Dear Lord, Thank You for Revealing the Truth to Me…
Hello darlings, how are you? I'm going to jump straight to it,
I got re-baptised.
Yes, you read that right, I said re-baptised. I was originally baptised in 2019 but then again a couple of weeks ago, and I want to tell you all about why I made that decision.
I was initially baptised at the church I attended before. It was a lovely church filled with lovely people including some of my family members, and I was there for quite a few years. I only left because, deep down, I felt as though I needed more. At the time, I couldn’t fully explain what “more” meant, but now I understand (that's another story I'll tell you another day).
One of the things I needed was to learn more on a deeper level about biblical principles, God’s Word and how I should live as a follower of Christ. I mean I knew what I now call the basics but I just wanted more, I needed to be fed a little bit more spiritually and gain a stronger understanding of what the Bible actually teaches, how to apply it and then how to teach you guys.
Eventually, in July last year, I returned to the church I originally attended when I was around five years old Mount Peniel - full circle right.
The Conversation That Started It All
Fast forward to February this year and the conversation that eventually led to my re-baptism.
I was speaking with one of my favourite elders at church. We were having a general conversation about my journey, where I had previously attended church and whether I had been baptised.
I told her that I had been baptised.
She then asked me, “Were you baptised in Jesus’ name?”
I answered, “Yeah…I think so.”
At that point, I genuinely didn’t understand why I wouldn’t have been because we pray in Jesus’ name, we do things in Jesus' name, we cast out demons in Jesus’ name because that is where our authority comes from - Jesus. It made me really think.
One of the ministers overheard our conversation, and commented and explained that the church I previously attended actually did not baptise specifically in the name of Jesus.They baptised in the trinity using the words, “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Well, that did my head in didn't it, and it stuck with me in the back of my min for ages.
At first, I thought, I’ve already been baptised. I’ve given my life to Christ. Surely I’ve done it correctly - that's got to be enough.
But the thought continued to linger at the back of my mind for about four months. Every so often, it would come back to me and make me think. I even Googled whether I needed to be baptised twice, and Google said no (I know you shouldn't google things like that but that's what I did, ok lol)!
I Knew I Had to Do It Properly
A couple of weeks later I went for dinner with my pastor (he and his wife are basically my adopted parents, they treat me like their daughter and I love it) and asked him directly whether I needed to be baptised again.
He explained that I was already a Christian, he could see that through how I lived, how I behaved and how seriously I took my relationship with God. However, he also explained that, according to the bible, I needed to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Well you can imagine how I felt, feeling like I'd done something wrong especially with regards to Jesus! I hated it, so right there, on the spot, I said, “Okay, let’s do it. Can we get it done this week?” (me with all the patience I have - i’m working on that one 👀)
Because once I know that something needs to be done, I am going to make it snappy and get it done. You all know what I’m like! I wasn’t going to delay it or keep putting it off. If this was what I believed God was asking me to do, I wanted to be obedient.
We arranged the baptism for the following week and I did it!
Why I Chose to Do It Privately
So heres why I'm telling you this story: I made the decision to have my baptism privately.
There was, and possibly still is, a little controversy from some of the members of the church around why I wanted to do it privately. Some people may feel that baptism should always be done publicly in front of the whole church, which is fine.
However, as somebody with a public platform who does a lot in the public eye internationally, I wanted this particular moment to be between me and Jesus.
So many of you know me more than I personally know you because of what I do, and I am completely fine with that because this is the life and career I chose.
But this moment felt so sacred and deeply personal that I wanted to protect it. I wanted that specific moment to be just me, Jesus and the people needed to carry out the baptism.
Baptism and giving your life to Christ are testimonies in themselves, which is why I still wanted to share this story with you. My plan was to always share it, but I needed the actual moment to belong to God and me.
You understand what I mean, don’t you?
What Does the Bible Say About Baptism?
Let me explain a little about baptism and why it is so important.
When you make the decision to give your life to Christ, the Bible teaches us to repent and be baptised.
Acts 2:38 says: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
In a nutshell, repentance means recognising your sins, being genuinely sorry for them and making a decision to turn away from them. Basically get your act together babe!
Baptism is then an outward expression of your inward decision to follow Christ - your actions must show it.
Also, when you're baptised, make sure you're fully immersed into the water - none of the sprinkle a bit of water on your head business - again follow the bibles rules darling. Going down into the water represents the burial of the old you, and rising from the water represents being raised into a new life with Christ. Oh also read Romans 6:4.
For me, being baptised in the name of Jesus was about obedience, clarity and making sure I had followed what I now understood the Scriptures to teach. You know how particular I am anyway, and I am definitely not half hearted when it comes to Jesus.
Back in 2019 It represented leaving my old life behind, receiving God’s forgiveness and choosing to walk in a renewed life with Him and in 2026 it still does. The Holy Spirit then helps, guides, corrects and strengthens us throughout our lives so that we can continue learning how to live more like Christ.
It does not mean we suddenly become perfect. It means we now belong to God, and we allow Him to continue working on us every day.
When You Learn Better, You Must Do Better
I am sharing this for a few reasons really. Firstly, I wanted to tell you what I had done. Secondly, when you become aware that something may not have been quite right, you have a responsibility to seek the truth and rectify it. That is what I chose to do. Thirdly, the only person you have to be obedient to is Jesus, when He tells you to do something for impact nor applause, and that is why I'm telling you this today!
I could have allowed pride to get in the way and said, “Well, I’ve already been baptised, so I’m not doing it again.” Especially because it did not fall on hair wash day!
This was about my relationship with God and being obedient to what I believed He had revealed to me and wanted me to do.
I also want to lead by example.
For anybody reading this who has not yet been baptised, or who has been thinking about it for a long time, I would encourage you to pray, study the Scriptures and speak to a trusted biblical leader about it.
Giving my life to Christ is one of the best decisions I have ever made and re made.
Honestly, I cannot fully explain how much I love God or how completely He has changed my life for the better.
He has carried me, corrected me (more than I would actually like, but you know, needs must), protected me and loved me through every version of myself, whether I liked that version of me or not.
And for that, I will forever be grateful.
My Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for revealing the truth to me and giving me the courage to act upon it with urgency.
I pray that You will keep me on Your path and help me to walk uprightly before You for the rest of my life, until the day I finally meet You.
Please use me to bless and help other people while I am still here on earth. Let my life, my story and my testimony point people back to You.
Renew me daily, purify my heart and my mind. Remove anything within me that is not pleasing to You, and keep me focused on Your will, Your purpose and Your plan for my life.
Lord, protect me from every weapon of the enemy.
Your Word says in Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” You did not say that weapons would never be formed, You said that they would not prosper.
So, Lord, give me discernment and wisdom to recognise when a weapon is being formed against me, whether spiritually or through people in the flesh. Give me the strength and courage to stand against darkness.
Help me not to respond from fear, anger or emotion, but from wisdom, obedience and faith.
Let every plan of the enemy fail, and do not allow anything that is not from You to take root in my life.
Finally, I pray that You will use this story and testimony to reach anybody who may need it. Let it encourage someone to seek You, return to You or take the next step in their relationship with You.
In Jesus’ mighty name,
Amen.
Speak soon darlings,
Hannah-Curlita xx
ps. if you want to come to church, our door is open - https://mountpeniel.org