Ok, so I think it is time to tell you about my latest adventure with God. This really has blown me away. I honestly feel as though I am some kind of princess being treated royally to all the favour of Heaven!

Three weeks ago, my friend Jennifer came to see me. It was not a planned visit, she just happened to be in Manchester. As we sat and talked, she spoke out an idea over me. She told me that she and her husband Juan really believed in me and my ministry and that she wanted to champion me. I started to cry, rather a lot!

Then she told me that she (as an amazing singer-songwriter) and Juan (who is an incredible music producer and arranger) would like to help me produce my next album.

I protested, “But I have no money, no band, no record company, no studio, not even any child-care, nothing…How could I possibly do this?!”

Jennifer smiled and said that she believed none of these things would stop God. Oh.
At that moment her husband rang and she told him what she had just said. Juan agreed with her words completely and offered me his time and their studio In London for FREE. He then said that they could get a band together for me. For FREE.

I was incredulous. And very tearful.

I was also a bit wary.
People have made me a lot of promises before on such lines. I have been asked to minister abroad, been promised album deals, band lineups, gigs…and all sorts of other things that have never actually happened. I have thought people were going to travel alongside me for life, only to see them disappear after a few months.

So I chose to go to my knees and pray, rather than focus on their idea. I weighed it up with Jon, and Ian and Jen, our close friends, and they prayed into it for me.

Jennifer and Juan then asked me to pay for an engineer. I misread the text thinking it said £1000 and worried how I would find the money! I texted my friend Emma and asked her to pray into it. But I looked again and realised that the text said “£100”! I laughed to Emma and said we could pay it after all. In the meantime, God had spoken to her and her husband and asked them to give me, guess what, the £100! It arrived by post the next day!!! So even the engineer was FREE for me.

A week later, Jennifer called me to ask me what band lineup I wanted and to set a real, actual, proper, date. (!) We decided it would need to be soon. (Jon’s TV schedule and their studio schedule left us a three- day-window at the end of THIS MONTH. 27th-30th. Yikes!) Then she scurried around, asking the people God laid on her heart. Each day I got calls and texts saying that another person had confirmed. It started to look like it was happening! The band was growing. All of whom agreed to do it FOR FREE even though most of them had never heard of me!

Jon then bought my train tickets and (very uncharacteristically) paid for ‘first class’ ones. He said he never wanted me to forget this time in my life! Then he told me that he had taken time off to care for the children! Oh my word!

So with studio time, a band, somewhere to stay (Juan and Jen’s) and child-care all sorted, I waited on God for what to call the album. I asked Him to confirm that it should be called ‘Open Heaven’ as I had thought He’d spoken to me over a year ago.

That weekend, my brother’s new girlfriend came to stay. Ruthie is an extraordinary woman of God from the Glasgow Prophecy Centre. She gave me a new book “The Reformers Pledge” compiled by Che Ahn. (Destiny Image.com) She gently encouraged me to read it.

It is the craziest book… so much of the heart and language that God is speaking to me at the moment. Anyway, I picked it up and read a random chapter from the middle of the book (I know. I am SUCH a rebel!!) which is about History being made by true Intercession, written by James W Goll. I was speechless when I read this sentence:

“I exhort you to get so saturated by the presence of Jesus that you will carry an open Heaven over your own head”

I could not have asked for clearer confirmation and wept with joy!!

The following day, an old friend confirmed that she would be able to play cello for me. She spoke to me on the phone and shared how 5 years ago I had apparently had a word for her life which had led her through some hard and difficult times. I had prayed for someone to miraculously come alongside her and she had then met her husband! She wanted to be on the album as her way of praising God for how He had spoken to her and drawn near to her.

Again I was speechless. Another musician. FOR FREE! Such favour!

The following day Jennifer rang again. I was at the checkout in Tescos. She was buzzing! She told me she had asked a third pianist – a guy I had prayed for and sought God a lot about during the recording of my last album. He travelled through a very rough time some years ago and has since rediscovered his calling and become healed and whole. She wasn’t sure WHY she asked him, when we already had two other keyboard players confirmed. As she invited him to play and he agreed, one of the other keyboard players texted and said she had to pull out. Jennifer just rang me to praise God with me! My Tescos checkout lady and the whole queue heard my end of an incredible conversation. I couldn’t stop grinning.

That day I got a text from a prophetic lady in our church called Estar asking if she could come over. She sat with me and shared that God had given her a picture of me on a stage. Above my head was a spotlight, but as she looked up it wasn’t a light at all, but a break in the heavens. I cried AGAIN and she prayed over me. Wonderful!

The next weekend, I had an email from my sweet, sweet friend who used to run the record company I did my first album with. (Integrity in the US have now been bought by another company and so Integrity Europe is no more) I had told him about the album Jennifer had offered me and he had been wonderfully encouraging. He offered me full manufacture and distribution with the new company he had set up – which began trading only five days before! More tears ensued!

Then, I spoke to my designer friend, Matt, about whether he could help me with an album cover. I had really liked one he had done last year for another artist. He had already told me that this particular picture had never been used and that I could have it. I told him that I now had distribution and manufacture I needed and asked him to send me through the design. He sent it straightaway and it was just perfect! I made NO changes. (You heard me right… none!!)

The next thing I needed was someone to help me write out the chords properly. As a musician who doesn’t read or understand what I play, it is hard for me to explain myself sometimes. I decided to pray and ask a friend who arranges and produces his own music. The next day he rang me with a prophecy for me. It was so clear that God was giving me favour with him, so I asked him to help with the few songs God has already given me. He was delighted to offer me time on his day off.

There was just one other thing. When we first moved here I got close to a lovely couple called Lucy and Andy Smith. When they moved to Wales, I thought we might lose touch, but God has given us a special bond. I had always hoped that Lucy would do my album pictures as she is an incredible photographer. But, living in Wales now, a 5 hour drive seemed a bit much to ask.

Last week she texted me to say that she was coming to Manchester for work and could she come and stay for a couple of nights?!

I shared with her about the album and asked how much she would charge me to take the photos. She blessed me mightily by saying she wanted to do it for free!! She said she wanted to sow into my ministry for all sorts of wonderful reasons. Again I had to gulp back my tears. She then arranged for me to have my hair and makeup done as part of that day by a friend of hers. You guessed it FOR FREE!

Are you picking up the theme here?! “Those who have no money, come and buy!”

I wondered, for half a second what I would do with Esther and who would take care of her, before remembering that my parents-in-law were due to be here… ! I texted them to check they were happy. They were delighted to be of assistance. God had planned it perfectly.

So “Open heaven” has begun! I record next week – a week from today with a group of people I don’t know in a place I have never been. As much of it is a spontaneous album, there is no actual preparation I need do except get myself right with my Father and make sure I am as clean and holy as I can be before Him. The rest is up to Him!!

A close friend just texted to say he was fasting for me today.
Boy! I need those prayers right now.

Please join me in what is already an amazing God adventure.
Much love
Ems