Growing up in Jamaica, Josian Maybury was known for singing in the church.

But life changed drastically for the 32-year-old after she moved to Bermuda eight years ago.

The mother of three was jugging multiple jobs and no longer had time to fit in church on the weekends.

Gradually, she also put her passion for singing to the side.

Then in 2012, God did something drastic to get her attention.

“Four years ago, I started having irregular thoughts and seriously felt I might be losing my mind,” Ms Maybury said.

“I was waking up in the middle of the night all the time. Usually, I’d go to bed at midnight and wouldn’t wake up until it was broad daylight.

“I had all these thoughts and was hearing all these voices. This wasn’t normal for me because normally my thinking was very clear. I would also break out into shivers and constantly had this sore throat.”

She went to doctors and was told it could be a thyroid problem. Ms Maybury knew deep down something else was going on and she started reaching out to God.

“It felt to me like it was more of a spiritual attack,” Ms Maybury said.

“I realised God had called me to a specific purpose and because I was brushing Him off every time, He had to do something to get my attention and bring me to where I was supposed to be.

“He knew how stubborn I could be. When I was sick I was trying to reach out to my former husband and my family back in Jamaica, but no one could give me the help I needed or stop what was happening to me.

“I found myself at a crossroads with God and had to figure out if that other voice I was hearing was really real.

“I said, ‘I’m going to stand on the promises of God’, and that’s what I really used as my tool to figure out what was going on.”

Every time she heard a negative voice in her head, she would speak the word of God and pray.

With the help of her faith, Ms Maybury eventually got back on her feet and saw her health restored.

But she knew she couldn’t go back to her old way of living.

“I realised there was more to life than just working and making money,” she said. “I started to ask God what my purpose was on this Earth. I wanted to find my reason for being here.

“At the end of this life journey, it’s just you and God and you want to do what brings Him the most glory.

“Up until then, my focus hadn’t been so much on God,” she continued.

“It was on making money and taking care of my family. I had a husband and three kids. I had to work and pay bills.

“One day I just fell to my knee and said, ‘God, I want to fulfil my purpose on Earth’.

“I was detecting his voice clearly and He said, ‘I want you to sing’.

“I said, ‘I haven’t done that in a long time, but I heard Him telling me to trust Him, so I said ‘OK’.”

Soon after that, Ms Maybury felt led to start writing her own songs and create her first album, Speak To Me, Lord. She was able to write some of the songs in just a few short hours.

“That’s a gift from God,” she explained. “Songs just poured out of me.

“While making this album I didn’t know where the money would come from, but I knew God was calling me to take the first step.

“After that, He made a way. I haven’t missed one studio session to make this album because of God.”

The title track, Speak To Me, Lord, serves as a reminder to people that even in your darkest times God will give you the answers to get you through.

Another song, Something Touched Me, was written by Ms Maybury while she going through a stressful time financially and had lots of bill collectors calling her house.

“I felt the Holy Ghost touch me in order to get through that time and reassure me that God will provide my needs according to his riches and glory,” she said.

I’m A Soldier In The Army is a song that shares how no matter what you are going through, we are all soldiers in God’s army.

“In this life we’re on a battlefield so we have to be on alert because the enemy comes to rob and steal and destroy,” she said.

“We have to keep our focus on God.”

More than anything else, Ms Maybury wants people to get strength and motivation from hearing her music.

So they know that no matter how hard things seem right now, there is a way out through accepting the love of Jesus Christ.

• The gospel album costs $20 and is available from Fish’N Tings, Jamaica Grill and Music Box