Recognizing The Need To Labor x Sarah Jakes Roberts & Stephanie Ike Okafor

My friend recently posted that she’ll be traveling to Germany in November. I told her, “Ma’am, if you’re going, you better make it a full tour across the country and not just one city!” She’s visiting several places, not just one stop—it’s a real journey. Reflecting on it all, I’ve been humbled. It’s made me recognize the calling to work with the grace that God has placed in my life.

There are times when I’ve seen someone else so deeply rooted in Scripture, and I admire that. But, seeing how God has partnered with me in ministry, I feel His presence strongly. One moment stands out: I was ministering, feeling completely exhausted, almost empty. I prayed, “Lord, I don’t want to let You or Your people down, but I’m not sure I have the strength for this.” He responded with, “I’m here to show up.”

I honestly felt like I should tell the pastors that maybe I’d made a mistake, that I should’ve rested instead of committing to this. But the Lord reminded me that we are in this together. That day ended up being one of the most powerful services I’ve witnessed all year. The Holy Spirit moved, and there was a wave of deliverance. In the moment, as I shared a passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit guided me to call out specific things, and as I did, He began setting people free. It felt like a breakthrough of the Spirit.

After the service, I ran to my husband in tears, overwhelmed by the reminder that I am nothing without Christ. Everything that happened that night was a result of His presence, His partnership with me. It’s shown me that this is all due to grace—and it’s taught me how to labor for it, how to honor this grace in my life.

I want to stay true to God’s calling, guarding my purity, remaining a student of the Word, and staying devoted in prayer. I want my actions to continually point others back to Him because He is the one driving this. It’s not about how I sound or what I do; it’s all about the grace on my life. My goal is to labor faithfully in gratitude for that grace.