I watched as WAFBEC2021 honored Mama Bola Are and I felt a deep love for this woman of God.
She has epitomised grace and stability. A pleasant humble woman, never shy about her convictions. A system that I feel music ministers should study.
Well, I definitely love her because she touched me personally.
Many years back, Sis Lizzy and Bro Stephen were about to get married. More than the traditional razzmatazz, Sister Lizzy desired to have Bola Are minister at the engagement ceremony using the opportunity to talk about Christ.
At the time arguably, Bola Are was one of the most popular Yoruba gospel music minister. She was wanted everywhere. Even Archbishop Benson Idahosa’s crusade in the South West featured her.
So you can imagine when this single sister walked to Bola Are’s office in Ibadan and gave her an invite to come and sing at her marriage engagement ceremony in Ilesa, Osun State.
I can only imagine what will be running through who ever attended to Sister Lizzy in Bola Are’s office that day. Someone would have said “Seriously, do you know this woman at all? how can you even come to ask her to come and sing in an engagement? Seriously?”
Sister Lizzy was told that she was not available that she was already booked to minister in Kano State for that weekend, she returned to Ilesa disappointed but continued her wedding plans.
Few days to the wedding, as Bola Are was preparing for her ministration in Kano, her Lord came quietly to her heart, “Cancel the Kano trip and go to that my daughter’s engagement ceremony in Ilesa with your complete band.”
Wow, what an instruction! I can imagine how the managers and her singers would have felt but if you know her, you know she doesn’t joke with the voice of the Holy Spirit, that is the person that owns the songs she is singing and if it is at an engagement that her Lord wants her to sing then that is where she will go and sing.
But the challenge now is that this was not the time of phone, there was no way to reach this young lady that brought the invite all the way from Ilesa.
Back in Ilesa, Sister Lizzy had moved on with her plans, she was disappointed but at least that one will not stop her wedding.
On the day of the engagement, just before the ceremony started, they called her that Bola Are was outside and she will like to see her. She could not believe her ears!!!
“Bola Are?” She shouted!!!
Everyone couldn’t believe their eyes…this is the woman that everyone is talking about.
Sis Lizzy went to meet her and with so much joy in her heart.
“How did you know this place? I thought you said you wont be able to make it because you had a ministration in Kano”
“Hmm my sister, the Holy Spirit told me to cancel my trip to Kano and come to minister at the engagement in Ilesa.
We had to use the invite you dropped to start tracing the venue for the ceremony and here we are.
We are here because the Holy Spirit told us to come here and wherever he sends us that is where we will go.”
Sister Lizzy couldn’t believe her ears…she felt so loved by the Lord. Her husband to-be was so proud of her.
Everyone was looking at her in a special way and wondering where she got the money to bring Bola Are.
I am sure her parents and siblings would have questioned her but the only reply to all queries and questions will be “The Lord sent her to Ilesa.”
Bola Are didn’t collect a dime, she brought her complete band and she gave people free of charge. She blessed everyone that was in attendance on that day with the gift of God in her life.
And I am sure, I, Omoniyi Temitope Mayowa, was prayed for on that day because Sis Lizzy and Bro Segun are my parents.
Mama Bola Are has remained relevant over the years and she is someone ministers must learn from. I look forward to meeting her and remind her about her Holy Spirit directed trip to Ilesa.
This is one of my favorite stories that my mum shared with me about their marriage. I called her before I started writing to recount the story again.
As a minister, it is filled with so many lessons, I want to implore you to pick the lessons and apply to your life and ministry.
PLEASE SHARE FREELY!
©Omoniyi Temitope Mayowa
topeomoniyi@gmail.com
Partner with us: http://bit.ly/PartnerwithEstherandMayowaOmoniyi
Beautiful story. Every obedience to the Holy Spirit is a seed for Kingdom harvest.
Wow!
Hmm, so touching
This story kept my mouth opened like
What!
God ble glorified in the life of his servants and May the blessing of that day be ever abundant
This is waooooo
Wow. This is beautiful
Hmmmmm, what humility and sign of total submission. Has we have learnt over the years, wherever he leads even though it doesn’t look like it, obeying the smallest prompting and instruction is crucial in the journey.
Help me Lord to follow your lead.
Thank you for sharing sir
Lovely heritage
Wherever the Lord of the work sends us, we go!
Thank you Sir, for blessing us with memoirs of a yielded life.
May we grow in yieldedness to every prompting of the Spirit, and learn to promptly obey too.
Wow
It pays to serve Jesus I speak from my heart. God knows His children and knows the intent of our heart.
This is highly inspiring and full of lessons.
Now I know why you do so much more for God.
Your birth was prophetic and being the first born out of that highly prophetic marriage, you couldn’t have been anything other than a man of God.
Thank you for sharing!
Great display of obedience and faith in God.
Great manifestation of the Spirit of discernment, obedience and faith.
Hallelujah! I am inspired.
“Here I am, send me. Anywhere for Lord… “
God truly had you in mind when he instructed Mama Are to go for the Engagement. Glory to God!
This is great. Yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit is very important in whatever we do. Thanks for sharing this story sir.
This is surprising. The prophesy and prayer of a great birth has happened then.
My God, Holy Spirit direction and guidance
Awesome.
God speaks all the time and we must obey his instruction.
I pray God will give us a listening ear and an obedient heart. Grace for instant obedience
Really inspiring … Thank you so much for sharing. God bless your ministry.
As in wow, God speaks, May we continually yield His voice and obey. Greetings to Grandma and Grandpa.
This is unbelievable. I’m short of words…
Wow!
A woman completely sold out to God for His use alone. That Prompt obedience is all my heart crave for.
I declare that I am addicted to prompt obedience of the Holyspirit Amen.
Souls won are liken to raising the dead.
Wooow, this is really amazing and inspiring.
Where ever you lead me, I will go.
For every obedience to the Spirit of the Lord there is a reward.
Wow,this is beautiful. As a minister of God. I am subject to God my master.
Humility is also seen here
Wow!!! This is inspiring and challenging at the same time.
Lord, help me to always say YES to you at all times.
Thanks for sharing, sir.
Kai…. Love help me to be obedient to your voice
This is amazing. What a journey of obedience!
Wow…this is beautiful…#smiles
Wow. thank you for sharing sir