Girls Gone Bible - Stephanie Ike & The Spirit Realm | Girls Gone Bible

Episode Date: April 26, 2024

GGB GANG. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU??? this is the one of most special episodes we've ever filmed. our guest is Stephanie Ike Okafor. Stephanie is the executive pastor at One Potters House and has blessed us all with countless YouTube videos and books. She has played a massive role in Ari and I's journey with Jesus. Today we cover all things spirituality. We talk about witchcraft, demonic oppression, generational curses, deliverance, and spiritual authority through Jesus. this episode is incredibly informative and educational and we just know it'll bless you the way it blessed us. we love you all so much. Jesus loves you more. -Ang & Ari WE'RE GOING ON TOUR!!!!!!!!! the first night of GGB LIVE SHOW tour is set for May 15th in Atlanta, Georgia at the Center Stage Theatre. click this link for tickets https://girlsgonebible.com/pages/live... we can't wait to see you, love you, pray with you, laugh & cry with you. if you’d like to support Girls Gone Bible 🙏🏻🕊️🤍 Paypal- https://www.paypal.me/girlsgonebibleinfo Venmo- https://www.venmo.com/u/girlsgonebible HEY WHILE WE'RE HERE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO RATE & LEAVE COMMENTS ON SPOTIFY & APPLE PODS. IT HELPS US. OK BYE NOW LOVE YOU

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Hi, guys. I'm Angela. And I am Ari. And this is Girls Gone Bible. We're a faith-based podcast where we talk all things Jesus, God, the Bible, mental health, anything to do with life. on. And today, you'll know by the name of this podcast, we have one of our literal, I don't even know what to call it because you can't call it an idol. That's not what I'm going to say. But we have Stephanie Ike Okafor here with us today. Stephanie, you are a pastor. You are the pastor, one of the executive pastors at One Potter's House with Toray Roberts. We talk about one all the time. That house, the church changed our lives. Ari has something to say to you because we've both been watching you for such a long time. If you guys have never seen any of Stephanie's videos, she has all of her sermons online. She has videos, YouTube videos, series. I mean, all of the very, we're going to get into so much today.

But the one thing that I love about you so much is you are so spiritually in touch. You know the gospel, you know Jesus, and you know the spiritual side of all of this. And you fight in the spirit. And the things that you teach people are what is, it's what equips them to be able to live a life that God intended them to live. Because we are living in a spiritual battle 24 hours a day. Yeah, no, I just I wanted to take a second because you have had such an impact on my life. The Lord had had led us to your church. And I'll never forget it.

And it was the catalyst to starting Girls Gone Bible. When I watched you speak, I was like, who is this angel? And so I went home and I just started Googling you and I started watching all your sermons. And you know, when you watch someone and they just give you that comfort and that like safety feeling, that's what you did for me. And I just, yeah, that's what I do. I literally, I just watch you and I have, you have changed my life. You, I have learned so much from you. You are my comfort when I watch you. And I never, I never really looked at anyone as a role model, but you really are my role model and you have helped me in so many ways. So I just wanted to thank you. You are so anointed. And not only that, you are a leader,

but you lead in such a gentleness and it makes people feel so comforted to just watch you and feel safe. So thank you. Thank you both yeah yeah of course so where do we where do we start today because we usually we will let people basically tell their testimony of how they came to Christ and how that whole journey was and then we want to talk about witchcraft we want to talk about deliverance we want to talk about everything that nobody else talks about so if you would just tell us you know where, where you come from, what your journey is with Jesus, where you're at now. Yeah. So I was born and raised in Nigeria and eight months old, my father was murdered. And it was a very, later on, I found out, you know, his cousin had planned like the assassination, but growing up, I didn't realize I had a lot of anger because like I'm

watching, you know, so many families, like, you know, two parent homes and single parent homes were very rare in Nigeria. Like you don't really see that except like someone passed away. And so I don't even know if I had any reference outside of my family as a child of seeing a single parent home. And so there was just this like, you know, subtle anger. And my mom is a strong believer. Right. So grew up in a Christian home. But I questioned if Jesus was real. As a kid, I just had my own questions. And I think I was always, you know, just way advanced for my age. Because when I look

back now on the things I was thinking at seven, eight, nine, and I look at my nieces, you know, at that age, I'm like, you're thinking about candy. And I was thinking about the universe and all these things. And so I just remember like one, one particular day, my mom was looking for, there was a document she needed that was going to help her with some stuff that she needed to handle financially. And we looked everywhere. We couldn't find this document. And I was so angry at that.

I was like, you know what, if my dad was alive, she wouldn't be stressing this way or stressing out like this. And then randomly that evening, I was going through the house and I said, I've seen like random pictures of my dad, like in the kitchen, in my room. I'm like, who put this picture there? It was just so random. And while I was in my bedroom, literally, I feel the presence of someone, you know, like so strongly. And it's crazy because I was never scared. Like in my heart, I wasn't scared. Mentally is what freaked me out because you think of horror movies.

You know, and I was like, what? Who is here? Who is here? So I leave my room. I go to my mom's room, and she's like, Stephanie, like, what are you doing here? Why are you here? I'm like, oh, I just want to stay in your room and sleep in your bed. And so she's like, okay.

So I go, I lay on her bed. The moment I lay down, my mom goes out. Like she's not responsive. I'm like, mom, mom, like not responding at all. And I feel the same presence in the room. And I'm like, okay, now I'm freaking out. You know, I'm like, who is this person? So I'm like nervous. I'm scared. I cover like I take the blankets. I'm just like under the blankets. And with my eyes closed, I see a man because my mom had this fridge next to her television. And I see a man sitting next to her fridge, but there's no seat there. And I'm like, what? And I open it and I see him with my eyes open, my eyes closed closed and he is just he's in the form of a man but his whole being is light and so and then I don't even know until today I'm always like I don't know where the wisdom for this came from then but looking back I knew was the Holy Spirit and so I said Lord if this is of you then cause wind to flow through my ankles because I'm like my mom always talks about Jesus.

She always talks about the Lord Jesus. So I'm like, okay, Lord, if you are real, if this is of you. And there was this gush of wind that came from nowhere and just like went right through me. And I was like, okay, if this is God, then I should be all right. My mom loves him, you know, all these things. It's so cute. And so in my mind, I should be all right. My mom loves him, you know, all this thing. And so in my mind, I thought that was God. I didn't know anything about angels or whatever. I was like, oh my God, I met God. So I opened my eyes, the man stands up and I was like, you know, God, where were you?

So now I'm like, if I'm, if I have this one moment to talk to God, I'm going to ask him everything. And my biggest question was, where were you when my father got murdered? I was like, where were you? So now I'm like, if I'm, if I have this one moment to talk to God, I'm going to ask him everything. And my biggest question was, where were you when my father got murdered? I was like, where were you? Where were you? And he starts speaking. I couldn't understand the language. It was in a completely different language. And his voice sound, it like, it literally like when the Bible talks about how the voice of God is like a thunder, it sounded like a thunder. It sounded like a thunder and an echo. It was just, I couldn't, but I couldn't even understand the language he spoke. I'm like, wow, this is just like God. The day I meet you, we speak a different language.

Like, what is going on here? And so he walks to my mom, opens her palm, puts something in her palm. I didn't see it. Closes it. And he was gone. So the moment he disappeared, my mom wakes up. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, Mom. Your timing is so bad.

Why were you sleeping this whole time? And so she's like, what happened? And I'm telling her. How old were you? I was nine. Wow. And I'm telling her everything that happened. And she was just like, Stephanie,? And I'm telling her, I'm like, I had this. I was nine. Wow. And I'm telling her everything that happened. And she was just like, Stephanie, I think you need to go to sleep.

I'm like, no, I'm telling you, like, this happened and that happened. And he put something in your hand and da, da, da, da, da. And so she's like, go back to sleep. She just was so tired. So we go back to sleep. I'm so excited. I'm like, oh, my gosh, I met God, you know? And so we go back to bed.

excited. I'm like, oh my gosh, I met God. And so we go back to bed. That morning, her pastor calls her and her pastor said, I need to tell you this. Like, this is so heavy on my spirit to tell you that he was in prayer and he was told to call her and let her know that there was angelic visitation in her home yesterday. And he says, I don't know what you need help with, but there was an angelic visitation to bring help to you. So then my mom is like, wait, my daughter told me this. She starts telling the pastor what happened. And the pastor is like, I don't know the details. I was just told to tell you this. So my mom tells me what the pastor said. So now I'm like feeling, I'm like, yeah. So I'm walking to my room. I'm like, you know, God. So I'm like, wow, I met God. I'm like feeling I'm like yeah so I'm walking to my room I'm like you know God so I'm like wow I'm like God I'm like God where are you show up again you know I was like we still have

this conversation and please speak English so in that moment I started hearing the voice of God and that's what and you know like I think the advantage we have as kids is that we are childlike. Yeah. When you get older, you start questioning, who said that? Is that my mind? Is that a random thought? Is that, as a kid, you just accept, like, there is a voice that is not my own, that is speaking to me in this moment. And so when I was saying it out loud, I was like, God, show yourself again, you know?

And this voice, so gentle, not like that thunder and all, it was so gentle. And then he starts telling me, he was like, no, that was not me. That was an angel. They're teaching me about angels. And this is, he started teaching me about things in the Bible before I ever read the Bible. And okay, this is, and so how is he teaching? So he, are you having a direct conversation? No, he's just, it was just talking to me. And so whatever I was thinking, he would respond to it. I would think something. So when he was responding to me, I was like, and then in my mind, I'm like,

it's like, you know how you're thinking your thoughts? I'm like, oh, really? And then he's responding to my thoughts. And so he would tell me how it blew my mind when I started reading the Bible. And I'm like, oh, do you like read minds or something? And he started talking about the Holy Spirit within and all this stuff. And it was just, and I'm thinking, I'm like, but I don't, I was like, when did I have the Holy Spirit? I had all these questions.

And he would tell, he would teach me about the Bible. He would teach me about how Jesus would respond to people when they would speak, when he walked the earth. And then I would read the Bible and I would see it. You know, he would tell me scriptures to read. And he's like, in that scripture, this is what happened. And I'll go to the scripture. So the whole time, the Holy Spirit is having this relationship with me without me even knowing who he is. Right.

And so it was me learning that all of this is happening through the Holy Spirit. And it was just, it was incredible, but it also, um, I don't think I've ever really shared the depth of it, but it saved our lives literally because as a kid, um, in Nigeria, there is, so even when we talk about like witchcraft and things like that, there's the demonic everywhere, right? There are different agendas of the demonic. One of the things in Nigeria is witchcraft is normally like person to person. Like so the moment someone is angry or jealous or whatever, they want to do witchcraft against you.

Right. While in America, you have it where it's more corporate. You know, they're like the assignment of witchcraft is territorial. So true. Where in Nigeria, it's this dissension, you know, brother against brother, sister against sister, neighbor against neighbor. And so there were many situations where we experienced, you know, where someone who is like a friend of my mom, one time was like brought food that was poisoned. And but before she did, the Lord revealed it to me. And he's like, you know, he told me who the person was, showed me her face and told me the food she was going to bring. That was poison. And then he started talking to me about the power, like the power of the Holy Spirit to even protect us from poison.

That the natural body would not even respond to it. But he says, but I want you to know this. And so I'll tell my mom, I'm like, hey, mom, this person is coming to the house. They're going to bring this food and say they're bringing it as a gift. Oh, they just were at the supermarket and they thought about you. They wanted to get it for you as a gift, but it's actually poison. Exactly that happened. So it saved our lives, literally, you know, the voice

of God not only like saved me spiritually, but it saved us physically for many attempts of that we could like we were vulnerable to death, you know, but that's how it kicked off. And so at that age, he started to teach me about forgiveness, started to teach me about love, started to teach me about letting go. And it just transformed me. So I started having more compassion on, you know, whoever was behind my father's death, not knowing it was an uncle who I grew up with that I will find out later down the line. Yeah. But at that point, God had worked so much in my heart and in my life that even when, you know, the revelation came out in my teen years, that at that point, it was just like, you don't even know who you are. You allow jealousy and envy to open a door for the enemy to use you, but you don't even know who you are. And I just was so confident in the fact that, yes, my dad was taken,

but it doesn't stop the hand of God on our lives. And so that was really how my journey started. I never really desired to be a pastor. I desired to reveal Jesus. So it was never like I didn't think about, you know, I just wanted my life to reveal Jesus. So it was never like, I didn't think about, you know, I just wanted my life to reveal Jesus. So when he called me into ministry and I'm like, oh, so my head actually be like, but don't pastors have all this like ways they talk and things they do. And I'm like, I'm not that person.

And he's like, no, it's just the overflow of our relationship. And that's how, yeah, that's what led to this journey right now. Can I ask you, how does one become as eloquent and as incredible as a communicator and speaker as you? Were you always this good with words? No. Honestly, I think it's just the Holy Spirit. It is, isn't it? Yeah, I can see it. Because when you're on stage and even right now sitting across from you, I can't even believe we're sitting across from you.

This is the greatest gift for us because you're so special and you're so good at teaching. And we're on the edge of our seat. Yeah, our listeners are going to be losing their minds. Everything you say is just edifying and it's educational, just every word you speak. And so when we see you on stage, I mean, everybody is sitting there with tears in their eyes being like, we need to absorb everything. And it all does come from the overflow of your relationship with Jesus. I mean, you used to be in real estate. I love this story. Do you mind just kind of sharing a summary of it? Because I love the story so much. And when you moved to the States and how that all happened? Yes. So initially i was going to i wanted to do criminal

law um so that was my desire i was like oh because in my mind i was like okay god i want you to use me to like you know get people who are wrongfully charged or guilty to be set free and to know that they're innocent and all this stuff so i wanted to do it in that same mission of i want to glorify jesus through my life um so i was going to move to london that same mission of I want to glorify Jesus through my life. So I was going to move to London. That was the whole plan. Before you go to school, you have to do something called A-levels. So I was preparing to take that path.

And then the Lord encounters me and he's like, I don't have a need for you in the UK. But I do have a need for you in the US. And I want you to move to California. And it was just like, that's it. You know, so I told my mom, I'm like, hey, change of plans. And but at that point, she had trusted, you know, that my relationship with God, where she had her worries because I'm the only girl in London from Nigeria, six hours, right? So it's like, that's a short flight. That's LA to New York. So it was like, okay, my daughter is closer to home where California is like 19 hours flight. And so I remember we talked about it. I was like, you pray about it.

God gave her the confirmation. And we started prepping, you know, to move out here. And it was good because I had my brothers were here. So it was not like I'll be alone or anything like that. I had had my aunt was here as well. And so, you know, we made the plan. So I moved out here, went to college out here and all of that. And then my brother, one of my brothers was in real estate. So he started telling me, he was like, hey, let's get into like flipping. Let's get into like, you know know this market is going to be incredible and so I joined him and we start like doing properties first we started wholesaling properties and that's when like you get a contract for a property um that needs to be rehabbed and then you're like well let me give it to somebody else and they'll give you a fee for that and so we did that raised money

to the point where we started rehabbing our own properties. And it was amazing. Like we were, we were living, we were, it was great. We were making a lot of money, you know? And my mom was just like, cause we would just travel. Like my brother would be bored and he's like, well, I want to eat here and just travel. And my mom was like, what are you guys doing with money you guys are so irresponsible and but we were good like we were really good and then but in the midst of that there was a moment it hit me I was like man God feels far you know and I call like personally I was like dad feels far I'm like dad you feel far from me and I think I was so caught up in just the fun and the experience and us just doing our thing that when I was in a place of just soberness I'm like wait this feels different you know something

is not the same like something is I'm like God you're not you're you feel far from me and that was terrifying you know and I'm like oh like this this is not this is not it and so and I was asking I'm like hey dad like what's going on he would not say anything and I'm like okay this this is problematic so I was like okay I need to go on a fast maybe I'm becoming too familiar you know like I don't know if I'm just treating your our relationship very casual And I'm like, I need to go on a fast. I need to pray. And so I shut everything down. I was like, I just need to hear from God.

And so during that, at the end of the fast, then I have this encounter. And he just tells me, walk away from the business. And I'm like, you mean like, what, is there a time? Like, two weeks? And and he's like no shut everything down walk away from the business so at that time I lived in San Gabriel and he's like and moved to downtown LA and I'm just like wait what like what what is this you know and he was like when you move I'll give you the next instruction. So he didn't even, it was not like he just told me all at once.

He was just like, these are the first two things you need to do. And this was after the fast? This was after the fast. This was after the fast, yeah. Can I ask what that fast was like? Because we talk about fasting on here a lot, and we've been utilizing fasting for the past year, and it's changed our lives. What was your fast like specifically?

Yeah, so that particular fast, I did six to six where from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. I only drank water. And for me, fasting, and in different measures, right, but fasting is always a sacrifice to me. And it always reveals for me like it brings me to a physical state of weakness. Yeah. Right. Where it's like, God, I really need you to be my strength. And there are different ways. Sometimes a person could fast and get off social media completely because it's so distracting, the noise of social media.

And so from that six to six, if there is anything that I am engaging with content wise is the word of God so that I'm not blocked in any way. And I can't really recall, but normally it would even be for that entire time. But there are times where it could be from 6 to 6, and then maybe if I have to work on something, I'm reading something else. But it's really where, one, physically I'm depriving myself, but also mentally not opening up, not opening up like my ear gates or eye gates to things that would cloud. Because I was like, God, I really need to hear from you.

And making more time to pray. Because it's like the time that you're going to use to cook or order food or eat, I could use that time and just be in prayer, you know. So that was really, I can't remember how many days I actually fasted, but it was first, there was, it was, it was a couple of days. It was some time. But then at the end of it, so the first encounter was in a dream. So in a dream, then he tells me, you know, walk away, leave the job, leave everything.

And I remember waking up from that dream. And then when I was praying, I could hear him so clearly again. And he's like, now, so not just leave the job, move to downtown LA. And I'm like, then Lord, what next? He's like, I will tell you after that. And I'm like, how do I break this news? You know, so I remember telling my family, I'm like, hey, you know, I'm going to walk away from real estate. And they're just like, what are you talking about? Like, that doesn't even make any sense. You know, it's not like a bad job. You're making money or, you know, upgrading communities. It just didn't make any sense. But I was like, I know I have to do this. It doesn't make sense to me either.

So my brothers were really upset with me. My mother was upset with me. They were just confused. So I do that. I find a place in downtown. I move to downtown. So then when I got to finally the day I moved in and I'm like, okay, God, I'm here. Like, what is next and so one

church I had been at one church one time and that was not even when they're at their current location they were in North Hollywood at the time and there was this guy I was in college and this guy was dating so I had like him his family was doing this whole thing. So I was, you know, hanging out with him and the family. And which was like close to two hours from where I went to college. So that Sunday morning, his friend comes over and they're just like, hey, you know, we should all go to because even in their family house, his family was just incredible. Right. So they were like, stay over. So I stayed over. And then the next morning, his friend comes

over. He's like, hey, we should all go to church together. I know about this church. And so we're like, okay, cool. So we all go and it's one church. At the time I was in college, I was working on this documentary called Fathers in America. And I was like, God, you know, if they talk about fathers that maybe this is the church I'm supposed to go to whenever I leave, like if I ever move from that area. So the moment I walk in, they're making an announcement about their men's ministry at the time was called 5,000 Fathers. So they are making this announcement about like, hey, if you want to join 5,000 Fathers, and I was like, oh, that's interesting, but walked away, forgot about the church, you know. So when I had moved into that home, I mean, to that apartment, then the Lord says, remember that church that you went to so, so, so time? He said, I want you to go

back there. And so I'm like, what was the church called? I'm like, what is it? And then he says, one church, look it up. So I was like, one church. Okay. So then I go on Google. I'm like, one church. I'm like, North Hollywood, Nothing is showing up in North Hollywood. It shows up that they're in L.A. and on the mail. I'm like, Lord, they were never on La Brea. I said, are you sure this is the church? He's like, that is the church. So I go on the website because I couldn't even remember the details of who the pastor was or any of those things.

And so I'm like, okay, you know, let me go to the church. So I go to the church so I go to the church the moment I walked in that was when he gave me the instruction and he says in this house I would raise you up as a minister of the gospel and I was like okay what does that mean and he did and that he did that's so cool So it was the whole journey was crazy. And I'm like, so what does that mean? Like, what does that look like? And then he remember the next instruction was for one year, I want you to serve as.

Then it was like the ushers, the service support team, the people who are welcoming you to the church and handing out the, you know, toilet tissue papers and all that stuff. And he's like, I want you to serve on that team for one year, never miss a service. And I'm like, so what do I, do I go back to, am I also doing that in real estate? He's like, no. And so I lived on my savings that whole entire year. All I did was serving. And I was like, God, what is this? What is this about? And so later on, he showed me I was developing you as a shepherd in that time of service. And yeah, that was that was a journey. That is so unreal. I mean, truthfully, I'm sitting here listening to you and just thinking that all of us, every single person on Earth, our number one desire, whether consciously or subconsciously, is to simply walk in the will of God and walk out and fulfill the will that he has for our lives.

And so to listen to you from beginning to end your journey in doing just that is absolutely incredible. And I think when you're walking in the will of God, that's how you hear his voice so clearly, right? And I think it's also being open because sometimes people feel like, how do I know I'm in God's will? How do I know I'm not in God's will? And I always say you have to be open to disruption. You cannot hold something so dearly that it becomes an idol in your heart. Because if you do, then you're going to hear according to what serves that. Because your desires have a voice.

Right. So and that could be easily, you know, misunderstood as the voice of God. You might think that. But you have to know. And that's why for me, it's like you need to know. I tell everyone this. Every human being has an idol in the flesh. In the flesh, there's an idol because the flesh is against the spirit. And if you ever

find yourself living in the flesh, you're going to live according to the idols of your heart that is in the flesh. But you need to know what that is so that you are not blindsided by corruption or blindsided by deception. You have to know in my flesh, this is what I would like to do. This is what I'm drawn to. So that whenever I don't even realize that I'm not, you know, moved by the will of God, I'm not living according to, I'm not in the spirit, right? I need to know what's driving me.

Because it's just like, you just like when someone has a breakdown, or like I'll talk about the story of Job. The whole point of wanting Job to curse God only could happen when they broke him down so much so to the point that the enemy thought, okay, let's get Job out of the spirit. Let's get Job to react from his flesh. Because if he reacts from his flesh, he will curse God. And so that's when they're like, curse God and die.

He's like, no. Because even that did not break him. But you have to know what is the thing that is against me that I may desire if I am carnal. We say it all the time where we always tell people to be aware of your weaknesses. You have to. And there's such a lack of awareness in general in society. And we're all so distracted and social media and these things.

We're just so distracted that nobody's introspective to look inwards. And there's a lack of spiritual life, I think, in the Christian, in the church in general, especially here in L.A. Like a lot of the, if it's okay that I say this, one of the reasons why we love one so much is because it's so spirit-led and so spirit-filled. And you guys have a focus on spirituality. The same God that raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us. That's very spiritual. And there's a lot of churches that shy away from that because it sounds too weird. But I know for us, we are very aware of our weaknesses.

And that's like one of the main things that we've really developed in our faith walk this past year is being aware of. We monitor when things go bad for us, what comes out. Exactly. How do you respond? What do you run to? Exactly. What thoughts do you do? What do you resort back to a lot of the

times I have like somewhat of an addictive personality so I have to be very aware I've been diagnosed with OCD in the past I have to be so aware when things go bad when I'm not feeling good when tragedy hits or simply I'm not having a good day I need to be aware okay there could be a chance that I resort to old things. So I love that you say that you are so aware of yourself and so aware spiritually that that's why the enemy, he can't get you. He can't get you to compromise. Because once you know, then even if you find yourself, just like you said, right, like once you find yourself, like if you resort to that, you can catch yourself. Yeah. Like, wait, no, this is not me.

that, you can catch yourself. Like, wait, no, this is not me. You know, but if you are, if you are ignorant to yourself, then by the time you find out you've already, there's too many mistakes. Now you're living in the consequences of that behavior. So true. You, you, you spoke about having certain spirits follow you since you were a child, which I believe that I did. I, I was always, my, my brain was wired to think a certain way. I believe that I did. I was always, my brain was wired to think a certain way. I wasn't good enough. I'm depressed. I'm never going to overcome this anxiety. And so can you talk about that a little bit, about spirits that can follow you and that goes into witchcraft and things like that? Familiar spirits. Yeah, familiar spirits. And the thing with, I think one of the things just to lay the foundation, right, when it comes to demonic spirits, you know, familiar spirits and all of that, the enemy, everything the enemy does is so strategic, so planned out.

He works in systems because he's not omnipresent. He can't be everywhere at the same time. So he has to establish systems that maintains darkness, right? Keeps people in darkness. So you have systems that are over territories and there are systems over families, right? So even within a family, I always tell people, whenever you see a pattern in a family, a pattern tells a story. A pattern is telling a story of an altar that is demonic. And that altar has opened the door where familiar spirits can come in. So when you see, when you hear stories about, you know, I remember there was this lady who we went through deliverance

with. She never knew what she never knew her mom. She didn't grow up with her mom. And by the time she met her mom, she finds out that the mom was also was raped. She was raped before she knew her mom. The grandmother was also raped. The great grandmother was also raped. That's not coincidence. That's not just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. There is a spirit that had been there's a familiar spirit that wants to use that to trap the soul.

familiar spirit that wants to use that to trap the soul. And what I mean by trap the soul is if when the enemy, the whole thing behind trauma, the health of your soul determines how deep you can go with God. It determines your level of intimacy with God. If your soul has been fragmented, if it's bruised, if it has gone through so many scars, if you have, you know, experienced sexual abuse and things like that, it causes you to be trapped in when it happened. And you start questioning, God, where were you? What is this? And it hinders your ability. There's a depth of intimacy that it blocks you from. So then God really has to work and heal you from within. That's why the Bible talks about, you know, I pray that your whole body, your whole soul, your whole spirit be made perfect before the Lord.

It literally separates all three. So the agenda of the enemy, whether it's a territory or a family or whatever, it is to see how can he keep that family in darkness. Now the thing when it comes to families, what a family member does not conquer has legal rights to be passed down. So if your mom or your dad went through,

you know, entertained that spirit of, you know, instability or that spirit of mental illness, because what I think where we miss it sometimes is that we are trying to separate psychology and spirituality. That's right. Thank you. We're trying to separate the two, not realizing. Sorry. Breaking everything.

Not realizing that even the wisdom of psychology is supposed to be connected to spirituality. It's not like, oh, you just have this mental thing and you need medication. You need this. You need X, Y, and Z. Oh, you have schizophrenia. You just need medication. You need X, Y, and Z. No, there are spirits behind this.

So the psychology part explains. It gives you simple language for what is happening to a person in the physical realm. Yes. So in the physical realm, we have language for this. Okay, so these are the symptoms. This is how you might react. This is what can help suppress it. But there is still another dimension.

There is body. There is soul. There is spirit. And so we need to know what does this also look like? How has this affected your soul? And what is the influence behind this spiritually? So one of the things I think for me, because God opened my eyes spiritually at a young age, what people would just identify as mental illness, I could see the spirit behind it. I could look at a person sometimes if the Lord allows it, and I would see that spirit. I remember there was someone that I had been praying for. And right before I prayed for the person, I see this spirit and the spirit looks like a tornado. So they're just doing, and I was like, what is that Lord and he says that is

what it looks like when a person is going through mental illness their mind is always like in chaos in chaos so even that the feeling of anxiety like you might everything might be fine and then all of a sudden you just you're just going like to do and I was like my goodness, that's what that spirit looks like. And so even before they said anything to me, and I started speaking to them based on what the Lord revealed, and they just broke down crying, so we started to pray. It was a very stubborn spirit, but it left the person.

This is really vulnerable, and we might take this out, but I had brought my mom to church for the first time on Easter Sunday. She told me after she looked up, you know, just what you said, it was a tornado of blacks. She said, I've never experienced anything so frightening in my life. And that's literally what it looked like. It's a black tornado. I cannot believe you're saying this right now. It was a black tornado and it's just constantly doing this because that is how it manifests through the person. It's constantly putting them in a chaotic place. And so that's and that was why even on Good Friday when I was preaching, I'm like, you have to separate it. People are claiming things.

They're calling it my anxiety, my depression. And when you do that, you're given legal grounds for it to not go anywhere. Right. So going back to familiar spirits, when it's not dealt with in whatever, you know, generation, it has permission to continue. So it's almost like it is the thing where every, every family, when we talk about weaknesses, there is also the enemy looks for weaknesses in the bloodline spiritually. What has been the weakness in this bloodline spiritually? So it's a system. So he doesn't have to do too much work.

He knows, okay, the bloodline here, they normally deal with drunkenness. This deals with pornography. This one deals with mental illness. This one deals with whatever illness this one deals with whatever and so it just continues it has access to go to the next person as a child it had access to go to the next person as a child and that's why you when you recognize it it has to end with you because if not then it has access again to the next generation did you know that your temperature at night can have one of the greatest impacts on your

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If she believed the lie that it would never change, if she believed the lie that it would never, there's no hope, we would have never heard her story. And so people have to get to a place of no matter how long this has been, you have to not agree that this would always be your truth. That's right. So that's the first place. And that's where we introduce the word of God, right? You talk to people about the power of Jesus, the power of his word, just to get them to a place to disarm them.

Because people build walls up to keep them in their brokenness and in their bondage. And we need to first disarm that. Like, hey, come out of this jail. Yeah. Right? I remember a friend of mine, very similar, and I had been praying for her. I'm like, God, what is it? Like, I just, she is just in a funk.

And I'm trying to figure out, like, what is it? And I have this vision. I see her in a prison and she has the key wow and i'm like wait i said lord what is this and he says she has the key to get out of this i'm like what do you mean and that's when he started teaching me about agreement so she has come in agreement with where she is so it's not that someone trapped her here. She has left herself in. So yes, she's in the prison, but she has the key to get out. That's right. So even with family members, with friends, with loved ones, we have to first talk to them about what Jesus did and that there is a

different way. It doesn't have to always be like this. Yes, you might have been dealing with this for such a long time, yet you might have felt like, but I've prayed about this, but I asked God about this. And oftentimes when people say that it is that passive prayer of like, okay, Lord, if you really want me to be free, free me or something. It's not this place of consistency. It's not when the Bible talks about seek and you shall find knock and the door shall be opened up to you. So that process is a very, it requires perseverance and it requires tenacity. So it's like, okay, ask and you shall find. Then it goes a step further.

Seek and then, no, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be open. So there are three layers of things. So first, ask and it will be given to you. And when you think of it, if you make it practical, right? Let's say someone who is believing for healing, you know, just as simple. Let's use healing.

And they're like, God, you need to heal me, need to heal me. So you're asking for God to heal you. And they say, ask and it shall be given to you. Ask, then the Lord gives you a word. You will be healed. And then it says, seek and you shall find. Now, I need to seek this out because there is a promise that God has given me. Now I'm seeking him in his word.

I'm seeking him, God. What does this look like? I'm seeking him, God. Because there are things that heaven declares over people that never happens physically wow because we don't press in hard enough so it's like okay there i know what god has made available for me but how do i now manifest that on the earth so it says seek and you shall find but, what are you finding? A door that now you have to open up. So you're seeking and it leads you to a place of, oh my gosh, oh, this is the entrance. But now I have to knock because there are different levels of warfare to get me to manifestation. But I have to have

tenacity and be able to be patient and persevere to get there. So the person who is believing for healing, the person who is believing for change, first, I need to know what God says about this. So now I'm asking you to show me in your word, what do you say about my healing? What do you say about my breakthrough? What do you say about my deliverance? So now I know that it's possible. I know that it's in your word. I know that you have a promise that I can experience this in my life. Now I'm seeking you to understand how this manifests in my life. Because everyone has this unique journey with God where it's not just about what he wants to do. There's a how he wants to do it.

It's just the reason why Jesus didn't heal everyone the same way. To some people, he says, get the same way. To some people, he says, get into the water. To some people, he mixes mud and saliva. To some people, you know, he just picks you up because the story of how he heals you is connected to you. So there is one thing to know that my healing is available in God, but now I need to understand what is the manifestation of that healing? How is that connected to my story? Maybe it's not just about me.

Maybe it's about my family. Maybe this healing is connected to a project I'm supposed to start to testify about, you know, the power of Jesus or the goodness of Jesus. Or maybe there is a knowledge he wants to give me about mental health that is connected to this healing. And that's the seeking part. And then when you finally get to that door, nothing should stop you. That's right. That's when you're now knocking. Now you are like, okay, God, I get it.

I get it. And I want to receive this. Wow. Wow. So there are levels of warfare that you have to overcome. But it starts with get to a place that you are hungry enough to ask absolutely you're hungry enough to say my life might not always it's not always supposed to be like this so lord what does healing look like i i on the topic of um because we spoke

earlier a little bit about like generally generational curses and familiar spirits. And I know just like in Nigeria, how you said that there's witchcraft and all that stuff. In countries in Eastern Europe, there's also a lot of witchcraft. There's magic, but white magic that's not necessarily harmful. They read tarot cards. And it's so funny that those like European and Eastern practices have made their way over here, but in a much more innocent light. But they're still just as harmful as black magic and all that stuff. And so I just want to ask first on generational curses, how do you break a generational curse? What do you do? How do you close that door?

Great question. Yeah. The key thing with a generational curse? What do you do? How do you close that door? Great question. Yeah. The key thing with a generational curse is to have revelation of what that is, because the moment God gives you a revelation, the moment God opens your eyes, the moment you recognize the pattern. What I love with Jesus, it's easy with Jesus. Yeah, I know. In the demonic and witchcraft, they have all these hoops they have to to do sacrifices that Jesus already gave the ultimate sacrifice of himself. And so one of the biggest things is to know. When you recognize, wait, wait, this is the pattern in the family, then we now commit. It's this intentional place.

And I encourage people, it's not that there's a formula. The ultimate formula is now you're surrendering that to the Lord. That, Lord, you rewrite the story of our bloodline. You change this. Empower us. Empower this lineage. Now that you've given me this awareness, Lord, it ends with me. So now there is another voice.

Because what opens, we don't often know how far back this started, right? And generational curses, familiar spirits don't happen by coincidence. There was agreement at some point in that lineage that opened the door to what was happening. So now the same way that in the beginning God spoke, right? Somebody has to speak against it. So the Bible says, every tongue that rises up against you, it says, you shall condemn. And I love that scripture because it first starts off with no weapon formed against me shall prosper. But then it goes deeper. It says in every tongue that rises up against me, that rises up against you, you shall condemn.

So there is, okay, yes, no weapon shall prosper. But how does it prosper? Somebody has to speak. Wow. Somebody has to. And that's the place of prayer where you're now saying that now I, in representing this bloodline, I'm coming out of agreement with this. So if, for example, you see that there's this generational curse that every, you know, I've met people where

sometimes every firstborn son dies at 25. Jesus. Right. And it just repeats itself after and after. Somebody has to rise up in prayer. And in prayer, you begin to declare the promises of God that, God, you have given us long life. And I come against everything that wants to cut our lives short. I come out of agreement with that. Someone has to now utter something different that what was spoken or came in agreement with, because it's just like the person who is dealing with, you know, alcoholism and they say, I am an alcoholic. You have agreed with that. You never defeated it. You just allowed it to be what it is. You left it maybe dormant, but because even when, you know, and I love when people seek help, you know,

Alcoholics Anonymous, and this is just an example and all of that. But it's only keeping the spirit dormant. You still see alcohol. You still crave it. When God does a transformation, you don't crave it. You know, that's the power of God. That's when the power of God is revealed that you can see it and not have a desire for it. But when you still crave it, you just made it dormant.

It's like a demon. There's this minister I love. He talks about demon daycare. Oh, that's so good. It's like a demon daycare, right? But yes, you're not dabbling in it, but you want freedom. People should believe in complete and absolute freedom. And so when you see that, someone said, oh, I i am an alcoholic someone else in the bloodline

has to say i am not an alcoholic my children will not be alcoholics we break this curse of alcoholism over the family and so i even encourage people when you notice it take some time whether it is three days in prayer and you speak the word of god and And that is the power. The power is in his word. It's in his word to reverse whatever was established by words. Whatever people spoke that brought them into agreement with something that has been against the family ever since. Wow. I just got emotional in you saying that because I got sober four years ago

and I was in a place where I was very addicted to alcohol. I was physically and emotionally dependent on it. And people ask me all the time because truly it was as if one day God took it out of my heart. I have been around alcohol for four years. I don't know. I have no idea why I'm so emotional today, but I see alcohol. There is no, I mean, it's weird to people because they're like, you didn't go to a program. You didn't go to therapy. And sometimes I don't even know how to explain what happened. One day I was addicted. The next day I wasn't. It's insane. No, the presence of God is so strong here because even the examples, I know random, like even the

reason why the Lord told me to share the story of the tornado. And I'm like, why do you want me to share that? But it's not random. I know. Sharing about alcohol is not random because people have to see the evidence of what it means to walk with Jesus. It's so true. It's the evidence that, no, this is not Alcoholics Anonymous. We're not suppressing the spirit.

Yeah. We can believe for complete and absolute breakthrough. You know, I don't have to because that's not freedom. Yeah. Because then I have to tailor where I go so I don't smell it. I don't see it. I don't you know, I'm not around it. No, I can be around it. Now, if I have a desire for it, maybe I just have a social. I just want to look cool in the moment. But it doesn't have a hold on me. So true. You know? Yeah. Oh, I, I wanted to just touch on something because we're obviously living in LA and we're living in a very scary, shaky world here. When I was going through my healing journey,

I was getting introduced to a lot of things like the Buddhism and, you know, my whole for you page was psychic after psychic. And I honestly, I was in such a vulnerable state that I was septic to it and I gave into it. I mean, this is my first time saying this is a little embarrassing, but I had called a psychic because I was so vulnerable. And this woman's telling me, oh yeah, you know, everything, whatever. And so so you know I I was like I had lost my mind I'm calling psychics and and then I'm holding like lucky rocks and crystals and I would just and so I I start because I was trying everything the manifestations and I was making idols out of these things and it left me my life was in chaos I can't even tell you the things that were happening

in my life destruction it was just so I want I would even tell you the things that were happening in my life. Destruction. It was just. So I want, I would love for you to talk about the repercussions of making idols out of these things. No, it's exactly what you said, right? Because it goes back to when you talked about white magic, black magic, because there are things that we just, we don't see it as, we look at it as good magic or, you know, like, oh, crystals, let me call a psychic, because the psychic is not telling you to do anything crazy. It's just like, oh, this is a psychic, you know, and when people see that as, or when people even say things like white magic, you know, Satan, the Bible says that he masquerades himself as an angel of light, not of darkness.

He only reveals his true identity when he already has you. He doesn't reveal his nature when he's after you. So when he's after a generation, he's not coming as the boogeyman. No, he only reveals that the moment you're really in. But when he's after you, he's coming, he's subtle, he's coming through culture, he's coming through, you know, it's just like a book title, you know, ways to get what you want, manifest your best life now. Because when people see crystals, when people see tarot card reading, they're not thinking evil, they're thinking, oh,

I get to know my future. I get to find out who I'm going to marry. It's things that would be good. It's like good revelation. I get to find out about, you know, what's next for me. So that is the pull. That's the idol. The idol is not tarot card. The idol is not crystals. The idol is not, you know, Kundalini. It's not any of these things. The idol is what it presents. Oh, you can, you know, Kundalini. It's not any of these things. The idol is what it presents. Oh, you can, you know, find out. Even there are crystals that will tell you, like, if you use this crystal, you could get a better job.

I used to have, I think it's called fool's gold. They tell you that if you have this in your house, you'll get a lot of money. This crystal will attract finances to you. So the idol is finances. And whatever would get me the finances, I'm open to it. So that's the thing. But the problem is anything, whenever,

and it's as simple as this, if there is an object or a thing that can bring you into a reality that it's not normal physically, right? If there is something that can bring you into a reality that you it's not normal physically right if there is something that can bring you more money if there's an object that could reveal to you something that the natural person cannot do there is a spirit behind it well it's as simple as that there is a spirit behind it the hue in our physical state we are limited right and there is no rock

that can the presence of a rock would bring money or because i open cards i'm able to tell you your future i mean i just i could take the cards home and every morning i said well And I said, well, a little shuffle and open up my own cart. It's so funny. So if there is ever anything that would bring me into a reality beyond my natural ability, a spirit is behind it. And if it's not the spirit of God, it is the spirit of Satan. Thank you. So whether it's white the spirit of God, it is the spirit of Satan. Thank you. So whether it's white magic, black magic, and here's the thing, even with white magic, right? Because when Satan is involved, he may not be after you.

That's why people continue. The person who is practicing it feels like their life is great. Wow. Things are going amazing. He's not after you. He's after the generation after you he's very patient this is you're talking about a spirit that has been here from the beginning he's not in a hurry so there are people who are living in the consequences

of the mistakes their parents made yeah their grandparents. They're living in that. So the person who might just be like, oh, I'm going to do this. It's no consequences. He may not be after you at all. Or the way he's coming against you, you don't even know that it was Satan involved. People get, you know, when random things just start breaking out, when it feels like self sabotage steps in, something that could have been yours gets aborted too quickly. And you're like, wait, how did that happen? Because he's very subtle. So he's always going to bring chaos. Anything, so when you talk about how that opened the door for chaos, because anything connected to Satan is dark. Satan, I always pray that people understood how the devil hates humanity. He passionately hates us.

Demons hate us and they fear him. Like, and when I mean fear, that crippling fear of like, I must do my master's bidding. Satan is not, he's not a friend of anyone. Right. So the person, and that's why i also have a compassion for witches yeah because i'm like if you only knew that your boss is not your friend wow if you only really knew that the person you're serving is against you against your life you will come out of agreement with him yeah wow it's incredible i um I'll never forget one time I was watching you

speak at one and you said something, you were still pregnant and I think you were just about to give birth, you know, maybe a few weeks later. And you said something like, um, you've been doing, maybe you were doing a series on witchcraft at the time. And you said something like you have so many people saying, Hey, aren't you afraid you're pregnant and you're out here talking about you're really coming against the enemy in this way. And you said, excuse me, my Lord is Jesus. I'm not afraid of anybody. But I want to ask you, because we even know just in doing ministry, in starting ministry, we are fully aware of the attacks on our lives elevating. And it's something that we don't talk about, but it's something that we deal with every single day. And we see on our mental

health and insecurities and we see in the way in which he, it's usually always in a way to bring us to shame or to bring us doubt in God and our capability of even doing this. So what are, I know that you get attacked. There's no way that because you're so bold and you're so honest about, and you come straight for the same. And so what is that like in your life? Yeah, it's so interesting because whenever you make yourself visible to counter darkness, everything has to level up. Your prayer life, how you consecrate yourself in fasting, your study time. Everything has to increase. You have to match the level of what you're doing.

And so often we are the last people to see the impact of what we are doing. We're just moving in obedience. Exactly what we say all the time. We're just moving in. We're just being obedient. But what you're doing is shaking things up. It's coming against systems of darkness. And so you're doing is shaking things up it's coming against systems of darkness and so you're a target yeah it makes you a marker and for me even when i did that series i remember having these dreams it was like back to back to back i saw where people kept trying to

kill me and i'm like why are people what's going on but i always prevailed and so i remember one particular day i woke up and I said Lord what is this dream he said it's witchcraft and they're trying to silence you from continuing this series and so he told me you need to be in prayer so even at that time I was I mean my confidence in God is I'm just like you got to go through him before you get to me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But at the same time, they can, there are ways they try to disrupt you, whether it's, you know, within your relationship. Like, for example, with you two, one of the biggest warfare is going to be to keep this friendship. Yeah. Nobody is coming.

It's going to be because if they can break this, then they have an in. So there are things that will come up. Anything you have to know when you do, especially when you do things in partnership, they're looking for ways to bring your walls down, right? So they can get in. So they're not going to come after you both immediately. They're going to start with trying to cause chaos in your families. Things that make you question, like, God, where are you?

What is going on? I can't believe it. I truly like it. It starts there. So you get to a place where you feel like, man, you know, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know if this is the right time. I don't know if we should tape tomorrow. I'm just, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know if this is the right time. I don't know if we should tape tomorrow. I'm just, I'm so exhausted.

That's the goal. The goal is to get you to a place where you're like, you know, I think I just need to, I think I'm in, and then it sounds spiritual. I think I'm in a season, but I just need to step back. He starts trying to chip away, chip away, chip away where you feel like, oh, I need to be there for my mom more. And so because I need to show up for my mom more, I don't think I can do this. So you have to lead with vision. When God gave you an assignment, the assignment does not, whenever you feel like the assignment is changing because of circumstances, it did not

change. Wow, wow, wow. Because God is not proactive. He's not reactive. He doesn't react to things that just happened. He already knew it was going to happen. So if you're not saying, hey, I think we need to step back in a season where everything is amazing. And it's really because things are chaotic. It's not the voice of God telling you to step back. And we have to be humble enough to know that we could be deceived. So for me in my life, it's what is the assignment God has given me? And anything that tries to creep in

against that assignment, no matter how convenient it is to listen, I have to shut it down. For example, just this past weekend, on this week, on Wednesday, today I just ended the fast. On Wednesday, the Lord showed me that over the weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, there was like a heavy, it was almost like witches that came together against me, right? And he says, and this is their goal. The goal was to attack your, to come like against your marriage and to come again, to attack your mom. That was the goal.

So before this happens, right? So he, she shows me this in a dream. He says, so what you're going to do to counter it? He says, for three days, I want you to fast and pray with your mom and your husband. And the fast, we literally ended the fast today. Like even before I got here, we prayed together because my mom is a different time zone to where I am. And today's her birthday that they were taping. So we all came together, we prayed together and we're like, okay, but why am I sharing this? So that day when I woke up from the dream, I literally wake up and on the ceiling, I see three eyes. And so I just see them staring and the Lord allowed me to see this. And I was like, fire of the Holy Ghost, fire of the Holy Ghost. And I see this fire that consumes, like

starts burning the eyes. Then I look and I see a bird. And then I will say the same thing. I was like, fire of the Holy Ghost. And then the bird burns up. And I was like, God, what is this? And he says, they're trying to find you. They're trying to monitor because if they can come against you, then what you're called to diminishes, right? I've not shared this with anyone, but this literally just happened. And I was like, God, what did the bird mean? It's like, it's a messenger. But even in that moment of prayer, it destroyed whatever it was trying to do. So my husband wakes up. I share with my husband that he tells me he had a dream. And in his dream that night was an attack.

Wow. Right? And so I'm like, we need to pray. So the Lord tells me this happened Friday, Saturday, Sunday. These witches came together. I called my mom. I said, Mom, this is the instruction the Lord tells me this happened Friday, Saturday, Sunday. These witches came together. I called my mom. I said, Mom, this is the instruction the Lord gave me. My mom said, Stephanie, Sunday night I had a dream where people kept throwing arrows at me, firing arrows.

She said it was about 500 arrows that they kept firing at me. And the goal was to pierce my skin. And in a dream, when you get wounded in a dream, it manifests oftentimes as a sickness. So when she says the goal was to pierce her skin, but the whole time that in the dream she said, don't they know I'm deep in the blood of Jesus, that no matter what they're trying to do to me, it's not going to work.

So as they're doing that, she ends up gathering the sticks and breaks them. And she was like, I am going to burn all these sticks that they used to try to wound me. And she woke up. I said, that's why we need to pray. Because whatever residue we need to pray, we need to now bring the Lord in to completely destroy whatever it is that they thought they could gather to do. So that's one example, right? And I remember in the dream where the Lord gave me that instruction, there was a lady who walks up to me and she starts telling me, she's like, Stephanie, you have to know who you are. Because even for me, they were showing me, you need to know exactly your call so you rise up to the level of that call. Because sometimes we're just being obedient.

We're just being obedient. And we're not realizing like, hey, there is what we're doing is shaking up a lot of things spiritually. So we have to, how we pray has to go a step deeper, how we study the word so that our minds would detect and discern what is of God, what is of not quicker, has to go a level deeper. How we fast has to go a level deeper because now you're in a visible place. You have become a target. So that's why I gave you guys the example where, because what were they trying to do? If they could get to my husband, if they could get to my mom, the goal is it would weaken me. Now I get to a place where I start questioning God. Like, God, what is going on?

How could this happen? And he's like, no, shut it down right now. So even for you both, as you're doing what the assignment, the enemy is going to find, how can I get them? Not in a way that's obvious. In a way that will be so subtle. It starts with the families. It starts with what's going on in your personal lives. So that it would make you question yourself. Yeah, I don't think, I don't think, you know, I don't feel it.

I'm not, I don't believe, you know. I don't feel it. I'm not, I don't believe, you know, that's, and that's how, when you see signs of that, you have to guard, guard your heart, guard your mind, guard what God said. Yeah, absolutely. I'm going to lose my mind. I want to ask about your husband and you just got married a year ago. Yeah.

It will be two years in September. Congratulations. So, so cute. Can I just ask a little bit about your marriage marriage and and how you guys met and and how that was and then i want to ask how you pray on your own and how you guys pray together yeah absolutely um we met it was a baby shower no way we met at a baby shower during the pandemic and it was only five people there. And they included us and my best friend. That's so funny. But that was it.

Like, I think because it was a pandemic, no one really showed up. And so it was just us. And when we met, I just, there was something about him I just knew. But I didn't say, obviously, that would sound crazy, you know. But I remember texting my mom and I was like, I think I met my husband. And just the first day we met. But he like I think he was in a space where he had been praying like, God, I want to meet my wife. And he was dating, but it was not like he just knew like, you know, the people I'm meeting, like, God, you keep telling me no, no, no, no, no, no.

So he was in this place where he just felt like giving up of like, God, I don't want to settle. But at the same time, I want to be married. I want to have a family. And we just had we had an instant bond, you know, and it was very like cordial and nice. And the baby shower was on the boat. We go from there. We go to the beach. On the beach, there was a couple that had this guy who proposed to his wife.

They had these big letters of, will you marry me? Then my husband comes to me. He's like, hey, let's go take a picture in front of it so you remember this when we get married. Stop. That is how men are supposed to pursue women. That's a masculine, baldy man. when we get married. Stop. Hey. That is how men are supposed to pursue women. That's a masculine, balding man.

And I was like, oh, no, no, no, no. He was like, well, let's just take a picture because you're going to remember this. So we just took a picture of both of us, and I still have that picture to today. That's so cute. And after that, we would talk for hours on the phone. Our conversations were so rooted in God.

We would talk about the Bible, talk about, you know, Jesus. We'll talk about family. We were talking about the things that just really spoke to my heart. And even when I would open up to him about things that were very deep and personal, how he responded to them. It was just there was safety there you know but i was like okay lord you've given me a piece about him but you need to show him you know what that is so we the first on our first date later on he told me that it was on our first date that god spoke to him and said this is your life so we it moved very quickly i think think we, we met, it was June 5th, I believe.

And then he told me he got the ring in October. He proposed in December. And we got married the following year in September. And then I got pregnant in December. I mean, can you blame him? I don't really blame him. Can I ask you, did you, did you date? Because, okay, you are literally like the epitome of a good godly woman.

And I'm just wondering, did you date? I did. I encourage, okay, I encourage women to date. I think we put too much pressure on dating. Yeah. Because for me, dating is gathering data. I need to know if you're crazy I need to first just find out like who you are like whether you're about you know so I dated and you know and again as a woman being in

ministry as a as a single woman was very very interesting. Yeah. Because it brought a lot of unwanted attraction. Like people would just see, oh, you're my wife, or you're this, or you're that. And so that was why one of the things, because when I say this, and people are like, why would you say that? Because I remember a covenant I made with God. I was like, I am not dating anyone in this church. And the reason for me was to keep my heart pure. Because I was like, I don't want to pray with someone,

and I'm asking the Lord, is this my husband? While I'm praying with him or when people are. And I was like, God, you are too powerful for this to limit you. If you need me, whoever my husband is, you have to find a way that we meet outside of church, like outside of them being a part of this church. Because if I'm thinking that my husband is here, then I'm not going to see people clearly.

I'm going to see people through the lens of, oh, could that be him? Could that be him? Or I start dating the congregation. You know, I'm like, oh, I don't want that. I do not want that. But I did date and it was healthy, you know. And that's why like even all the people I dated, we all like if we see each other tomorrow, it's nothing but love.

Because I think when you put the pressure off of it, you know, where it's like. And for me, I had been waiting for marriage so there was no sex involved there was no you know like yeah maybe here and there you sneak in a smooch but it was healthy I will say that it was healthy. There was one situation, though, I remember that God, what you it exposed where there was brokenness in me. And it was with it was this one guy who the Lord was like, this is not it. But I held on a bit longer and I didn't realize I was holding on a bit longer. And it was just things that needed to be healed. Right. So sometimes and I'm saying this for women who might be holding on to something toxic, thinking, and you know, you need to let that go. And it's

to make it less about the person and focus more on the healing that needs to happen within. Because sometimes we're like, but God, you know, this person could change and this person could be this. And what you don't realize is that you are, if you make it about them changing and this, you don't realize why are you holding on? That's what needs to be addressed. It's not that you're holding on because you believe in their potential and this and this and that. This is toxic. You're holding on because there's something broken in you that you need this to fill that void. And I for me the Lord the one piece that the Lord was showing me had to do with my father's death so not having a father in my life and the

trauma of that even though his presence in my life God's presence in my life had healed me but in the area of marriage there was still a bit of trauma So it's almost like you're accepting of something toxic to, it's so weird, right? You're accepting of something toxic to make you feel as though, like, okay, you know, this person loves me or this person is this person, but it's toxic. But it's like, you don't want to let go because you experienced what it was for your father to be taken from you. So that taught me a lot. And eventually I did have to let go because you experienced what it was for your father to be taken from you. Wow. You know, so that taught me a lot. And eventually I did have to let go of that person. Wow.

I mean, you just spoke to probably every single person in our audience with that. Because it is, it's really hard and it's really hard when soul ties are formed, especially when it's toxic. There's something I know I was in a situation at one point that was so incredibly toxic. And I'm not even, I've always been somebody who was like so good in God to be able to let things go. And I don't let anyone treat me bad. And then all of a sudden something came and it just got such a grip on my soul that I was gone. Poor girl had to deal with it.

Watch me. But like it's really, it's scary when things like that happen. But you're so right. All of that wasn't wrapped up in this person. It was me. And I think if when people like separated, like stop focusing on the person and they will be better. No, no, no. Why am I tolerating this? Exactly. You know, because my mom would be like, Stephanie, what is this? What is this? Walk away. And I'm like, no, you don't understand. He's amazing. You guys just don't see him the way I see him. And it had nothing to do with him.

It had everything to do with my why. Yeah. It's so crazy. You got me through my broken heart. You have no idea. You could catch me in the corner with my headphones on, and who was I watching? You.

I was like, what? Stephanie. Yeah. No, but you said something so profound. Because a lot of the times when we're in relationships, we put our life into those. And you said, you were like, your life isn't in the hands of a man.

It's not in the hands of, it's in the hands of God. And when you said that, I was like, you're right. Because that's what I would do. I would put my life in the hands and my identity in the hands of a man. And so many people are so broken because that's what they do. And then they're lost. And then it ends. And then they're just, they don't even know who they are, you know?

So. Last thing, I just want to ask. So you and your, I want to know how you pray. I want to know how you pray. We are obsessed with, like, our whole life is Jesus and our prayer life is strong and our study time is strong and we don't go anywhere. You know, ear gates and eye gates is an inside joke with our audience because I say it all the time. I got it from you. So I want everyone to know that this is where I got it from. We're so like, we're crazy about being

careful what we let in. And we just want to be so close to Jesus. And we don't want anything tainting that. What is your prayer life like for us and for our audience? Like what can we do to get, just get strong in the Lord? You know, for me, it's, I look at it like just how, when you have a relationship that you want that relationship to grow, spending time with Jesus is very important for me, like spending quiet time. And even with having a daughter, and this is for moms listening to where people, where, you know, when you parents with kids feel like, but it's cutting into my time. No, bring them in, get them involved, pray and let them be there. You know, let read the Bible

out loud. If that helps, you know, where it's like you're running around or things like that, but have your children involved in those moments. And there is sacrifice for a season, right? So even with my daughter, she would pray with me, but whether it's me waking up much earlier than I would or going, you know, maybe when I put her to bed and even though I might be time, I just have a cup of tea just to keep me up. But the moment I'm in his presence, it energizes me like I'm there, you know, but quiet time with the Lord. And that what that looks like for me first is a posture.

It's a hard posture that this has nothing to do with what I say. It has everything to do about his power. It's the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes a prayer of two, a one-minute prayer could move mountains when you recognize it's not in the length of what I'm saying. It's in knowing who the power comes from, knowing that my authority to say this comes from Jesus.

It's not of me. It comes from Jesus. And so it's that posture of my weakness that the only thing that makes me strong is him. The only thing that gives me authority against the enemy is him. The only thing that gives me power is him. So when I am, and this is when I'm like praying in English, right, or like in the language I can speak.

It's everything is coming from him. But most of the time, I at least try to pray for at the very least an hour in the spirit. That's like every day. Because Jesus revealed something when he told the disciples to watch with him. Jesus lived a life of prayer. And he's like, watch with me. And when they were falling asleep and he goes back, he says, you couldn't even watch for an hour. Right.

And whenever Jesus does not speak to waste words, when he says for an hour, he's almost giving you a minimum. Yeah. The minimum is at least an hour. So you could not even watch for one hour. And we have to, you know, many times people would say things like time doesn't matter. It's not how long you pray and this like that. And I believe that when it comes to repetition, right? Because sometimes people pray for a long time just to repeat words.

It's not that. But time does matter because God also created time. The earth realm is timed. That's the difference between the physical realm and the spiritual realm. Time matters on earth. So if we have 24 hours that makes a day, there has to be time that is allocated to God in that day. It does matter. It matters in a general sense of spending time with him, right? Now, if you're praying, let's say for marriage, for example, like someone who's praying, may God bless me, give me a marriage,

you don't have to pray for marriage for an hour, right. It could be like, God, I want to get married. Open the door for marriage. You can see us. Right. You want to be married. Boom. But what is the time you're spending reading his word? What is the time you're spending in worship and just adoring him?

Because when you worship God, it transforms you. When you see God properly, it does something. It elevates you from your fears. It's like, wait, I serve the King of Kings. So what is the time you're spending in worship? What is the time that you're spending in stillness? Because too often we're just like, in Jesus name, amen, we get up. But did you make time for God to speak? It's two ways, right? So what is the time? And that's what, when the Bible says wait on the Lord, there is also the essence of just waiting on God,

like literally just waiting on God. You see that with Moses where God will tell him, wait, wait here, just waiting and just being in a place of quiet worship. And you're just, and one of the things I love to do is meditate on the essence of God. So there are times that I'm in prayer and I will just know nothing. Maybe it's instrumentals. And I just meditate on God as omnipresent. Like, man, that is like, what does that look like? And all of a sudden the Holy Spirit begins to give you scriptures or begins to give you images and visions and and like it just

takes you somewhere right god is all powerful and so all of that it it brings me closer it makes me see why i need to surrender it makes you bolder yeah because you see who it is you serve yeah but also time praying in the spirit praying in the spirit. Praying in the spirit to me is so important because the Bible calls it the perfect prayer. Your spirit is praying. With your mind, there's so much you know to pray for. But when you pray in the spirit, you open yourself to the Lord praying through you, the spirit of God praying through you. the Lord praying through you, the spirit of God praying through you. So I always love to give time, especially even before I go to sleep, because I've noticed it has affected my, like when I pray in the spirit before going to bed, most of the time, my dreams are very prophetic. Wow. And you mean

speaking in tongues? Speaking in tongues. Yes. We've, um, I started speaking in tongues. Sorry. I, so I, we, sorry, we have something funny happen. I'll tell you later, but I started speaking in tongues. Sorry. Sorry, we have something funny happen. I'll tell you later. But I started speaking in tongues about a year ago, and it has transformed my spiritual life. I start to cultivate a spirituality within me and around me, and I can hear God better. And it's as if my communicating is also, it elevates the days that I film. If I spend time speaking in tongues and it sounds so silly. And at first, when I first started, I said, I felt so stupid. I didn't do it in front of everyone, anyone. And I thought I was

making it up almost, but then the longer you go and the more you do it, the more comfortable I realized, no, this is a heavenly language and it and it just it does change my communication in the spirit when I'm even on the podcast yeah so yeah that's I mean I love speaking in tongues and it's something that people don't really talk about and it's important it's very but I and I will say and with all of that making time yeah cab like because we would say things like you know even if you're if're in the car, you're worshiping, all of that, I believe you can worship God in everything, while you're walking, while you're grocery shopping. But there has to be a moment that you set time aside just to sit with Jesus. Put your phone away.

Put all the distractions away. Read the Word to have a conversation, not just to read it. Like when you read the Word, talk to conversation not just to read it like when you read the word talk to the holy spirit so like what happened here and even before oh holy spirit i always pray holy spirit like open my eyes to see the scriptures the way you see it you know and then i'm like oh my gosh just the other day i was reading the scripture again when it says many will say to me in that day lord lord we did this in did this in your name. We did that in your name. And he'll be like, get away from me, you who practice lawlessness. And many just jumped at me.

I was like, oh my gosh, it says many, many. This is a lot of people. This is not like a few. So it hit me. I was like, oh my gosh, Lord, there are many people who believe they're Christians that are not. That was frightening to me. And I was like, God, how does this happen? And so this is not my conversation with the Lord as I'm reading it. He leads me to the other scripture when it says, talking about the end times, and it says, many would rise up as false Christ, and they would deceive many. And I was like, God, is there a connection between these

two scriptures? Because there are many who would say that they are anointed, but they were not anointed by you. And they're presenting a Jesus that is not you. Now it causes generations of people who believe they're Christians and they're not Christians. And so when I was studying this, I'm like, God, this is blowing my mind. Like I was literally like, God god this is blowing my mind like i was literally like god you are blowing my mind and i'm like god show me like how how do we like how do we serve how do we serve the harvest to be your harvest so then it goes from me just reading the scriptures now i'm praying into the harvest you know so it's it's this beautiful place of dialogue so i'll say that wow so good i i wish that we could stay here with you for 10 more hours honestly this is the best day of my whole life this is great this is and i'm just like i love what you both are doing and i just want to

encourage you like the presence of god is so tangible in this podcast. And I need to, like, I'm going to be praying for you guys. Definitely. Because what you're doing is going to, is shaking things up. Don't, you're going to have moments where you doubt yourself. You're going to have moments where you question yourself. You're going to have moments where you feel like you're not worthy. I'm going to be praying in particular for the relationships in your life. Because your life because they have access to counsel, to give you counsel. And if it's not godly counsel, but it sounds nice, it could tear you away in such a subtle way from what God is doing. But God's hand is on this podcast and God is going to use it in really, really great ways. And I'm even seeing where the Lord will call you guys into spaces to and what brought you into those spaces is the podcast.

But you would question, like, why are we why are we doing this with this person or that person? Why is this person also here? But the Lord is going to call you to be a light in darkness, even in places that should be light. Wow. And I know the Holy Spirit will make it plain. So it's almost like I'm seeing where you guys are, like, almost like in conferences, right? But the other people who you're going to be doing conferences with will be people you don't agree with.

And it will make you feel like, why are we doing this with this person? Why is this person also being promoted alongside us? But you would be, thank you, Lord. And I'll just say the way he's given me. It's unfortunate that even in Christianity, there is darkness. That even in what should look, the place that should be safe, Even in Christianity, there is darkness.

That even in what should look, the place that should be safe, there are many ministers that are not of God, even though they say Jesus, but does not mean that they follow after the ways of the Lord. It's not that. And there are places that God will call you both to step into. And what the challenge would be, we have different doctrines. What they believe is not what we believe, even though we all testify about Jesus. But he's calling you to not only be a light in darkness,

but also be a light in darkness that should be light. Does that make sense to you? Yes, a hundred percent. Oh, I can't wait to talk to you after. Wow. And to know that his hand is on you both. One of the things I've learned with God, it's not about how God will give you eloquence. God will give you boldness. God will give you strength. You can still, there are days I wake up and I'm just like, God, I don't know if I have it in me to do this. I don't, but what is happening is I'm not on guard. Yeah. Right. Because you have moments where you just get tired. You have moments where you're just like, you, you feel the, you feel the weariness of the fight. But whenever I come into that and I'm like, wait, no, no, no, that's not,

I'm giving into something else. That's not, but I may have a moment and then God refreshes me. And I'm like, wait, no, I'm tripping. You know, God, let's, let's do this thing. But be watchful of the counsel in your life. God's hand is on this podcast. Anything that comes to challenge you as individuals, it will not be, it will not first happen as, you know, together. It would be to attack as individuals, anything that tries to come against you, you know, mentally, spiritually, the voices that the people around you, what they're saying. If it doesn't, if it doesn't measure up to the things that God has already spoken, that you know who to walk away from, you know how to move people around. I'm seeing where there's been like almost these attacks, right?

And that's what the Lord is going to show me things with our heart. No matter what happens, God is going to trust God. That's what I would say, right? Trust God. There are things that will make you feel like I need to pull back. I need to pull back so that I could be there more for family. I need to pull back. You have to know that my presence is not going to be their salvation.

The presence of God will be their salvation. Manage your time. Don't feel like you need to pull back because what you're doing has the Lord all over it. If it's something where you need to be more present for family, just manage your time better. But don't let it be a thing of like, I just need to pull back. I just don't feel like I'm in the right space. God's hand is on this. And I'm just going to keep you guys in prayer that nothing will come against it.

Thank you so much, Stephanie. We can't thank you enough. We adore you. This has been the best day of our lives. And we are so blessed to have you here. Would you just do me a favor? Yes. Would you just look in the camera and bless our audience?

Hey, let's do this. Let's speak a blessing over everyone listening. May the Lord God bless and keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he be gracious over you and lift up his countenance upon you and grant you shalom, shalom. Thank you so much. We love you guys.