Nikki Humphrey (00:00)
Get ready because on January 26th, 2026, a brand new journey begins.
Hope Mangiafico (00:05)
Equipped for Wholeness is a Christ-centered course created by myself and Nikki designed to restore every part of who you are, body, mind, and spirit, so your God-given radiance shines in every area of your life.
Nikki Humphrey (00:19)
if you are feeling stuck in old patterns, if you long to heal past wounds and replace lies with God's truth, if you're ready to see yourself in a way that God, our Father, sees you, radiant, purposeful, and deeply loved, this course is for you.
Hope Mangiafico (00:35)
We'll walk with you step by step as you renew your mind, strengthen your spirit and embrace a joyful grace-filled relationship with yourself.
Nikki Humphrey (00:44)
It's time to lay down the weight of worldly expectations and rise into your true identity in Christ, already complete, already cherished and already equipped for wholeness.
Hope Mangiafico (00:56)
Sign up today to secure your spot and begin your transformation, your journey to lasting wholeness starts now! Link in the show notes.
Nikki Humphrey (01:06)
I am Nikki.
Hope Mangiafico (01:07)
Hi, I'm Hope. Welcome to Equipped Fellowship, where friends become family through Christ. We're two Jesus-loving friends on a mission to share personal stories, resources, and real talk about our triumphs, breakthroughs, struggles, and setbacks. Why? Because we believe you are called to live victoriously, and so are we. And we're here to equip you with Holy Spirit-led tools and strategies to strengthen your faith, transform your mindset, and walk boldly in God's promises. Because here's the truth.
You have been given great and precious promises by God. So grab your coffee, lean in, and let's grow together. It's time to step into everything God has for you.
Nikki Humphrey (01:49)
Yes. I feel like this was going to be a doozy because I wrote down earlier, like, we're so grateful we're here because if you've ever looked at your life and thought, why doesn't this feel like progress? This episode's probably for you because I know for me, like, walking with the Lord, especially in this current season of mine, doesn't believe, doesn't...
Hope Mangiafico (02:06)
.
.
Nikki Humphrey (02:16)
feel like life becomes easier, right? Sometimes you feel like, I thought I was making progress, but is it really progress? I don't know. It doesn't feel like a good thing that's happening right now. So I am curious of what's going to come up today and
Hope Mangiafico (02:36)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (02:36)
how that's going to play out.
Hope Mangiafico (02:38)
Yeah, me too. You know, as you were speaking just now, it got me thinking too, like, by saying yes to Jesus and we follow Jesus and God is our Father in heaven. You have this, like, opening of your eyes and that's part of the challenge too, is like everyone, whether they choose Jesus or not, they're gonna go through challenges and they're gonna have goals and, you know, defining progress a certain way.
But what makes it harder, I think, as being a lover of Jesus is we see the ugly in a new light. We feel the challenges differently. You know, we're no longer under that ignorance is bliss kind of thing. Like we see the truth and the realities ⁓ and what they are and what, yeah, just how they really show up in life. And I think it makes it that much harder even though all day. Here's the other catch.
All day we could put little cliche sayings on everything to make it look like we are okay with where we're at and we're okay that we're not feeling as far along as we are, but in our hearts we're battling and we're struggling. And I think that's the catch with the conversation today is like, what does it look like to make progress in life and how it's much more than what meets the eye because there's so much happening behind the scenes when what's actually showing up
to what meets the eye is like, well, is Hope making more progress with work, with money, with her health, with her marriage, you know? Like that's what meets the eye, but in the background. Ooh, I mean, if we're honest, they're so wrestling, they're so, man, am I even, am I even moving?
Nikki Humphrey (04:25)
And I think for me, as you were talking, Hope, it's, guess what I'm struggling with lately in terms of progress is sometimes I'll have the Jesus Rose covered glasses on, which you touched on when you were saying, and like, I'm just trusting and I'm having faith and I'm like, looking to the Lord and I'm being fed by the Lord. And then you look at your reality of your situation and you realize, well,
Hope Mangiafico (04:36)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (04:55)
it that's not as good as I thought it was and in a lot of areas I am really struggling and it's not only impacting me it's impacting other people around me and so sometimes taking those me personally taking those Jesus colored glasses off and just looking at the facts sometimes that's where I'm at right now and I'm just like
Hope Mangiafico (04:56)
Yeah, Yeah, great.
Wait. .
Nikki Humphrey (05:24)
And I think for me, it's going to be trying to find a balance of the reality of my current situation, how it's affecting me and others, and where am I highlighting things that are masking my current reality.
Hope Mangiafico (05:48)
Yeah, yeah, that's kind of going back to the term of like ignorance is bliss because we can easily fall into the the Jesus Rose colored glasses which is actually can if we're not careful be a little bit of ignorance because You and I know Nikki and if anyone listening has any history with the Lord like we know
that he wants us to prosper. He wants to be provision for us in every area, be it our children, our finances, all those things. And it's exactly what we're saying. It's like finding that balance of the truth that we know and walking out the reality. And what's really interesting is I just came back recently from a retreat that I've been to before. You wouldn't have known it after all the ah-hahs I had at this one. Like it never happened the first time.
Which is another, that's another thing too, right? Like we're always evolving as people on this journey. And so sometimes you just don't learn a lesson or how to surrender or how to be at peace or whatever in a certain situation until you're further along in your journey. But what was really interesting is they didn't even quote the scripture now that I'm thinking about it, but while I was there, it's like I finally,
came to accept a reality that I've known but I didn't accept it. And this retreat talks constantly about like the war. Like it's all about him guiding. It's like, nah, duh. But it's like they drill it into where you're like, yes, yes, yes, my God will do this. He will do it. And so I finally accepted during this time, as I realized today, Matthew 19, 26, which says, with men, this is impossible.
But with God all things are possible. And I think that scripture is bringing to light and handing over to us, okay, so we got the rose colored lenses, which is with God all things are possible. Then we have the reality that, okay, this is reality and we can't move forward with man with our own thinking here. So how do we balance that balance? And
What I realized on this retreat is that every time, this is hearing people's stories too, this isn't like, Hope figured it out. Hearing testimony after testimony of people being broke, unable to move, immobile, can't eat food, isolated into a room because they have all these allergies. It was God that showed up in their desperation. It was that one lady,
She actually had gotten healed of a ton of like 20 diagnoses. But once she left, like of course the enemy comes a knock in because sickness is not of God ⁓ being, ⁓ sorry, trying to think what the word is I'm looking for. Financially unstable, unstable, right? It's not from God. And when she got home, she literally, something happened and she was paralyzed. She couldn't move. And she was on the bed looking up at the ceiling.
And fear was knocking at the door. She was like, of course her brain wanted to be like, no, did I have a stroke? I, all these things, right? Which you could say if she didn't go down that route, she's being irresponsible. But what she knew as truth is one, she ain't gonna figure this out on her own. And two, gratitude, there's the scripture. I have to find it, it's just coming to me now.
Gratitude, because the enemy hates gratitude so much, which Nikki, you know about gratitude, you teach about gratitude, so we have episodes on this, that that will basically scatter the enemy. So she's sitting there and she's like, well, I'm really struggling right now to be grateful. She's like, I can't move and I really don't know if I just had a stroke, but I do know that God says he wants me to live, right? He didn't bring me this far.
for me to only go backwards to die or whatever, you know? So she's like, God, this is funny. These people are great. I love their stories. This is the reason why this retreat is so effective as people share their stories. Well, we have a roof that doesn't leak most of the time. And I really like this, you know, new comforter that I have and... ⁓
I'm really grateful that I'm not on the floor, but I'm on the bed. And you know, she started so small and no joke, as she's continuing with this gratitude and able, you know, you gotta start small sometimes, right? And able to expand it. She could start to like move her hand and little by little her whole body was finally able to move again. Now, most people would say that's insanity because we would think it was a stroke. You call 911 and get help.
But when you stand on the truth and knowing, and I shouldn't say stand on it like, ugh, and the depths of who you are, know that with all things with God, it's possible. You can overcome anything. And that is where I realized progress really is. It's how much are we facing the reality while simultaneously actually like grounded so deep in God showing up.
and not letting the reality dictate us. And so, I don't know, I guess I just felt like sharing that because it was so cool to hear some extreme stories. And all it was was their heart posture changed. They still were able to be human and journey out. And God has this grace on the journey of making progress, right? Like she said, as soon as she got healed and she left,
and she was hit with all this stuff. She was speaking to fear and telling fear to leave, but she was not allowing fear to interrupt her desire to step out on faith that she is healed in all these different areas. ⁓ And she did it imperfectly, but even in the imperfections and maybe the beliefs that you mishear God or whatever it may be, do we believe that with Him all things are possible? And that's where we're rooted in, wow.
we're accepting our imperfections or where we're really at, you know?
Nikki Humphrey (12:19)
That's a, I love that story because it, it highlights a conversation I had with Josephine earlier. She's really having a hard time. She's really, really struggling too. And ⁓ she's frustrated with God and she's like, I don't think God hears my prayers. Maybe I'm praying wrong. And I'm like, well, God always hears your prayers. And I'm like, if you feel like you're praying wrong, Josephine, why don't you just start with
Hope Mangiafico (12:35)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (12:48)
gratitude and see how it flows from there.
Hope Mangiafico (12:51)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (12:52)
Cause I'm like, sometimes when we're praying and we're all like angst up and we're like all this disappointment and things like it, God still hears our prayer, but it might not be what we actually want to be coming out of our mouth at that time. So I like that story because it just shows like changing your heart posture and having gratitude and looking at your circumstance in a different way can lead.
to a different outcome than we think can happen.
Hope Mangiafico (13:20)
Yeah.
Yeah. And I think that's what was so refreshing about the retreat. And this ministry as a whole, I mean, it's being health, I recommend it to anybody because they're so
simple, that it's almost frustrating. You know, it's like they're just teaching very basic scriptures and it's all about the Lord showing up for you. And when we think about not seeing progress in life, it's like, well, what are we comparing to? And we have to be careful with that because provision from God in all areas of our life can only be
dictated and defined by him and we really have to be careful because at the end of the day, I'm sure you've heard this and I'm not gonna get it right, but it's like in America where we're located, like all of us are more wealthy. Every single person is more wealthy than the rest of the world. And so it's like, well, okay God, so then what do you define as progress in my financial area? And I'm speaking to myself, I mean, we started recording late because I went to go to an interview that was last minute. ⁓
And so it's like that even that as an example for me, I was wrestling because I know God wants me to do something. But it's like, but what is it? And I don't want to just be grasping at whatever out of fear or whatever it may be, you know? And so anyways, it's that it's that game. It feels like a game. And maybe if we could view it as a fun game, it might be a little easier.
But I appreciate that simplicity because we really need God to define those things. And he doesn't define progress as a straight line, never looking back, never stepping back, never questioning. Girl, we know we like some questions. That's not what he defines as progress.
Nikki Humphrey (15:21)
I wrote down like, I'm like, really thinking about this today. like, I wrote down progress with God isn't linear. It can be layered. It can be seasonal. It can often be quiet. Sometimes progress can look like a victory though. So that's good. Sometimes it looks like endurance. Sometimes it looks like simply staying faithful when walking away would be easier.
Hope Mangiafico (15:35)
You
Yes.
That's a great one, Nikki, and I know you probably feel that too. Yeah. No, that's a really good one because in every area of your life, you can think about currently or even recently. like, it would have been easier to just not surrender the way we talk about it, but like surrender today. I'm done.
Nikki Humphrey (15:50)
Amen.
Hope Mangiafico (16:11)
But then you think and you're like, wait, would that have actually even have been truly better anyways?
Nikki Humphrey (16:19)
Yeah, because that's a little Nikki response.
Hope Mangiafico (16:23)
Hmm. Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (16:25)
Just walk away, shut it down, move on.
Hope Mangiafico (16:29)
yeah, yeah, lot of us can ⁓ share a story, I'm sure of that.
As we were speaking of that, oh, it made me think about how when we were texting yesterday about this topic and, you know, when I responded to you, I felt like it was actually the Lord saying it's like it's a good topic because we're either coming out of something, entering something or in the middle of something. And all three of those sure don't sound like progress, but it's an important conversation to have because again, it's not that linear. Like you said, there's some victories along the way, but it
you're gonna then enter into something that's gonna make you question if you've made any progress.
I want... hmm. What does progress even mean?
you
I like this. You know, when you think of progress, we often think of forward motion. I do at least. But the dictionary one says forward or onward movement. I like that for what you shared of like staying put and not just giving up. Like you're still actually moving onward. You are not just done. That actually helps me a lot of, okay, today, Lord, I'm standing.
And that's progress.
Nikki Humphrey (17:52)
Yes.
Yeah.
I had this phrase a couple years ago when I was going through it and I would wake up every morning and be like, I am still here. I'm still here. So God, this is a victory because I'm still here.
Hope Mangiafico (18:04)
Hmm.
Absolutely.
And then he shows up, you know, differently in different seasons, but he shows up.
And we talk about visiting the history with the Lord. I think honestly, okay, we talked about rose colored lenses. I think I have to stop saying that statement because I don't live that out as much as I say it. Like I can speak, how do I say it? I don't have the heart connection to that statement anymore because I've said it so much. Like, yes, I have history, I build history, but I say it and my heart's not like actually visiting those memories, if that makes sense. ⁓
And so that's become almost like a rose colored thing of just spitting it out and hoping it lands on someone even though it's not landing on it. It's not landing in my heart. And that's really, I mean, that's a good point too, Nikki, you sharing about that season of your life and how that helped. It's like.
Face in the reality of where you are now and what helps you in the now.
And it may not be what worked for you last month, last week, yesterday.
Nikki Humphrey (19:30)
And I think it is, that's why it's always good to like check in where you're at, where's it going? You know, not only for yourself, but like with God because it has been, it was a busy season for me. So I didn't get to do those like check-in. So I thought it was one place, but I'm actually in a completely opposite place. And
Hope Mangiafico (19:54)
Mm hmm.
Nikki Humphrey (19:59)
I think that's where the frustration and discouragement can lie because.
It wasn't being accountable or actionable or wherever. It was just completely, I don't know. I don't want to say like I was, I don't know. had those Jesus glasses on. Like this was just all going to work out without me doing anything.
Hope Mangiafico (20:29)
So, you know as you're saying that, I'm connecting dots myself too because my mom went with me on this retreat and her and I have always talked about how she always talks about positive thinking.
And that's what I'm thinking of, like what you're saying is like, well, in all of us, because positive thinking sounds positive, but it is just putting something on top of it versus you really pausing to be like, okay, God, what is my role in this situation?
How does it look to walk this out? How does it look to actually depend on God fully in these moments? What does that look like? And you can't usually find that answer through a person.
Nikki Humphrey (21:19)
No. And then I was laughing because the scripture came to my mind. Today it said, you know, we all know this one. John 16 33 says, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I've overcome the world. And I'm like, so what does this mean? Why do hard things keep happening? And I was like, well, duh, because I'm human.
Hope Mangiafico (21:43)
That goes back to where, know, a long time ago I was like, I'm finally accepting that I'm human.
Nikki Humphrey (21:52)
Right? Again, there's no magic wand just because you follow God that things are going to be easy and fall in line and not have extensively long seasons of
things not working out, chaos, hardships, all of those things.
Hope Mangiafico (22:16)
Yeah, absolutely. And that scripture, it's funny you quoted that scripture. I haven't visited that scripture in a while, but it was like the one I made my Facebook profile, like when I got a Facebook, you know, like I didn't even really know the Lord back then, but I liked the scripture. I liked that verse. And as I continue journeying with the Lord and hearing scriptures like that, it's like the good news is
he has overcome the world. And so what I, as I'm journeying out myself with everything, it's like, so what I do know that I can stand confidently in is that he has a solution.
And I have to grow to be okay with that journey to the solution, which we know because it's not rocket science and we just have to settle it inside of us of like, of course the journey is for perseverance. Of course the journey is to build character. Of course the journey is to make us look more like Jesus, but it doesn't make it easier to know and it's learning how to.
appreciate that journey to sanctification is really what it is and God knows better than we do what will lead us there, right? If we have a, I mean, we can speak on both of our behalf of like growing up or having times where you have nothing, money is gone, for example, it is like God has to use similar situations to strip us of that dependency of finances as an example, or for me.
with chasing my tail, trying to find natural solutions for healing. And he's like, yo, I got it. Like I overcame the world. I am the great physician. But then you're like, but then if that's truth, why are there these Christian providers and Christian this and Christian that? And it's because he meets us wherever we are. But at the end of the day, his end goal in all of this is for us to strictly rely on him.
That's the only way to overcome the world. That's what Jesus did. And he went through crap. To say the least.
Nikki Humphrey (24:37)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (24:40)
But Nikki, it's like, the depths of what that means to rely on God is so much deeper than I think we can even wrap our minds around.
And that's the progress I think he's interested in. And even though we'd like to define it as more money, better health, more energy, he's like, no, no, no, it's sanctification. It's coming right here in my heart. That's like him, like, progress is drawing us into him. That's progress.
Nikki Humphrey (25:12)
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that's like the seasonality of things always comes into play. And like I said, I've been really busy, but I mean, like I don't, I haven't fit in as much as the basics, you know, like, cause we're doing the Bible in the year and like, we're getting close to like, it's just a couple more weeks and we'll be done. But I'm just like the time, like.
not to say that it isn't good. And I've always wanted to do that. I always wanted to read the Bible in a year, but sometimes I only have time to do that. And I don't have time to actually process with God. And I think that's why sometimes like I'm just relying on blind faith that the things are just going to work out or that I'm on the right track or like this is what I should be doing. And that's where I think like the neglect my accountability on my part is, is that like I haven't.
Hope Mangiafico (25:52)
yeah.
Right.
Nikki Humphrey (26:10)
checked in with the Father as often as I wanted to, like, this good? you know, because I do this, you know, I check in for the podcast or like for, you know, other things, but it's sometimes it's just like, you need to sit down in your Jesus chair and just figure it out with God.
Hope Mangiafico (26:31)
But simultaneously, it's like, this goes back to a lot of what we talked about on the last episode of setting goals and like setting goals from not a place of hate. It's like, then when we realized like, man, so times escaped us, we haven't been able to do this, walking that next part out with grace and, know, forgiveness and not beating ourselves up because it's crazy, Nikki, how quickly.
that can spiral when you're like, man, if only I would have spent five extra minutes in my Jesus chair, I bet I wouldn't be here. And then just, I don't know, it just be me. But it spirals and I have, I mean, that's what part of this retreat was, is like stopping that because it's so easy to do when you're in this place of just.
Confusion's not the word I'm looking for, but maybe it's like in an unfamiliar place, ⁓ even if it's for a whole year, because you're doing something new. It's still unfamiliar. And as you were speaking, what I felt like God was saying, because I've been in the same boat where it's just been the readings, because it's hefty. ⁓ I felt like while you're speaking, God was revealing to me about both of us is like,
That was all armor for the upcoming year. whatever he, however we spend time with him next year, without us even understanding or knowing, we're gonna have all of that, the word, loaded up in us. And it's actually gonna help catapult us next year in ways that we don't even have an understanding for. You know, like, I guess I say that because you and I both, because it looks so different this year.
We're comparing it to our past. We're comparing it what we have done. And he's like, hey, hey, hey ladies, hey girls, hey, hey my children. It's okay, it's okay. You don't know what tomorrow holds. You don't know what next year holds. It's all gonna be used, you know? And yes, we know that with our words, but it's like, do we believe it here in our hearts? Like, do we believe he factored in?
the fact that there wasn't enough time.
and that we're human. And if we try to squeeze it in, we might, I'll speak on my behalf, be more irritable, more frustrated, because this thing is gonna shorten something else that needed more time, you know? Like, he factors it all in.
Nikki Humphrey (29:08)
Yeah. And that realisation for me, it wasn't like a condemnation. It was more like a duh. yeah. You know.
Hope Mangiafico (29:15)
Yeah. Yeah.
But even so, it's like that's a realization, but the Lord, he knows, and he's he works it all out in ways that we just can't comprehend.
And I think it's like, I think you've grown more than I have in this area of like walking out in his grace during what I wrote is like, progress is measured by our dependency on God and God has graced during our evolution journey to reaching the wholeness he designed us in, which includes like prosperity and health.
your finances, the whole thing, your relationship with him, family, all those things. ⁓ And I think I'm personally still trying to learn and grasp what it really is to be in his grace and to receive his grace in all of that. ⁓ Even when the reality looks so messy, it's like, he's got enough grace that if I...
misspent here and it might have been a mistake, might have even been a sinful purchase. was like gluttony or something, who knows, right? ⁓ That if I turn to him and repent if need to, like, he's got it and he's after our wholeness, which includes every part of us.
Nikki Humphrey (30:48)
along with that, like earthly progress is usually like visible progress, right? And so like sometimes we're like searching for that, but spiritually like God doesn't celebrate that. He celebrates a transformation that happens inside of us and what's going on and what our heart posture is. And like you said, what our intent is behind it and like why we're doing things for that.
Hope Mangiafico (30:54)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (31:17)
It can be hard when you don't have any visible, tangible things that you hold in your hand, whether that's health or wholeness or spiritual whatever or monetary things. It's like when you don't have that, all you have is your faith.
Hope Mangiafico (31:21)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Nikki Humphrey (31:40)
And that's, it's a great thing to have that you have that, but it can also be a discouragement because sometimes you just want to let.
Stand on something.
Hope Mangiafico (31:55)
Absolutely, yeah, totally understand that.
Nikki Humphrey (31:57)
Like
all those people at your treat standing on their testimony. just like... And we have testimonies too. So not saying that we don't have anything to stand on. But I'm saying like sometimes when you're in the struggle, that's what you feel.
Hope Mangiafico (32:12)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. 100%. all of that also makes me just bring to my memory something we've talked about. I actually wrote down the word. The reality is it's a war. So like, it's no surprise that when we're in these areas, we're like, are we even making progress? And we have testimonies, but we're like, but we want more.
Wouldn't that be like the spiritual war of the enemy? Like just trying to bring us down, wear us out to where God is using it to propel us forward, to build our character and the enemy is like, but is that enough? You know, we're like, yeah, no, I don't know. I don't know how to answer that question right now. ⁓ And we've talked about it so often on the episode or on our podcast in episodes and,
I find it funny that you've been talking about like, and it's so true, like how do we face our reality and journey this out? And God had me write out the reality is it's a war. I mean, that's the reality. The enemy hates us because the father loves us. And God knows that the enemy is here. That, I'm gonna say Satan, because the enemy is such a vague term. God knows these things.
And he's like, Nikki, you're my warrior of a daughter. I know what the enemy is after in you. And boy, does he have no clue when I'm cultivating in you. You got this girl, keep going. It's a war. And you know, we've talked about that. And in episode seven, we talked about being battle ready with the armor. And episode four, we talked about getting up. You know what, girl, get up. And it boils down.
to this reality of being a war and that-
Okay, our main responsibility after repenting, if we realize like maybe our heart turned away from God in a situation, to resist, to not just resist the enemy, but the enemy has tactics. So resisting the temptations, which is what Jesus did. He was tempted in every way that we were. So we resist the temptation to question our Father and to think that He is not present for us.
and then doing that from a place of God's love and not the self-hate. But that's what it boils down to is resisting all of that from the other camp while still being transparent with the Father. And we're in the struggle, because He knows what you're feeling already. He knows it, but we have to resist falling fully into fear or doubt or bitterness towards God or whatever it may be. We have to resist that part.
but we can still speak out the truth of how we're feeling. And it's something that was really neat about the reality of it being a war. And again, this is not new necessarily and what we've talked about on our podcast as a whole, but Satan and his little minions can plant thoughts in us. We've talked about that. You got your own, you got God's with the Holy Spirit and you got the enemy's thoughts. And he can't read our thoughts though.
So when you speak out that gratitude, like you talked out to Josephine, or you just speak out like telling the enemy basically to shut up or fear to leave or whatever, that is building you up without you even realizing the type of building up it is. And that's helping you face also.
what you're feeling and what's really cool about that, whether you're speaking out loud to resist the enemy or speaking out loud because you're like, God, I feel X, Y, and Z. The enemy knows, no matter what that is that's coming out of your mouth, you're a threat to him because you're speaking to your heavenly father and he knows that when you get drawn into your father, you are a danger because you're understanding your identity and your...
dare I say, belongings that you have in the kingdom and all the treasures that God has for you. And I think that's what at least the Lord put on my heart about making progress is like, hope it's a war. That's the reality. Speak out everything. Speak out how you're feeling. Speak out the resistance to the enemy. All of those things, because it speaks to everyone around you, seen and unseen, whose team you're on.
And that gives God that extra space of permission to move, you know? ⁓ And it actually is not always easy, right? But it is that simple. It is that simple. That speak it out, look crazy ⁓ when you're frustrated and when you're fighting and know that your words, which we've talked about before too, like carry so much weight, but your verbal words just bounce.
and let all the things that could be a threat to you, all the things that are challenging you, let them know. You might think you have me, but I'm still standing on my father and that's the foundation I'm standing on today.
Nikki Humphrey (37:36)
Yeah, I had this real time revelation as you were talking, as soon as you said war, had like this flash come in front of me. And people are like, that doesn't sound like a very uplifting revelation when I speak it out. But for me, it's going to be. So Satan has a history with me of just like, taking everything away from me like at one time, like
mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, like will wipe me out financially, like, ⁓ and I am just left like, what is going on, right? And so that's a history. And I feel like that is coming again. And whether it does or it doesn't, this is what the revelation said to me. And just like, go ahead, Satan, take it all. You've taken it all three or four times in the past.
Hope Mangiafico (38:14)
.
Nikki Humphrey (38:32)
But guess what, going back to what I said in the beginning, I am still here. And as long as I am still here, you can take it all because that's not,
that's neither here nor there. Those are earthly things. So go ahead and take it and I'm still here and I will work it out with God the Father, how it's supposed to be worked out because those are just things, people, whatever, like it's okay.
Like, why am I going to sit here and try to negotiate with Satan? I'm not. If you want to take it, take it. Fine. You're not winning
Hope Mangiafico (39:07)
Yes. Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (39:12)
even though you take it. You think you are, but you are not.
Hope Mangiafico (39:14)
Yes, that's it, Nikki. That's like that's resisting the temptation because the temptation is to focus on what's being removed from you. And that's just like Job. it's literally Joe comes up so often. And I think again, that's also a story that has it's like layered because Satan really thought he's like, I'm gonna get Job. He's gonna turn on you and Job struggled. Mind you, he struggled.
with all of that and that's why there's this wrestling and questioning and all this. But he didn't waver. He did exactly what you're saying, Nikki. You are like talking about being a living Job today because everything was stripped away at once. But God came through.
with the material things at the end, doubled it up, right? Because Job was not that linked and tied to those things. I think that's a great example of what it means to resist temptation. And it means something different for everybody. But sometimes it can be just that, like, take it Satan, like I don't, I'm not loyal to these things. Are they nice to have? Yes. Does God say I'm going to be provided for? Yes. But my, my rest isn't on the provision, it's in the provider.
And that's so cliche, but it's like, that's the heart posture we need.
Nikki Humphrey (40:37)
Yeah, whether it's, you know, like monetary things or health wise things or mental things or emotional things or spiritual things. Yeah, you can take all that. I've been down before. It's no big thing. No big thing.
Hope Mangiafico (40:55)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (40:57)
And if I'm still here after all of that.
That's because of God, not you.
Hope Mangiafico (41:03)
Yeah.
Right. That's such a good lesson. That's such a good lesson.
And it makes me think as you're saying that, like, how deceived the enemy is thinking he's winning, which I think goes back to that John scripture of like, I've overcome the world. you know, using Jesus and Satan as an example, when Satan came in the wilderness, when Jesus was up there and he's like, I'll give you all these things. It's like, you talking to the king of the universe. You ding dong.
But he does that to us too, and we technically were co-heirs with Christ.
Nikki Humphrey (41:50)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (41:52)
So that's a phenomenal revelation you got.
and understanding what it means to be a co-heir with Christ and not to get it twisted with earthly definitions. That's the hard part. Which goes back to what you said towards the beginning of thinking that, things would be easy and all of this. We gotta be careful, prosperity, gospel, whether it's taught to you or you just happen to start thinking it on accident, because I think we all accidentally start thinking it. I mean, truly. ⁓
Nikki Humphrey (42:26)
Yeah, you think the whole
you get the whole exchange twisted real quick.
Hope Mangiafico (42:32)
It's so fast.
And that's another temptation, right? It's just like twisting truths unintentionally.
Mm, that's great.
So I guess, Nikki, the question that is for us and for the listeners, like, are we okay with progress being what's more than meets the eye? Are we okay with it? God keeps speaking to me about this conversation about acceptance. And I mean, that's the truth about from the moment you say yes to Jesus to every part thereafter and.
I think he's been trying to ask me like, are you okay with it? Will you accept that this is the definition of progress?
and be happy that we know the end, we know the truth. And like let that settle in us, you know?
And it's like Jesus coming in as the king of the world on a donkey as a baby. And it was so unexpected. Shouldn't we expect that progress is not gonna be quite like we're expecting?
That's the Upside Down Kingdom.
Nikki Humphrey (44:08)
Right, yes. God's kingdom wasn't, I mean, Jesus's kingdom on earth wasn't lavish or like full of all these like good things and you know, he did a lot of good. But it's like, if you look at his life and compared it to like a earthly king, you'd be like, well.
Who do I want to follow? And I think that's what we have to do. Do want to follow the flashy, easy to come by things or do we want to follow Jesus who didn't travel the easiest road, but his impact has eternal rewards.
Hope Mangiafico (44:49)
Yeah. And that he was always provided for. You know, when we talk about the manger scene and them coming with the gifts that they had.
I heard somewhere about how much that stuff was worth. Jesus didn't even have a mouth to try and raise money and you know, the money showed up. And every year I feel like I learn more and more about his birth story and it's like, whoa, it gets more and more miraculous as you learn it. And the same was true for his journey throughout all of his ministry, you're saying for Paul. Like, they were provided for.
without want. And that's like going to Psalm 23, like the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He's everything.
So with that said, I like what you shared, Nikki.
Satan can have it, but we're not going down without a fight, a heavenly fight, in alignment with our king.
Nikki Humphrey (46:03)
That's right.
Yeah.
Hope Mangiafico (46:07)
as children of God co-heirs with Christ. We resist, we know how to resist in the proper way.
Nikki Humphrey (46:17)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (46:18)
and we surrender. Amen. Will that do it?
Nikki Humphrey (46:20)
Amen.
Yes, that'll do it. Friend, don't disqualify your growth because it doesn't look flashy. The deepest work God does often happens underground, like roots strengthening before fruit appears. Philippians 1.6 promises, he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion. You are not behind. You are not failing. You are not stagnant.
you are becoming. So if this episode spoke to you, share it with somebody who needs encouragement today.
Hope Mangiafico (47:01)
Until next time, we'll see you in the overflow.
Nikki Humphrey (47:06)
Reminder, Equip for Wholeness is coming January 26, 2026. Stop waiting and start shining. Body, mind and spirit restored. Secure your spot today.
