VOAA Ep 11: How Are You?

The speaker starts by apologizing for not checking in and asks how the listener has been. They then discuss the common response of saying "I'm fine" when asked how they are, but question if that response is genuine or if they are just avoiding talking about their true feelings. The speaker emphasizes the importance of genuinely asking someone how they are in order to provide support or give them an opportunity to unburden themselves. They mention a recent message they listened to about the power of free will and choice given by God. They reflect on the presence of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and question why God didn't remove it if He knew it would cause harm. The speaker suggests that God allows us to have free will and make choices, even if those choices may lead to negative consequences. They encourage listeners to exercise their free will and express their true feelings, as well as seek guidance through prayer. Hi, welcome back to Voice of an Angel Podcast. How have you been? I just realized I don't always check in and that's very rude, I apologize. How have you been? How have you found the last 10 episodes so far? How did International Women's Day go for you? How did Mothering Sunday go for you? How's work? How's home? How are you generally? I think that's a topic we shouldn't address. That isn't what I was going to speak to you about, but let's talk about it. Let's talk about how you are. So when people ask, how are you? The first or default response is, I'm fine. But are you really? Are you really or? We just don't want to talk about it. Are you really or are you just so overwhelmed that you can't even put your feelings into words? Are you really fine? Or is it just, you're not going to understand? Are you really okay? Or is it just, I can't share this with you because I don't trust you enough to hold such information about me. A lot of times when we ask people what's up, they go, oh, I'm cool. How's that? It's just regular conversation. Sometimes I ask people, how are you? And when I ask, how are you? I think I have these facial expressions and body expressions. So when I'm seated with you and, oh, hey, hi, how are you? And I move on to do something else. You know that I'm not really interested in your response to that question. But when I sit with you and I call your attention and I'm like, Mercy, how are you? I'm not asking how are you because I want to be fine. I'm asking because maybe this whole experience has led me to ask you so that you can unburden. Or maybe just so that you can think about it and you can talk to him about it. Because, of course, if you come to me and you unburden your problems to me, I do not have the capacity to respond to you then. I do not have the capacity, the physical, the emotional, the mental, the spiritual, even the financial capacity to mentor you then. And I guess I think of it as God's way of wanting you to unburden or float. Sometimes you're so overwhelmed, and this has happened to me a lot of the time. You're doing everything you do on a normal day. On a particular day, it's just tiring. It's just you're not angry, upset. Or not you, let's say I am. I'm not angry, I'm upset. I'm like, why am I the person doing all of these things? Every morning I have to wake up at 4am, I have to wake up at 5am, I have to do my work, I have to prep my baby for school. I have to then take him to school. I have to come back, I have to tidy up the house. So because I work from home, so everybody's going to leave everything for me. Most of the time I find myself complaining about things that I would enjoy doing on a normal day. And at that point, when I gain consciousness of that, I take a deep breath. I slouch, like I just let my shoulders drop. And I go, Holy Spirit please take control. Very short and simple prayer. Because I believe the Holy Spirit is present. He's always present. And He's there. He's waiting for me to come and say, help me. Now, recently, a lot of the messages I've been listening to, it's been, God gave us the power of free will. The power of choice. I stumbled on something on YouTube yesterday. I had to share it to my entire network. So I opened YouTube. YouTube has now become one of my favourite apps. I'll go to Instagram, I'll just open and go, what's happening? I go to YouTube these days, what's on my feed? What has Apostle Irene talked about recently? What has Apostle Femi Lazarus uploaded recently? And then I scour through some Pastor Kingsfield Concourse messages. And I scour through other messages that usually I check in or I follow. Pastor Mildred. Other people that I follow. And then I stumbled on, just right as I was opening YouTube, I stumbled on The Shining Light by Flourish. I don't remember her surname right now, but it's Flourish. And she hosted DDK. It was just The Shining Light with DDK. Sorry, let me go back to YouTube so that I can recall how I saw that. So it's out of my feed right now. But let me go to, I think I can find that on the Recycling Watch. How to maintain a spiritually distinct life with DDK. Pastor Debola. Oh my God, this is a lot for me. Pastor Debola Deji Kurumi. I have never come across that woman before. I don't even know who she is. So then, I was really going to scroll past it. And I came back. And I'm like, okay, let's just listen to this. Let's listen to this. And I sat down with this. This was me, this was me preparing for bed. Preparing for my kids to go to bed rather than so that he doesn't have to go to school the next day. Today. And then, this is 1 hour 47 minutes or thereabouts. Usually I wouldn't listen to such things. But as soon as I saw, when I opened it, there were like slide texts in the beginning. Before Flourish, now there's like an intro. And then it went into the event proper. And I just was stunned by how this woman looked. It was just her face. It was her composure. She was so calm, so composed, so beautiful I must say. You know, with her round chin. And then the bald hair she wore. I was just stunned by looking at her. I'm like, ooh, who's this? Oh my God, excuse me, let me see my background, please. Okay, people always pass at the wrong time. If I'm not recording, they don't pass. For the moment, I'm recording with all this here. Oh, don't have mercy. I'm not about to go through that. And it's going to enter my recording. Jesus Christ. Why is no one asking me right now how am I? I'm not fine. This is messy. I'm trying to be authentic. So, I'm not going to beat that sound out. I'm not going to beat all of these parts out of it. But what I'm, I said all of that to, what I'm trying to announce is, Didi came and mentioned a lot of powerful insights. But one thing there was God has given us the power of free will, of choice. God is not going to say, because I want the best for you, So, don't take that course. Okay, so I'm going to drag you out of it. A lot of the times I ask myself, Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden? If you knew that you didn't want people to touch it, I'd like Him to replace it with a knife in the center of my living room, Or putting a stove with fire in the center of my living room, And telling my child, don't touch it. I know this thing will hurt him. And I don't want him to get hurt. Why did I put it there? So why did God put the garden of, why did God put that tree? So Genesis makes me understand that there were two trees. I'm going to go back to this in one of my, in subsequent episodes, I'm going to touch on this topic, I'll come back to it. Because there was a tree of life, And there was a tree of knowledge of good and evil. And he says, don't touch it. Of every other tree you can eat from, but this one don't. Why didn't God take it out of there? Okay, so take out the problem completely. So that they don't have, they can just enjoy the garden. It's the power of free will. Like Apostle Lazarus was preaching, I'll say it's one of his snipets, I haven't gone back to that picture, I'll go and watch that, and listen to that sermon. He says, when the devil rebelled against God, God did not, God has the power, or has the power, to take away the power that the devil says that Lucifer has. Oh, it's your voice, right? It's the fact that you can sing, so I'll take it away from you. But he didn't do that. He allowed the devil to take as many people as he wants with him. He allowed the devil to convince as many angels as he wants with him. These angels stay in heaven, they know God. They know Lucifer. So, I sit in, okay, let's take your office for instance. You know your boss, and you know your colleague. And your colleague comes to tell you, Hey, this guy, see, he's been doing like this, he's been doing like this, I'm going to leave him. Or this company, the company has been nice to you. You know, from your own personal experience. You have no reason to complain. Or the boss has been nice to you, you have no reason to complain. But this person who looks for a reason to complain, comes to you to say this, to say A, B, C, D, E, F, G. And then you start to see reasons with him. Like, it's okay to see reasons with him. But, where is your personal conviction? Where is your space? What are you going to say about that topic? And rather than stand your ground and be an independent person like you should be, given the power of free will, decide to join that person and backstab your boss or backlash your company. Your nemesis is waiting for you in front. The nemesis of the devil is waiting for him in front. He knows. Or maybe he doesn't know. Let's not credit him with so much wisdom. Maybe he doesn't know. Or maybe he knows and he's going to convince as many people as possible that will go with him. He's just on a mission, roaming about earth, looking for whom to defame. Do you know how exciting and meaningless such a wandering trip is? Because he's just wandering. He's just looking for who will follow him. You see, when a person is going on a mission to destroy, they'll always look for people to recruit. Ah, thank God for the God consciousness. Thank you for the spiritual consciousness. People will come and ask this thing. Me, I'm not going to take no for an answer. I'm not going to do that. I feel like I've digressed. Maybe that's someone's word. But what I said is, God has given us the power of free will. So, again, all of that comes back to, how are you? Do you have the power of free will to express yourself? Talk to me about what's really happening with you. And maybe see if I have a word for you. Because really, there's nothing I give you. It's very cliché to hear people say, pray about it. Really, pray about it. That's the only thing. I don't know why, we tend to see prayer as going to Orumila, and you have to carry sacrifices. Otherwise, you won't be able to enter. You know all of those traveling scenes you watch in movies, where it's like you have to do one thing, one thing. You have to incantate. That's a child's incantation. You have to, like, wave something and enter with your back. Otherwise, you can't enter with your shoes. God is not like that. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the gifts of sonship. God is not like that. God is a father. You have daddies now. Maybe you have parents. How do you go to your father? As mighty and respected as my father is in my home, I'm closer to my dad than I am to my mom. I can call my dad and say, how are you? You know every time I call my dad and say, good morning, sir. I can text my dad and say, how are you? Where are you? Because we have that relationship. We have that rapport. It doesn't mean I disrespect my father. So I can go to God and say, I can go to God and just say, this is my problem. I'm going through this. I keep having this recurring headache. And I don't know why. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Or I've been working out all of a sudden. I can't find a deal to work out. You don't have to enter into His presence with praise. You don't have to. Now, there are depths of work with God where there are things you need. There are depths you enter into that you have to go with praise. But there's a place where you enter a relationship with God. And I'm not there yet. It's a place I covered. You enter a relationship with God and you can call Him on the phone. Or sing Him. You can't wait to do it. They are not pleased with it. And God is everywhere. So you don't have to have a special place where you meet Him. Inasmuch as I'm an advocate for having your war room, your prayer corner, your altar, I'm also an advocate of talking to God anywhere, everywhere, every time. You're moving on your road. Something drops in your spirit. Talk to Him. You're going. You have this imaginative thought that, Oh, this guy is going to have an accident. Talk about it. Excuse me. Pray to God about it. You're moving on. A thought drops in your spirit like, I haven't heard about. I haven't heard from this or that in a while. Pray about it. It can be a short one sentence. Honestly, take control of Persona wherever she is. Guide her, protect her. Put her in your arms. You can call Persona. If it's a notch that's still in your spirit, call her and check on her. Otherwise, maybe after saying that prayer, you'll find that it relieves you from that. So, it's okay to share. When people say, How are you? I know that a lot of the time, because of relationship status, because of how we relate with people, we do not want to share. It's okay to, Oh, I'm going through a tough time. I sometimes want to be positive. Oh, I'm alive. And sometimes when people text me, Oh, I'm alive. I know that, okay, you're trying to be positive even though a lot of messy things are happening. And if you're in my inner circle, I can break down to you. I can cry to you. I can say, This is what's really happening to me. I've been feeling overwhelmed. I've been feeling unloved, unwanted. Sometimes I feel like God doesn't love me. And sometimes if you're able to talk to God, God, where are you? It's not three days to go forever. Make these things that can happen to me. There are times like that. So, it's not the default, fine, I'm fine. I'm fine, I deal. If the person asking, how are you, with genuine interest, I think it's okay to share. Again, I feel like this is someone's word. This is not what I intend to talk about. So, in my next episode, we will address what my initial conversation for today was going to be. But yeah, how are you? How are you? For me, as the unseen voice, as the voice of my nature, I like to say that I am fine. I'm alive. I'm positive. I'm optimistic. I am blessed. That's not to say I'm not going through tough times. That's not to say I'm not going through temptations and hard times. But I understand that all of these are faces, and they will fade away. They will fade away. Your face act will fade away. I think that's what I'm trying to say. Oh yeah, how are you? You might be asking yourself every day, how are you? Call your name. I gotcha. How are you? I ask myself, like, I don't know if it's just me, but I try to make to me conversations with myself. I say, please don't shame me. How are you? How are you doing? Are you fine? Do you want to talk about it? Are you good? God loves us so much. He's so mindful of us. That He embraces us in the palm of His hand. I think it's okay to go to Him and cry and talk and say that you're not fine. I don't know if you ever feel, I don't know if anytime there's been times in your speech where you just sit and ask yourself, like a question, it's like your inner man is asking you, how are you? And then your inner man is answering, like there's a conversation between you. I'm not fine. I'm not fine. I don't get money. I'm not fine. I get messy. And it's okay to feel like that. Not because, I feel like it's okay to talk to people about these things. You're expecting help. It's just because there's relief. There's a certain level of relief. There's a degree to which you get relief when you share the problems with someone who's asking out of genuine concern. I'm a very chatty, outgoing person. That one time someone looked at me and was like, how are you? And I said, I'm fine. The person was like, no, really. How are you? He took me aback. And I stepped out and I'm like, okay. That person called me off guard. And now I've got me thinking, how am I? Am I fine in the regular Nigerian palace? Fine. Am I really fine? Because I've put all my trust in God and I've cast my cares upon Him and I know that He cares for me. Am I fine because I know that every good and perfect gift comes from God? Comes from above. From the giver of light, from whom there is no fearfulness or shadow of turning. Ah! God is your work. So next time someone asks you, how are you? Or next time you ask yourself how are you and you want to answer that, is it because you're God conscious that I've carried it and I've chopped at the feet of my father and the feet of my creator and then I'm fine. Not because you're like, I'm fine. And you know, that umph! A lot has to be said that has to be said. So you've said a lot with your umph! Without saying anything. And now you go, I'm fine. And I know that you're not fine but you don't want to talk to me about it. And that's okay. You may not get offended. I don't know who this voice is from today but I'm going to say this. I'm going to close with this. God has you. He cares about you. He cares about you. He cares about me. So cast your cares on Him. It's very easy. I was walking out today and I was also listening to PPC. PPC is Prophetic Prayer Contact. I first found it last year. It was a 6am morning prayer of devotion. My wife prayed. When I was walking out, towards the end it was leading people to cry. And then it just occurred to me that being born again is not that hard. I mean, to be born, it's not like you go through 9 months of process of baking and making and several hours of labor pains and then retreat. But to be born again, it's not that difficult. You just have to believe. See, it's your heart. The same way you believe that Nigeria will be great again. Or maybe the opposite. I don't know. Whatever you believe. It's the same way you believe that Eutrapha plans to come. It's the same way you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. It's the same way you believe that He came in flesh. He died. After 3 days, He arose. He did not just arise in a hurry. He arose from the tomb where He was locked in. He folded His cloth and kept like out of the rush. He folded the cloth that was used to cover His corpse and kept it. He didn't run out. And He ascended to heaven and He's sitting at the right hand of God the Father. And He's there mediating. Talking to the Father on your behalf. That's a lot of work. How many people are in the world and Jesus is doing that to His Father? Do you think He doesn't care about you? He knew you before you were formed. He died for you. Before you were formed. Before your parents thought of conceiving you. Before the thought of your conception was formed. He has given His life for you. Where is the love greater than that? The more I speak about it, the more it fascinates Him. I'm having tears just thinking and speaking about it. Like a witchy auntie. Who am I that you are mindful of me? Demi. Dekiremi. Who do I have? Think I'm bliss? Who is my daddy in the community? Who is my daddy in the community? The one who sits in heaven and as big as this earth is is an ordinary auntie for Him. Do you know how you sit there and put your leg on the platform? That platform as big as it is is smaller than your feet. As big as the earth is is an auntie for God's sake. You might not comprehend this magnificence. The magnitude of His glory. The one who will stand and nobody dares look at His face. Because His light. You can't stand and look at the sun. And yes, God is brighter than the sun. He cares so much about you. For you to live your life carelessly. On that note, I will beg. I plead with you. God has nothing to lose. But you have everything to gain. God has nothing to lose or gain. If you don't do it, He will raise stones. He said it Himself. If you don't, I will raise stones to serve me. And if I don't do it, I will never be replaced by stones. I digress from this topic. Surprised on unplanned posts. Unplanned episodes. But I believe God is doing something for somebody through this voice today. I don't know why you are listening to this. But I am sure this message came at this time for you. Believe that God is. That He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Diligently in capital letters. Emphasis on diligently. It's one thing to seek God. It's one thing to diligently seek Him. It's one thing to be married. It's another thing to stay married. It's one thing to be friends. It's another thing to stay friends. It's another thing to be friends. It's another thing to stay friends. Commitment. Intentionality. Diligence. Doing it in spite of. Not because of. Now, it's okay to exit yourself when it becomes toxic and poisonous to you. Your purpose. Your vision. Your career. Your life. Your plans. Your movement. But not for frivolous reasons. That's one thing that the message will dedicate by listening to this be emphasized. Discipline. So, I am going to say a short prayer with you. Excuse me. If you have listened to this voice note or message for 30 minutes and you have said to yourself, Hey God, I want a relationship with you. Just close your eyes and believe in your heart that God is. And then you dedicate yourself to Him. It's also okay if you want to rededicate. Maybe you have been distant from Him. And you are like, God, I feel so far from you. And I want to come back home. I want to come back home. See, in the story of the Bodhi house song, it was the father that saw him coming. He didn't reach the house. He hasn't gotten home yet. The father saw him coming. Which means the father has been looking at, waiting, hopeful that someday this child will come. And maybe you someday stay. God is waiting for you. We are waiting for you. We are excited to have you. Say, Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I put my trust in you today. I believe that you died for me. I believe that you rose again. And you shed your blood for the remission of my sins. And I know that by your power, you have redeemed me from sin. I am no longer a slave to sin. Sin is dead to me. I give you my life. Take it and lead it. Do with me as you please. Help me to fulfill your purpose for my life. And in all that I do, I never, never put my hand in the cloud and look back. Let me be worthy of your kingdom. I receive you today. I confess you as my Lord and personal Savior. And I know that with your help, I trust that with your help, I will resist the devil and he will flee from me. I trust that with your help, I will live the purposeful life. I am confident in the power of God. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for embracing me. Thank you for the gift of sunshine. And thank you for having me. I come home to you today, Father. Keep me under your protective wings. Guide me and guard me. Lead me, and I may never run out of your love. Congratulations if you have stepped up for Him. Who cares about you? Establish yourself in the Bible-believing church. There are many. Ask God to lead you. To direct you to where He wants you to step in. Accept God with your body, with your money, with your time, and all of your stuff. I promise you, there is no life worth living outside of Christ. It is never worth it. No matter how flashy and exciting and entertaining it is. It is never worth it. Jesus loves you. God loves you. He cares about you so much. This is why He seeks to cast His cares upon you. Because He cares for you. So great are you. I leave you with this. How are you? This is the voice of an angel. I'll speak to you again. This is the voice of an angel.