Authentic Thriving Podcast
Welcome to Thriving mindset podcast. On this platform I will be talking on mental health, emotional wellbeing, sprituality, business, career, purpose . This will help you transform your mind as a person, help you live a purposeful life with clarity through holistic intentional lifestyle.Your feedback comments and share will be highly appreciated. Thank you and look forward to serving you value and authenticity.
Authentic Thriving Podcast
Beyond the Altar: Prioritizing Your Mental Wellbeing
The soul-crushing weight of religious manipulation often goes unnoticed until you're drowning in it. After receiving a heartfelt message from a listener trapped in a controlling prayer group, I felt compelled to explore how seemingly benign spiritual communities can become psychological cages.
This listener's experience in the UK revealed a troubling pattern—she joined a prayer group seeking connection in a new country, only to find herself unable to prioritize her crying child over prayer meetings for fear of rejection. Her story isn't about physical kidnapping or isolation, but rather a subtle emotional manipulation that separated her from her authentic self and family through fear and control.
Religious manipulation thrives when we're most vulnerable—during grief, after relocation, or amid major life transitions. Our brains, overwhelmed by uncertainty, become susceptible to those promising safety, meaning, and purpose. The manipulator doesn't need physical chains when fear of rejection and spiritual shame work just as effectively.
The Bible repeatedly warns against false prophets and fear-based faith. As 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, "God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." True spiritual leadership, as modeled by Jesus, never operates through control, exploitation, or isolation. Any religious environment making you fearful of being your authentic self contradicts divine love at its core.
Watch for these warning signs: leaders demanding unquestioning loyalty, creating fear about missing meetings, favoring wealthy members, isolating you from family, avoiding accountability, or using scripture selectively to control rather than liberate. Your spiritual journey should enhance your family relationships, not damage them.
Building your personal relationship with God through scripture meditation, journaling, worship, and prayer provides protection against manipulation. When you know God directly, you're less vulnerable to those claiming to speak on God's behalf while serving their own agenda.
Have you experienced religious manipulation? I invite you to share your story or questions at info@asebconsultancy.com. Remember, authentic faith always liberates—it never imprisons.
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Hello and welcome to Authentic Traveling Podcast. I am your host, abiyasunia Ebenezer-Barramudbaran. I am an investor in positive transformation through counseling, life coaching, speaking and also writing books. Have you read my book yet? Inner Harmony Resilience Beyond Chronic Stress and Burnout resilience beyond chronic stress and burnout. This book is available on amazon and also on my website, wwwasebconsultancycom. On this podcast, we talk about our mental health, emotional well-being and also our holistic well-being in order for us to thrive authentically. This is a safe space for you to speak about soulful truth and talk about the things that will help you to come back to yourself and regain your self-awareness. Welcome to the Authentic Podcast once again.
Speaker 1:On today's episode, I am going to be speaking on a question or a submission by one of my great listeners. She listens to Authentic Driving Podcast, so you know who you are, thank you. Thank you very much. She sent a question regarding a topic that I dealt with some weeks back, which is religious trauma the prize of blind faith and after listening to that podcast, she sent a voicemail. So please, for those people that have questions regarding any of the content in the podcast that I dropped, please send it to. Info at asbconsultancycom. Info at acebconsultancycom. This is going to be showing on the screen so you can just send your questions. Don't just listen in without listening, without sending a question. If you do have one, I do respond to questions as well. I'm just going to quickly play. Well, I am just going to quickly play this. I am going to play the question so you can listen in, and then I'm going to dive right in when I finish playing this. So please listen in. I hope it should be loud enough.
Speaker 2:Good morning sister. How are you today? Ma, wonderful, I mean, yeah, I'm so happy to hear your voice this morning to listen to the podcast. God bless you, ma. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sister, I just want to add to this that you know, to this, that you know, um I your experiences when you are growing up, um, I've made you to say something very, very tangible about this issue that is going viral now. But in my own case, I just want to share a little about it. Maybe I don't know whether someone has experienced this, but just to add to that, when it comes to religion, it's not only people that adopt people. That's in the name of prayers and everything that is common in this generation. A little experience I had in the UK. I just want to share that.
Speaker 2:I noticed that sometimes okay, let me just share my own experience that maybe there is the form of a. My own experience goes like this like a prayer, like a prayer organization, why ladies are organizing prayers? And when I joined this prayer, I remember that time that after joining this prayer group, I was so entangled to the prayer leader in terms of I can't say no to what she does. Many times. I don't know if you are really getting what I'm trying to say. Times. I don't know if you are really getting what I'm trying to say. That's okay. Look at the UK UK, especially in the UK that there is different form of prayer groups that women ladies are organizing, and I noticed that sometimes when you join the prayer group and you are friends to the prayer leader, anything the prayer leader does you have to follow in time. So maybe the prayer leader wants you plans to to have a birthday party and you don't have money to do that to, to, to. Maybe you don't have money for gifts or anything, but you just find it difficult in your heart to just tell the person that, sorry, I won't be able to come for this birthday party. I won't be able to. Sorry, I don't have money to be. I don't know if you're getting it. I don't know if it is a personal thing, maybe it doesn't happen to everybody, but that is another side of these religious things. I'm talking about something like that. They find themselves in that prayer that even when their child is crying, there will be a fear, because this is something that happened to me, that I would be so fearful to. Let me just quickly go and join this prayer group, so that this person will not talk to me that I did not join prayer group today and I will leave my child crying something like that. So maybe there are some people out there.
Speaker 2:It is not only people that are adults. Some people have, in this time of this generation, many, many people have joined Pereira groups and that Pereira group has turned them to what they are, not even what they are not spiritually. That Pereira group has turned them to become they are not even what they are not spiritually. That prayer group has turned them to become social Maybe has turned their spiritual to be a social, normal spiritual. They are not really living a spiritual life. They were before and everything. The prayer group just exposed them to something unnecessary which they don't even plan for.
Speaker 2:It might be something that's affecting their home or something like that. It's not even Africa alone. It's not Africa alone. It happens here in the UK. It happens here in the UK.
Speaker 2:This is one of the things that I can say that anytime I find myself being attacked, I don't just like being so close to people anymore because I just see that sometimes maybe because I don't know whether it is my nature, but I just believe there are some people out there that are experiencing these similar things. I have experienced In the name of religion, whether because, ah, let's pray for our children everything that's the person that owns the group have made them to be something else, whether to their family or to their children, even something they have created a fear in them. I'm sharing from my own personal experience before God delivered me, even something they have created a fear in them. I'm sharing from my own personal experience before God delivered me, so I'm just sharing it. Not only in the UK, no sorry, in Africa.
Speaker 2:Here in the UK, some people have joined a group. They have turned them to what they don't want to be, and sometimes some of them will get back home and they will start crying. So people organize groups because they want to have people that will come to their birthday party. They don't want to be alone when they are celebrating their children. They don't want to. Oh, that is the purpose of the prayer group, not because they really want to have prayer group. I pray God will help us.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, sister, bye okay, so, okay, that was the voice note that I received, and if you want to send a message, please do send. You can see there's a lot to unpick. There's a lot to unpick in that voice notes that was sent. We also receive emails, by the way, if you want to send email, um, if you want to send me for your question, there's so many things that she said there, and for what she said is that there are prayer groups in case you want to have contests. So when I did that podcast based on my podcast, if you want to find that title religious trauma the prize of blind faith when I did that podcast, um, some weeks ago, I received this um voice notes from this person, you know, sharing her experience. She didn't want to be interviewed for obvious reason, um, of what she, what she experienced as well.
Speaker 1:I did a podcast because of what happened, what I saw social media about and sharing about a lady called a jeru that was apparently brainwashed by a religious group that she decided to join in search of deeper relationship with God, and she and many others there are many people that were coming out that their family members were missing for one year, two years and even more, and not just missing because they don't want to talk to them. Missing like they've sold their businesses, they've stopped going to work, they've done everything as in shut down their normal life, as it were, and just elope with this group of people, and they've gone in communicado with their family members. So when I did this, I was just sharing about you know, when we're growing up and things that happen about religious group that will turn out to be very, very fake, but thank god, we did not get into that devil people adopting um full-grown people away from their family members so that they can carry on with their evil manipulation. Now there's a psychological um side to this. When people human beings we need things to keep us grounded, we need safety, we need meaning and we need purpose, and the religious houses tend to be one. That is a place where you can get these three things. That is the way it is being portrayed. Now, when you are in faith, you get meaning to your life, you get purpose for your life and you feel safe and protected as well. Now, that is the genuine purpose of the Word of God for us.
Speaker 1:However, a lot of people have decided to manipulate people when they are vulnerable, when people go through trauma, grief, any traumatic experiences, as a result of anything. It can be from domestic violence, it can be from any experience that is in life that they find traumatic. It might be one experience, it might be multiple traumatic experiences, one after the other, and the person just want the pain and the hurt to go. When someone is in that state, they are vulnerable Because anything that you suggest whether it's giving them only ghost water, whether it's giving them oil to annoy themselves, whether it's giving them t-shirt, handkerchief or anything, whether it's telling them that people are around them, you bewitch them and you tell them that there are wishes around them. They should just follow you and they will be saved. They should sell all their things. The portals to their soul is opened, because all they just want is for the pain, the hurt, the shame, the fear, the abnormality to go, and they are willing to exchange anything for that being to go. So whoever come there as a Messiah will be able to manipulate them and they will just follow through. Now don't think these people are not wise. In their normal state, where they are not vulnerable, they are very, very smart people. These are people that probably control the six-figure businesses and even more. And yet when this person that claimed to be messiah comes, they are willing to sell all their things and just go with them, because they just want a meaning back to their life. They want to feel safe. They want the pain to go, because when people stay too long in pain, they start feeling like they are languishing. So nobody wants to be in that state. This is the reason why some people also honor life themselves, so this is why they follow them.
Speaker 1:Now, when people are traumatizedized, they can, as a bit different form of things, they might become hyper vigilant. They can become easily paranoid and, yes, people that are manipulative they tend to use that a lot whereby they use their hyper vigilance and their paranoia against them and tell them that their life is in danger. Nobody wants to stay with the person who they're telling you your life is not safe, wait. So if they tell them that their family is not safe, they will go with them. Now the red flags they can no longer see. It is the number of people that are not vulnerable that will be able to see it. So, like the the lady said, even when a child is crying, she will not even remember, because she just wants to please the person.
Speaker 1:When people are traumatized, they can either be in a state of fear, fights, flights, fun or even flop mode when they are in a state, or even freeze when they are in a state like that where they want to fight. So when they turn them, manipulate them, they start fighting their family members or their friends and they think that this other person is trying to save them. The evil pastor or the evil prophet is their friend. Now some people just get into a state where they freeze. They cannot think properly. This is based on our brain wiring.
Speaker 1:When you are amygdala, take over the control of your brain, your hippocampus, your prefrontal cortex. Nothing is going to happen because your prefrontal cortex, excuse me, is the part where you make the decision, where you process information and you do things correctly, where a big dollar is constantly on a vigilant mode telling you you are not safe. There is no way your preferential consensus is going to be open enough for you to be able to make the right decision. This is why some people become so forgetful, because their hippocampus is not open enough to be able to store all the information. Their information is distorted, like this lady that just spoke up and said that she wanted a sense of belonging. That was why she joined this prayer group and she obviously loved god and that was why she joined the prayer group.
Speaker 1:Now, please, if you know, it doesn't matter how spirit filled you are, it doesn't matter how spirit-filled you are, it doesn't matter how much prophecy you see. If you know your own character, you have a controlling spirit. You have a manipulative spirit. You need deliverance before you even start any prayer group. You need deliverance. Go and get yourself delivered from the spirit of control, from the spirit of manipulation. So people are just too authoritative. It doesn't matter how spirit filled you are. Our god is not the god of fear. Please, for people out there.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say this again because I know that when people relocate to a new country, whether it's uk, whether it's america, whether it's germany, whether anywhere in the world where you relocate, you want to have a sense of belonging. For people who are there, mind the places that you want to belong to, because when they use one of your core belief or your core value I mean which, for example, if spirituality is one of your core belief, it's very, very easy for people that are manipulative to manipulate others with that. This lady that dropped the voice note is very obvious that she loved god and she left our country. She's not in the uk, of course she wanted sense of belonging and I said prayer for your family, your husband and everything around you. Of course she wants our family to be protected. So she easily went there and then she said she got entangled with the leader.
Speaker 1:There are some people, maybe because of their upbringing, maybe because of their attachment figure, they don't have a secure attachment. They have insecure attachment and as a result of that, they want to just lash onto authority figure. Sometimes it might go the other way, whereby people do not trust authority figure as well. So in our case, she obviously trusted the authority figure who was the person that was leading the group and, as a result of that, whatever the person says, she will just want to abide in order not to get into issues and problems with them. Now listen, anybody that makes you so fearful that you cannot be authentic self around them, that person you are not supposed to be around them, not to be evil, your leader, if you have a choice in it. But why I use that word is that there are some people where you're working. You don't cannot choose your manager, but this is a religious group any religious group. You always have a choice. You have a choice on where you choose to worship or where you choose not to worship.
Speaker 1:Our God is not the author of confusion. There are people that genuinely love God and just want to serve God. Remember those three things safety, meaning for life and also purpose. And they find that in the house of God, and you tend to find this in a religious setting. So when people come, they want that sense of belonging. For people that are new to the country or you've relocated from one region or the other, or even within states, within a council or within just moving from one place to another, please mind the places that you're worshiping. I'm just going to quickly share some things that will help you to know. Our God is not a God of fear. Even when Jesus was leading his disciple, he did not lead them with fear. Our God was a very understanding God and he still is a very, very understanding God, because when I spoke to this, when I chatted with this lady, she then even told me more that she lost her confidence in her time. She was no longer prioritizing her family, even when her baby is crying Apparently.
Speaker 1:If they do not attend the group for prayers, this person will kick them out of the group. If they kick you out of the group, it's okay, that's your freedom. Just leave it, because what they are trying to do they are trying to isolate you so that you don't have a sense of belonging, and then you will not crawl back and start begging them. I'm sorry. I missed one prayer session. Please can I come back? I promise, I promise I will not miss again. When you are tired, it's okay. Please learn how to develop a one-to-one relationship with God and just watch out for this point that I'm going to share.
Speaker 1:In 2nd Timothy, verse 1 to 7, he said for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. Any gathering where you belong to, where your leadership are making you fearful of them, it is not of God. Our God is not the author of confusion. Our God work in orderliness. If you listen to the creation story from Genesis, you will see that on day one, god created this. On day two, he created the nest. He separated the waters, the ones that went up and the ones that went down, he created the fishes and then the animals in the ocean and then he created the land and animals. He created them in order. Our God is a God of order and on the seventh day he rested.
Speaker 1:Now, if you're someone that walk every day and maybe it's just one day, you have to rest. On that day you're supposed to be resting. If you decide that you cannot go on that, go in that prayer group and join them on that day and they decide to kick you out of prayer group, then you shouldn't be there in the first place. We need to learn how to pray by ourself. I know it's also very good to fellowship with the brethren, but if the brethren are instilling fear in your heart, are they actually your brethren? Are they actually friends or foes? You need to ask yourself this question.
Speaker 1:And the Bible also told us in 1 Thessalonians, 5, 21 to 22, when it said test our spirit. We should test our spirit, but test them all. Hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. I just want to ask you a favor to subscribe, like and share to your friends, your neighbor, your colleagues, your family, your friends and everybody that you know. I'm really working hard to ensure that I bring useful and valuable information that will help you in your mental and emotional well-being, so that you begin to thrive authentically. You know, a lot of us will feel we have to wait until something happens before we become reactive. But with this podcast, I am trying to give you information that will make you proactive, so you don't even have anything to react to in the end because you are looking after yourself properly.
Speaker 1:So what are you waiting for? If you have been listening, please like, share, comment on anything that resonates with you. This will help to drive our visibility. And also, if there is any other topic that we have discussed that has been a trigger or that you feel you need support with, please visit wwwasebconsultancycom. There is a 15-minute free consultation link that you can click on right there and book to speak to one of our counselors. Thank you so much for helping to drive visibility to this platform. And also, if you have been listening on Apple, spotify, Audible and every other podcast platform there, please follow us and keep sharing, Thank you. Thank you so much. Back to the program.
Speaker 1:Now we are supposed to test our spirit. It doesn't matter if you're a prophet, it doesn't matter if you're an apostle. All those things are tied to it's the heart that God checks. God checks the heart. So man might be doing some religious activities be so religious activities, do some religious activities and he start thinking that, oh, this person is going to be the first in heaven. It doesn't work like that. I am so glad that this lady was able to deliver herself, because she also mentioned something that she now realized that it was not for spiritual growth. It was almost like a social gathering whereby the person wants to do their birthday, then you have to, then don't know. If you don't have enough money to support, then you, you, you might be kicked out. I'm not quite sure why all of those things was going on, or in the name of bible study, but we ought to be very, very careful.
Speaker 1:Now I'm not blaming anybody for being vulnerable, because, thanks to the job that I do, I do understand that when people are in a vulnerable state we are going through financial crisis, we are going through relocation or any important transition point in your life then that can open you to different portals as well, because it makes you very, very vulnerable and you just want a sense of belonging. You just want anything that make you to not have a support system at a particular point in your life. It makes you very vulnerable and it leads to changes, whether it's planned changes, abrupt changes. It makes you vulnerable. We are transitioning from one stage of your life to another maybe getting married, getting a job, relocating, maybe having a baby, or when the children have left the home, or anything that happened that led to transition from one state to another. It makes you vulnerable. So I do understand that. Even people that their IQ is very high, they can become a victim of things like this and you begin to wonder how did they get to this extent?
Speaker 1:So, wherever you are fellowshipping, don't just wait every Sunday or during the worship time or during the prayer time. That's when you really have a communication with your Bible, because they are ready for the people to just wait to be felt. You need to have a personal, one-to-one relationship with God. Thank God for UCB Bible verses. You can have it on your phone, you can play and you listen. Whichever Bible verse you don't understand, ask God, do your own research, pray for the spirit of understanding. The Holy Spirit will teach you all of these things.
Speaker 1:The Bible also warns us to beware of false prophets. In Matthew 7, verse 15, it says Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are raverous wolves. Imagine a full-grown woman was. Her confidence was shaken because she was afraid to be herself, because she just she didn't want to lose that sense of belonging. She mentioned several times that it's not only those that are physically adopted, away from their family and friends, that are adopted. Some people are mentally and emotionally adopted away from their family. You take your family members and sit with you physically, but their commitment and their loyalty is to a body that is not of God and they would rather obey those people. Be committed.
Speaker 1:Instead of being there for your children, you are then going away. If this has happened to you or this is happening to someone that you know, please show them love and just help them the best way you can by showing up and supporting them. Do not castigate the group, because when you do, they will not think that is a fight and they would like to just stay. So you need to support them with love and care. Try to shine light of god upon them, pray for them, pray, intercede for them, because the people can be brainwashed. I'm telling you, people can be brainwashed. When people are brainwashed, it's so hard for you to be able to get them away from that state of mind because it's a conditioning. It's not as if you cannot get them out, but it is really hard. It's not by fighting with them, it's not by dragging them. It's by being there with them as a constant person to support them regardless, unconditionally, that they will annoy you, they will frustrate you, but you just have to be there because you are the only idea potentially had at that time.
Speaker 1:Now, in first in um, first peter, verse five, two, two, three, he said be shepherds of god's flock, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve, not loathing it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock Leaders out there. That said, you have been asked to go and start a fellowship group. If you know you are a control freak, you need to go and sort yourself out before you even heed to what God has asked you to do, because God can give you a word, but it doesn't mean you need to do it now. Joseph was given the vision when he saw all his, the stars and the moon, everything bowing to him. Those were his father and his mother and his brothers bowing to him. But you know that that vision did not come to pass until Joseph has been through the necessary growth that will help him to sustain that calling and for him to serve the purpose of God without letting God down.
Speaker 1:Do you think when he was thrown into the well, it was a mistake by his own brothers? That was not a mistake. Do you think when he was then sold to slavery. Do you think it was a mistake? It wasn't, joseph was what we call these days, but he he was a very a child that was pampered by his father. If he had stayed in ours, there is no way joseph would have achieved his purpose. So god saw that he cannot go through the growths that he needs to fulfill his destiny. God taught his wives to send him to a far away country For him to grow emotional resilience, for him to grow his spiritual intelligence as well, because Joseph was seeing visions. He could not really interpret those visions Until he got to a foreign land when it was time, when he was in prison. That was the first time I read in the Bible that Joseph interpreted dream. When he was in his father's house. He was a dreamer. He did not have interpretation. So sometimes God has to uproot us from our comfort zone to a place where we have to lend in order for us not to destroy our own purpose that God has created for us because of our weaknesses.
Speaker 1:Do you think it was a mistake that Joseph was then made a leader, trusted by his own master to be the second in command in Potiphar's house, and then his wife then tried to seduce him. Joseph was a fine man so if he did not have that control or had to control himself, he probably followed Pharaoh's wife in the end and get himself killed when he became a leader. But he passed that trial when Potiphar's wife threw himself at him and Joseph won. He did not follow, he ran, he flee. He did not even say let me wait. He ran, he ran and then he was set up. That was not it.
Speaker 1:He was the humble god was making sure that he was. He went through the training process to purify him, to remove all the impurities or everything that could potentially have stopped him, remove him away from there. Alas, he ended up in prison, and when he was in prison that is humility. If you cannot humble in prison, where are you going to be humble? Joseph was on board in that prison, but yet his gift did not leave him. God said the gift of man will open the door for him and you will stand before kings and queen. That is what god said in his word. So that was his book for j, for Joseph, while he was going through that training. And Joseph was in that prison ground in that prison place.
Speaker 1:Then he began to interpret dreams, for the baker and for the other guy Right, and he said one will be restored and the other, the head, will be cut off. So even when he saw that vision, he was out. He said don't forget me, they didn't, because God knew that was not the season. There is a season, a time, there is a time and season for everything A time to build, a time to destroy, a time to plant, a time to harvest. There is a time for everything. God knew he was not ready. Is it possible that he wanted him to find you, his ability for him to be able to interpret dreams? I don't know, but Joseph stayed in there until, at last, when it was time, the appointed time, someone that was a teenager when he saw a dream, he became a full grown adult before the purpose was actualized.
Speaker 1:So what am I trying to say here? The fact that God said he has called you to lead a prayer group, to lead men or women to prayer, it doesn't mean you have to start it immediately. Perhaps there are some qualities that are inside of you that is not of God that will hinder you. If you are those that are controlling, like a control freak, go and get delivered. If you are one that is always trying to exploit people, telling people to go and bring money for prayers when God did not ask us to bring money to pray Anyways. So you need to go and get yourself delivered from your greed.
Speaker 1:If you are also one of those that do not have respect for accountability, when people are trying to hold you accountable, then you start telling them that, oh, touch no man anointed and do my prophet no harm. God does not say you should not be accountable because you want to be touched no man anointed. That is not the context of that word. A lot of people say that, and if you are those that are misogynist, you do not have respect for women, you have no business leading any flock, because there will be men and women in your flock and if you cannot respect them equally, then you shouldn't be a leader, you shouldn't be leading other people, because you are going to disregard all the women in your gantry and then you also model it to men that are watching you, the way you treat your wife, the way you treat your, your female, your female, your female in your flock, and you will degrade them and then, before you know it, there will be men in that gathering that will be disrespecting their wife and when they go and tell the leader of the group, you will not tell them that oh no, you don't. You know the bible say you should be submissive, and then you use that context to suppress that person again, anybody that wants to hold you accountable. Then you find one Bible verse that is very, very convenient for you and then you say don't you know that women are not supposed to be leaders, women are supposed to be silent where the men are. That is not biblical, because that was not the context.
Speaker 1:Jesus Christ of Nazareth respected women. He celebrated women. It was a woman that emptied the oil, the expensive oil, the alabaster oil, on Jesus and washed his feet and used her hair to wipe it off. Jesus respected women. It was a woman that Jesus respected when she was about to be stoned, and then he put his head down and he said if there is any of you without sin, cast the first stone. If Jesus did not like it, he would have just said I'll allow them to kill her, but he didn't. He put his head down and then he gave them a word, a parable that you know that hey, may I have one sin in my cupboard. Let me just drop the stone.
Speaker 1:And when he lifted up his head he said where are the people that want to persecute you? He said they are gone. He said if they are gone, I have no reason. He said go and sin no more. That is our Jesus, a sovereign leader, a one that will never judge. He loved us unconditionally and he still loves us. If you know, you are a leader and you cannot follow jesus model of preaching, jesus model of discipleship, you have no business. That your purpose. Put it on the shelf, put it in the storage and go. Deal with whatever it is that you need dealing with, because I tell you what the spirit of god will use you. But you see, that same spirit of God will hold you accountable for every soul that you lost him because of your inability to control the little, little skeletons in your cupboard.
Speaker 1:And on that day he's in the bible. He said I will say ah, but we healed the sick, we raised the dead. And he said get away from me, you walkers of iniquities. But I know you not. And you ask but why did you ask? Why were all those things done? Say, yeah, because my name was involved. So god will answer those prayers because of his name has been called, but it doesn't mean you are still in alignment with god.
Speaker 1:The same thing happened. We saw. God never dethroned him. Even when thing happened with Saul, god never dethroned him. Even when he was no longer king. He never dethroned him, but he has already chosen David. He has already chosen David. He was just there as a figure as Saul. So you can see that the call God can no longer be with you. But when you call his name, he will do it for his name to be glorified.
Speaker 1:But on that day you still think you are still in alignment. You are no longer in alignment. So if you know you have been called and you know you have so many things you need to deal with, I plead with you go and do it, because if people are sending this voice message, I know they have most loads of people that have lost their confidence in church, in a little gathering of prayer groups and everything which is supposed to empower us and build us up. But now people are losing their confidence as a result of that. We need to open our eyes and do the things if you really do love God. A fear-based faith is not grounded in God's love, because God himself is love. Do not be deceived.
Speaker 1:In Galatians 6, verse 9, if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you are accepting, let them be under God's course. That's what God said. So when you start twisting the gospel, it is not of God. It is not of God. In Galatians 5, verse 1, it said it is the freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. So any form of spiritual slavery that binds people in fear and controls them to violate their family, to violate not being there with their children, to also violate them not to rest, that is not of God. Our God gave us freedom. So I'm just saying Now if you are in any gathering, test your spirit. Forget the miracles. Test your spirit. Watch the patterns, watch the way things have been done. This is why I will say again know God for yourself, know God for yourself.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you've seen a video that is going around now of a young girl called Ifunaya who went home to rescue her father that was kidnapped by our brothers and his brothers and his sisters when he retired home after living in america for 25 years. This girl did not go with any pastor, did not go with any woman of god, did not go with any prophets, did not go with any anointing oil. She went with bleeding of the holy spirit and she spent almost I think it was up to a month or plus, a month plus in nigeria. God favored and god led her. All she needed to do was to align herself with the word of god, listen to the holy spirit, and she did not take offense, no matter anything that the uncles did to her. They would throw her sand I think actually we do a podcast on that true sand on her and her hands will be clean. She's not going to you to beat them up. She's not saying I have american dollars, I can just hire people to beat these uncles up, bundle them and I'll just carry my father. She didn't. She did everything that was right according to the village law, the Nigerian law and everything American law. When she finally got her father out of that place and the Holy Spirit protected her. The Holy Spirit guide her. When I listened to that guest testimony I was like wow, this is a huge level of relationship with God. So she didn't have any title. She's not a pastor now. I am not against any pastor.
Speaker 1:Everybody know I respect men and women of God, but I'm just saying the wolves that are wearing sheep's clothing in their mists be mindful, because the wrath of God is near. Don't let people lose confidence in your country. It's not fair. Don't belittle and disregard people. It's not fair. Don't lead people with fear and consequences of if you don't come to this, if you don't come, for how many days? I will just delete you from the group. Don't do that. It's not fair. We ought to be empathetic, because people need safety, people need sense of belonging, people need to know that they are loved and they are valued. When you walk on this and trample on them, our god will ask. Ask you, he will ask you. I know this is not a normal podcast, but when I got that voice note, I just knew that I need to speak to this.
Speaker 1:If you know, this podcast resonated with you and you've been through similar things. I am sending you the peace and the love of God. I've told you already test your spirit. Check the way these people are behaving, not only to you, to other people as well. Try and see the patterns that they are operating. Is he of love? Is he of fear? Is he of control? If it is of control and fear, it is not of God. If it is of love, it is good.
Speaker 1:Anything that manipulates you, use the Bible verses to give more than you can just to draw you in, or worship people that have loads of money in a gathering or people that are in position, then you know this is not of God, because remember Zacchaeus that climbed the tree. Jesus went to dine with him. He went to dine with him. There are people that did not have money. Jesus was in their midst. So anybody that is worshipping those in the group that have loads of money is a red flag. Be mindful of that.
Speaker 1:People that control you and tear you off. Even when you said I'm sorry, I couldn't make it. I walked all week and I couldn't make it to church, they cut you off. Be careful of that. People that just want to lord it over you. It's always about them. I'm preparing for this. Or it's my birthday, or it's Father's Day, or it's Mother's Day. We have to worship your father and your mother in the Lord. Be mindful of that. People that just want to take, take, take all your time, your resources. Be mindful of that. People that have no respect for the family system be mindful of that. People that are misogynist be mindful of that.
Speaker 1:The signs are always there but because of our love for God and our need for belonging, sometimes we do not see these things and because of the troubles of life has overwhelmed us. Sometimes we do not see these things. We just want to be supported and help and to be part of something greater than ourselves. We don't see these things, but these are some of the things we need to worship for. I really do hope this helps someone to recognize the red flag. If you're already in any group like that, please leave Pray by yourself. Or it's better to pray with one person that will not be mousy around than to pray with loads of people that treat you like trash. I wish you inner harmony. Remember to not mortgage your inner harmony for anything.
Speaker 1:Meditate on the Word of God. Let me quickly share what I do. I meditate on the word of God. Let me quickly share what I do. I meditate on the word of God, even if it's just one Bible verse. Meditate on the word of God, for example the Lord is my shepherd. What does it mean for God to be your shepherd? If God is your shepherd, it means you look after everything. Remember the same God that I said left in 99. I went to rescue one. He's that same shepherd that they are talking about, the one that left 99, went to save one. That is the God that we are talking about. So think about it. You are important. When I remember the Lord is my shepherd, I know that no matter what, god will come and rescue me. He will help me.
Speaker 1:Look for Bible verses. Like everything will work together. Romans 8, 28. Look for them as your mantra. And when things are challenging, even when things are not challenging, have Bible verses that you can be thankful. Most of the time, have the ones that will read protection. Psalm 91 is a good word for protection. Psalm 23 is a good word for protection. Psalm 23 is a good word for protection. There are so many of them. Let the Bible be your friend and just read it and pray that God quickly understand it. Another thing that you can do spend quiet time in journaling. After reading the word of God, will you study in journal what it means to you? Get study Bibles that have extra interpretation, a deep dive into the word of god. I will connect you to other part in the bible, to that particular context. So you have a full context contest on what you have read.
Speaker 1:All these things help me worshiping god as another way of getting closer to god. Just worship him in truth and in spirit. Okay, worship him. Leave all your worries at his feet and when you stand up, know that he's got it under control. In the days that you can't worship Maybe the trouble is just too much Put the worship song on Victoria Arese.
Speaker 1:There is Anantana Basi, there is Don C. There are so many of them, even the Western ones as well. Listen to it. God knows. For every tear that you share, god knows, he understands. Not a single tear will be wasted. Your tear is also a prayer as well, so God will hear you, he will understand you. It's good for you to pray for you to be surrounded with the right people. It's good for you to pray for you to be surrounded with the right people. It's not quantity, it is quality, friendship and also, last but not least, pray the days that you can.
Speaker 1:Pray long ones, pray short prayers and pray consistently. Pray consistently. You are in the bath pray you are cooking. Pray you are driving the bath pray you are cooking. Pray you are driving. Pray. You are walking. Pray when it's very quick. As you pray, you don't have to have one special cloak closet when you pray. Pray, just pray. You don't have to know what the Bible verse is pray. Sometimes I don't even remember Bible verses anymore, even though I have some stored inside of me, because the issue is just too much and I just go. God help me, god have mercy, god help me, god have mercy.
Speaker 1:They said if anything else did not work. The message of god will only speak for you. And the other one I know that was the last one I'm going to say it again is fasting. Fasting is good, right to cleanse yourself. For you to see, sometimes the body take too much charge, so sometimes you have to put the body takes too much charge, so sometimes you have to put the body on that subjection so that your spiritual discernment can be open. So you fast to the best of your ability, whether it's fasting to 12 or to 3 or to 6, it's up to you. Just fast and seek the face of God like that. So remember meditating on the Word of God, studying the Word of God, reading the Word of God, worship, worship songs, fasting, praying anytime and praying always. Those are keys that draw us closer.
Speaker 1:The men of God and the women of God that you want to be like is their level of consecration that took them to that extent that you admire. They spent time with God, they spent time in knowing God and that is why they are so consecrated. So you can be like them as well. All you need is to be consecrated and be very reliant on God and learn to listen, listen, quiet time. Just listen, listen. God speaks every time. We're speaking a very quiet voice that the noise of the world might drown.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. Today is not a normal podcast, is um? To me, it's very spiritual today. So I hope this resonates with so many people and I pray that as, even as you listen to my voice, that the holy spirit will give you deeper understanding, even more than what I said will personalize it for you, for you to understand the one that belongs to you. Thank you so much for sending in your voice notes. You know yourself. Thank you very much. I appreciate you always. Thank you for listening and sharing as well. My name remains Abiy Sonia and thank you for listening to Authentic, thriving Podcast. Until I come your way again, keep thriving authentically and protecting your inner amelie. Bye for now. Right, right, right.