Welcome to this episode of Messy Can't Stop Her, I'm your host. Judith Kambia Obatusa - JKO. On today's episode, I want to get into a series that will be about prayer. For some of us, hearing this means, Oh, turning it off. I don't want to listen anymore. What Messy Can't Stop Her shares is the stories of women's resilience through chaos, crisis, and the challenges of life. Women share what has worked for them. I share tips that have worked for women that we can apply to our situation.
As many of you that listen to this podcast, know, I lost my first born in August, 2023. And, I don't ever think that my life will ever be the same again. People say I'm strong and I want to just throw in the towel and not be strong, but I can't cause I feel that if I lean into the sadness that, that is waiting to grab me.
I wouldn't come out of it. I am very, very careful about my mind because for some of us who have dealt with depression for a very long time, and for some it has led to trying to take their own lives. I'm one of those people, and I'm here by the mercy and grace of God. And because of that, and because of the faith that I have in Jesus Christ, I cannot, Allow the enemy to take over my mind and make me get to that place where I'm giving up because let me tell you something What can bring back the life of my child?
Every day it becomes more obvious that I will never see my firstborn again. In fact, I prayed for her for so long that even now when I pray for my children I call her name and she's not here anymore. When people talk about children, when they say pray for your children, my heart just breaks, but I remind myself that God loves me.
So I've shared on this podcast that having people you can talk to is very helpful. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed. Even though we know those things, you know, about affirmations, you know, about speaking the right things to ourselves, thinking positively, doing positive things, sometimes we need someone else to stand by us so that we don't fall.
This morning was one of those days. I had a conversation with my daughter last night that I've been dealing with something. So yesterday was just, I got to the place that I needed to talk to someone. I need to talk to my mentor. I needed to talk to somebody who is my mother in the Lord. And I called her today and she spent time talking to me.
And do you know that even while she was talking to me, it was as if a burden was being lifted from my head. And I want to share the scripture that she shared with me today. For the next couple of weeks we're going to be sharing the word of God and using the word of God that we share as a prayer point.
So if you're listening to this podcast and you have prayer needs, I'd like you to send me a message. a message either on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or through the link in the show notes. Tell me your prayer points and I will agree with you. You will hear that prayer on this podcast and I don't have to Say your name that I can pray because you know what?
Sometimes we think we're the only ones going through whatever we're going through. Well, you're not. There are other people who are going through what you are going through. And when they hear your prayer point, when somebody is praying for you, they can tap into it. And it's all going to be anonymous. So please let me know if you would like me to pray with you.
So I'm just going to go into Isaiah chapter 43 verses 1 to 5a and when my mother in the Lord asked me to open this Bible passage when she was talking to me, I opened the Good News translation. And this is what that translation says. Israel, the Lord who created you says, you know, I put my name in that because the word of God is still alive today as it was when the people of Israel were being, when those things that were written in the Bible were happening.
So I put my name, Judith, the Lord who created you says, do not be afraid. I will save you. I have called you by name. You are Mine.
I am God's. He has called me by name. How do you feel when someone who you really value calls your name? Maybe you're in a group and your name is called for something good. This is how it feels for me when the Bible says, I have called you by name. You are mine. No matter what is going on. Some people are looking, “Oh, my family is not good. My background has a problem. I don't have a degree. I don't have People to speak for me in high places”, but God is saying you are his. Verse 2 says when you pass through deep waters I will be with you, your troubles will not be Overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned. The hard trials that come will not hurt you.
So this Bible recognizes that there are times of hard, hard trials, so hard. It's almost for us, impossible for us to imagine how can we come out of this? But God says it will not hurt us. It says when you pass through fire, you will not be burned. Your troubles will not overwhelm you. They're threatening to take you over. They're threatening to make you feel hopeless. In fact, this moment you may be feeling hopeless. But God is saying, these troubles will not overwhelm you.
The Message translation says this, for that particular part, it says, When you are in rough waters, you will not go down. When you are between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end because I am God, your personal God.
It says when you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. No matter the situation we find ourselves. This scripture, this verse, this passage is saying you are not alone. I don't know what you're going through. If like me, you are being, it's an onslaught of challenges. You think it’s just coming. This is coming.
That is coming together. Simultaneously. The Bible tells us the message transition. We are between a rock and a hard place. It's like a dead end. Where do I go? I'm surrounded.
There's a song that says, God is surrounding what is surrounding me. If I am surrounded. By the enemy, by challenges, if you are surrounded, I want you to know that God is surrounding what is surrounding you. In the Old Testament. I think it’s one of the kings, the first or second, where Elisha was in his house and the king sent his men and they surrounded the place, and the servant Gehazi was so worried. “Oh my God, they've surrounded us” and Elisha could see what God was doing. He could see that they were not alone. So, he told, he prayed that “God, open the eyes of Gehazi so he can see you, see your work.” And when, when Gehazi's eyes were opened, he saw warrior angels surrounding the king's army that was surrounding them.
So, whatever is surrounding you, the troubles that are surrounding you, God is surrounding them. He just told you. He just told me. He just told us. We are not alone. He is there no matter what we're going through. He says, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy God of Israel, who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free.
I will give up Ethiopia and Seba. Verse 4 says, I will give up whole nations. To save your life because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor. He will give up whole nations. That's how precious you are. And he chose particular nations. Egypt was the beginning of civilization.
He's talking about Magnificence, the best of this earth. He will give it up, save you, for your sake.
Hmm. The message translation says, I paid a huge price for you. [00:12:00] All of Egypt, with rich Cush, that's Ethiopia, and Seba. Thrown in. That's how much you mean to me. Just imagine. Look, go to the world map. Look for the map of Egypt. Look at the square footage, the area, how big Egypt is. The riches in Egypt, the history that is in Egypt, the history of Egypt.
And think about what God is saying…you mean that much to him.
So, I don't know. One thing that I have found out is when we are surrounded by these challenges, You can begin to think that we’re not good enough. For people like those of us that call ourselves Christians, that's when you start feeling some people even begin to tell you, check yourself. You must have done something bad.
Well, that also happened to Job. And this was a man that the Bible says was so good. His friends came and sat with him and every day they were telling him, check yourself. You think you're good. You're not a good person. Tell the truth about the things you're doing. This is how. You know, I lost my sister, my, my daughter, I heard a lot, I heard a little actually, the main, the main things that were being said about me, I did not hear, because those that were saying it, even though they knew me and they should have commiserated with me, they were too busy gossiping about me to commiserate with me.
Some did send a message and that's it. And they spent all their time blaming me. And the truth is, even I sometimes think, what could I have done? But, God has really saved me. I think, what could I have done, so that I can know what I can tell other women, parents so that they will not make that mistake. So judgment, negative judgment to break you down either external judgment or even your own internal voice, your internal judgment.
But I want to remind you that God says he loves you so much. He gives nations for you. He gives men for you. In some translations., it says I'll give men for you. I'll give people for you.
In fact, the Message translation says, I will sell off the whole world to get you back. Trade the creation just for you. Doesn't that [00:15:00] excite you? Doesn't that make you feel happy? That's how it makes me feel. And that's why I'm sharing it today. 5a verse 5a says, So don't be afraid. I'm with you. So I don't know what you're going through today, but I just want to pray this prayer with you.
I'm praying over you. This morning, this afternoon, this evening, whenever this, this moment, when you're hearing this, I'm praying that these words that were spoken by our God in Isaiah chapter 43 verses 1- 5a will be internalized by you. It will soak into your very being and you will be healed. Be lifted in your spirit, man, even up to your soul, because you now know, or you are being reminded, that you are so precious.
You are precious to the God who created this earth. I live in beautiful British Columbia in Canada. Many parts of this world are so beautiful. The colors of the flowers are phenomenal. The magnificence of creation is in many places around us. This God who made those things is saying you're precious to him.
I pray that you will be reminded this moment, and you will believe it, that you are precious. There's somebody listening to me, she says, “eh, if I'm precious, why is God letting these things happen to me?” Cause he wants to be glorified in your life, those, these things look like terrible things, but he said in the book of Romans 8 verse 28 that all these things work together for your good.
The only thing I'm going to ask of you, think about it. Do you love God? Because the Bible says these things work together for good for those who love God. and are called according to His purpose. I pray for you today that whatever is holding you down, making you feel overwhelmed, making you feel unloved, hopeless, that you be reminded by the verses in Isaiah 43 verses 1-5a that you are worthy of love.
You are valuable. You are precious to the author of all things. And if you can just believe with me, my sister, messy won't stop you. So thank you for listening. But I want to remind you, send me your prayer points face, true Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or through the link in the show notes. Thanks.
I'll put the links to these my social media platforms in the show notes.This is a month of prayers, a month of looking into God's word to remind ourselves of what he says and praying with them. You are precious in his sight. Never forget it. Thank you so much again for listening and see you next time.
