American pastor Prophet Israel Ford, founder of LifeWorks Church in Ohio, has revealed how he and two women embarked on a 40-day prayer and fasting exercise before he decided to take a second wife.
The clergyman, who recently attracted widespread attention after publicly introducing his second wife to his congregation, shared the explanation during an interview on Larry Reid Live.
According to Ford, he developed feelings for Shakayla, a woman who had become close to his family and frequently assisted his first wife, Lydia.
The pastor explained that he did not want to pursue the relationship in a way he considered sinful, so he decided to seek God’s direction.
“All three of us prayed and fasted for 40 days,” he revealed.
Ford claimed that during the fasting period, he and Shakayla received what he believed was divine confirmation through identical dreams on the same night.
However, he admitted that his first wife did not receive the same revelation.
“God spoke to me and Shakayla. we had a dream on the exact same night. the crazy part is that He spoke to us and didn’t speak to her,” he explained.
Despite his claimed spiritual experience, Ford said he refused to proceed with the second marriage until Lydia agreed.
He explained that his first wife initially requested more time to consider the arrangement before eventually giving her consent.
The pastor’s explanation follows his controversial announcement on October 25, 2026, when Lydia introduced Shakayla to their congregation as her husband’s second wife and her “sister in marriage.”
Ford also disclosed that he had been in the arrangement for nearly three years before making it public.
His revelation has generated debate among Christians over polygamy, biblical teachings on marriage and whether personal spiritual experiences can justify taking multiple wives.
While Ford maintains that the arrangement aligns with his understanding of Scripture, his claim of divine approval remains a personal religious testimony rather than an independently verifiable fact.