04/05/2026
Abraham “did not weaken in faith when he considered (…) the deadness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 4:19-24)
Dear Friends –
I want to tell you another amazing story about how God is at work in Nairobi. In order to tell this story, I need to rewind to about a year-and-a-half ago. Many of you know that on September 18, 2024, the Prayer Team of IAMercy experienced a “Day of Pentecost.” Our Prayer Team had seven days of prayer, and on the seventh day (our “Pentecost”) we also fasted until sunset. Not long before sunset, the Spirit of God fell on us as we prayed in a way that is stronger than I have ever seen Him move in a group setting. I want to tell you just one of the stories from that night.
Joseph is one of my older sons. I didn’t raise him, but he came to view me as a father later in life. I had the joy of leading him to Christ and baptizing him. He later became one of the members of the Prayer Team.
On that powerful day of prayer, when the Spirit fell, Joseph was burdened for his wife, Christabel. Christabel had been suffering from chronic bleeding. He did not know what was wrong with her. But that night he cast his care for his wife on God. He did this privately, quietly, in prayer. No one else knew what he was praying for.
That same night, Winstone (who used to be on the Prayer Team) received a word of knowledge: “The woman with the issue of blood.” Winstone did not know what it meant, or why he had received the word. In fact, Winstone only came to find out the meaning of the word when I verified this story with him on Saturday, April 4, 2026 (yesterday). Winstone shared the word, and Joseph knew that it had to do with him and Christabel. Since Joseph felt that this was a private matter, he only shared the meaning of the word with me. (On Saturday, yesterday, Joseph finally gave me permission to share all of this with others. Christabel also gave her permission).
On our Pentecost, when Joseph went home late in the evening, he found that his wife had been supernaturally healed. Her bleeding had stopped. The Lord had touched her and stopped the flow of blood while he was away for prayer!
This is an amazing act of God in itself, but it is only the beginning. The story of God’s work in Joseph and Christabel does not end there. Christabel had been unable to get pregnant for years. God had blessed them with a single child, Trizah. But after years of trying, they were unable to bring a child all the way to birth again. Joseph reckons that they lost somewhere over six pregnancies. He lost count of the babies lost in the womb. He knows they were miscarriages. He said they would confirm with the doctor that Christabel was pregnant, only for Christabel to lose the baby shortly after.
Eventually the doctors told Joseph that it was nearly certain that he and Christabel would never have another baby. They said there was a 90% chance that she would never again bear children. Joseph was crushed.
But, Joseph is a man of faith. He believes in the God who answers prayer. In the final quarter of 2024, when my parents were visiting Nairobi from the U.S., a group of us (my parents, myself, and the Prayer Team) prayed. Christabel was not present. We laid hands on Joseph (in lieu of Christabel), and prayed that God would bring life into Christabel, that she would be able to have another child.
That was the fourth quarter of 2024. In June/July of 2025 Joseph called me to tell me some good news. Christabel was pregnant. But he was concerned to tell others. After losing so many babies in pregnancy already, Joseph didn’t want to make a big announcement yet.
Eventually Joseph got the courage to tell others what God had done and about the life in Christabel’s womb. Even then, the pregnancy was not easy. Joseph got discouraged multiple times. There were periods where he thought that, once again, they had lost another baby. I remember being at church with Joseph one Sunday. After the service people were invited to stay back for worship and prayers. He stayed. I remember watching him and seeing how downcast he looked. He appeared to be incredibly discouraged.
And then I got a word: “Laughter.” I believed that God was speaking about the name of Joseph’s child in the womb. Joseph looked so down – but God was saying something wonderful. Joseph looked like he was depressed, but God was speaking of something full of joy.
I pulled Joseph aside after church and I told him, “Laughter. That’s the name of the child. Isaac means ‘laughter.’ If you have a boy, you are to name the child ‘Isaac.’”
On February 5, 2026, Isaac Johnson Okoth was born – a beautiful, healthy, happy child. Joseph was glowing. I’ve never seen a father this radiant after the birth of a baby.
And God grew Joseph’s faith. Christabel had a C-section. Her recovery was not easy. One late night the wound flared up in very sharp pain. Joseph felt they could not go to the hospital. But he knew she needed healing. He laid his hand on her stomach, over the wound, and prayed in faith in Jesus’ name. Immediately Jesus healed Christabel and the pain went away.
Friends – as we celebrate this Easter – I want us all to remember that our God brings life from the dead. The most dramatic and amazing example of this is the resurrection of His Son, Jesus, almost 2,000 years go. But on this basis, God also brings life from the dead now, in 2026. He brings life to dead souls. He brings life to dead relationships. And He brings life to dead wombs. Join me in thanking God that 2,000 years ago He defeated death. Join me in worshipping the Jesus who lives, and gives life, today.
To the glory of our living and life-giving Lord Jesus –
Seth Johnson
