EL ROI - THE GOD WHO SEES | PROPHETESS TOWERA ZIBA | THE BROOK PLACE

Words spoken over a life form identity and destiny; repeated labels, even from those closest, lodge like daggers and shape behavior. Women often absorb cultural and familial narratives—“you’ll never amount to anything,” “you’re ugly”—and those words produce withdrawal, silence, or defensive posture rather than truth. God disrupts destructive narratives by calling each person by name, insisting on personal worth beyond mass-produced labels and cultural rankings. Recognition from heaven breaks invisibility: a name called with revelation summons attention, overturns shaming voices, and redirects the course of a life.

The wilderness often proves not an end but an appointment. Fleeing harshness led to an encounter that reframed identity; Hagar met the Lord, received a prophetic promise, and named God El‑Roi—the God who sees. Naming God signified authority and intimacy and became the hinge that transformed victimhood into purpose-bearing. Revelation, not mere religiosity, creates endurance; knowing the character of God produces trust that outlasts circumstances and resists double-mindedness.

Encounter precedes deliverance more than escape. Divine correction often comes as an invitation to dialogue and obedience rather than immediate removal from difficulty. Returning to hard places with a new revelation proves stronger than avoidance; the wilderness refines purpose when met with submission. Mutual encouragement among women becomes a practical outworking of that revelation: withholding gifts harms the body, while cheering one another on builds collective influence and honors God’s design.

Bold prophetic declarations insist on restored health, marriage, fruitfulness, honor, and recognition. Those declarations aim to uproot enemy narratives and affirm that promises will come in due season for those who believe. The final summons invites honest confession of shame and public relinquishing of lies that have taken root—an act that opens the way for visible transformation, community support, and sustained exploits for God’s glory.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Words shape life narratives Words spoken into childhood or relationship plant identities that govern future choices and posture. Those narratives do not merely describe reality; they script responses to pain, ambition, and intimacy. Recognizing the creative power of words enables deliberate re-naming and spiritual reformation. [00:25]
• 2. God calls by personal name Divine address asserts worth beyond social ranking and mass-produced labels; being known personally changes destiny. A name from heaven confers visibility and summons provision, repositioning the marginalized into God’s economy. Personal calling reframes comparison into vocation. [03:09]
• 3. Revelation breaks spiritual invisibility Sight given by revelation attracts heaven’s response; naming the Messiah or calling on mercy shifts circumstance from silence to encounter. Revelation produces humility and expectant action, turning interruptions into elevation. [05:51]
• 4. Wilderness refines and empowers The wilderness becomes a school where encounter, not escape, forges purpose; trials hold prophetic deposits when met with obedience. Returning to hard places under God’s word matures character and prepares for exploits. [24:42]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:25] - Words that form identity
• [02:06] - Emotional withdrawal and running
• [03:09] - Called by name: personal worth
• [05:51] - Revelation breaks invisibility
• [10:32] - Hagar’s wilderness encounter
• [14:24] - Naming God El‑Roi
• [19:50] - Return, obedience, and posture
• [24:42] - Prophetic promise and transformation
• [28:44] - Declarations of restoration
• [34:36] - Invitation to drop shame and step into community

Bible reading
Genesis 16:1-14 (ESV)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant into your arms, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of theLord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

Observation questions

1. What was the nature of the relationship between Sarai and Hagar that led Hagar to flee into the wilderness?
2. What are the two specific questions the angel of the Lord asks Hagar when he finds her?
3. What is the specific promise and prophetic word that the angel gives to Hagar concerning her future?
4. What name does Hagar give to God and what is the reason she gives for this name?

Interpretation questions

1. The angel of the Lord tells Hagar to "return to your mistress and submit to her" despite the harsh treatment. Why would God give this instruction instead of immediately delivering her from the difficult situation?
2. Hagar names God "El-Roi," which means "the God who sees me." [15:08] What does this act of naming God signify about her understanding of His character and her own identity in that moment?
3. The sermon states, "Heaven trusted a wounded woman with that revelation." [15:52] Why is it significant that this profound revelation of God's character was given to someone in Hagar's social position and emotional state?
4. The sermon suggests that "the wilderness is the place of making, is the place of encounter." [26:19] How does Hagar's experience in the wilderness support or challenge this view of difficult seasons?

Application questions

1. Words spoken over a life, especially in childhood, can form identity and destiny. [00:25] What is one negative word or label spoken over you that you have believed? How can you begin to let God's personal calling of your name [03:09] reshape that identity today?
2. The sermon suggests that some people don't need an escape from their situation, but an encounter with God that will strengthen them. [24:42] What is one difficult circumstance you are currently facing where you are praying for escape? How might you shift your prayer to ask for a strengthening encounter with "El-Roi" instead?
3. Revelation of who God is produces trust that outlasts circumstances. [13:40] What is one specific, practical way you can pursue a deeper revelation of God's character this week, moving beyond religious routine to intimate knowledge?
4. The wilderness often proves to be an appointment for refinement, not an end. [26:19] Looking back, what is one "wilderness" season in your life that, in hindsight, was a place where God was making you and preparing you for exploits?
5. We are encouraged to see another woman's win as our own win and to cheer each other on. [22:58] Is there a sister in your life you have struggled to celebrate? What is one tangible step you can take this week to actively cheer her on and fix her ground?
6. The sermon ends with an invitation to "drop your shame" and "drop the lies of the enemy." [34:36] What is one specific lie or piece of shame you have been carrying that you need to publicly relinquish in faith today? Who is one person you can share this with for support?