereignty helps me overcome my tendency to overwork, reminding me that ultimately it’s His power at work, and leads me into rest and trust in His ongoing work, I can also be quick to discount and disqualify myself from being part of His story
Sometimes it’s easier to believe in Heaven than Heaven-on-Earth. It can be easier to accept a God of power, but difficult to walk in “His power working in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
I could give plenty reasons why God shouldn’t use me, and yet, the Bible is full of examples of how God used flawed, broken, and hurting people to fulfil His plans.
And that’s the flip-side. It seems that most of the time, when God wants to work on the Earth, He looks for humans to partner with.
- “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9a)
- “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7).
Moses leads God’s people out of slavery. David fights God’s battles. Joshua takes the people into the Promised Land. The prophets speak to God’s people. John prepares the way. Mary gives birth to Jesus.
Hear me friends, you matter. God invites you into His story.
So, what does all that have to do with zeal? I’m glad you asked…
As we read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, God is looking for hearts fully committed to Him. We’re not called to passivity but wholehearted passion.
We can’t afford to reject passion, for within it we’ll find a key aspect of faith. James 2:20 says “faith without works is dead.” Ouch, James! Our faith requires action and wholehearted devotion, otherwise it’s lifeless. And we need to rediscover life again! And passion helps us rekindle dying flames.
Action without passion will be short-lived. Or it can turn into disillusionment. But zeal and action are a force to be reckoned with. As the saying goes, passionate people change the world. Are you ready to be a world changer? It’s hidden within awakened zeal.
Zeal takes on different forms but it’s certainly not complacent or inactive. Zeal has legs, heart and teeth. Zeal has grit, resilience and fight. Zeal drives us forward to keep on believing what God has said. Zeal is boots on the ground fulfilling God’s purposes with love and truth, kindness and conviction, surrender and submission.
You matter in God’s story and zeal will be the driving force and wind in your sails to do what He’s asked you to do, go where He’s called you to go, and say what He’s instructed you to say.
We need zeal because we need you. So, in the face of overwhelming darkness, statistics of decline in the church that causes us to despair, and all the challenges we face, may we arise with zeal once again. Let faith rise in us to continue to believe in what God has said.
04/02/2025 - Josh Green
GIVE
Would you give to the work of Gen Zeal today?
Join us as we contend for the next generation to be awakened to holy passion, fervent prayer, and bold proclamation.