Be a Powerful Woman of God: A Testament of His Goodness

By Carol Romeo

If I were to ask you, "Are you a carrier of the power of God?" would your answer be, "Yes?" Or...if not, do you know how to achieve it? It is Jesus' promise to impart to you all that you need so that your life would be a testimony to His righteousness and His power.

From these pages, you will hear the voice of the Father speaking through

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Dec 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637697931

Carol Romeo

Carol Romeo is an author, speaker, and a well-known experienced marriage and family therapist. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology and her master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University. Carol has a master's degree in Practical Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute. She is passionate about her goal to bring emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing to individuals, couples, and families.

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Be a Powerful Woman of God

by Carol Romeo

Be a Powerful Woman of God

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2021 by Carol Romeo

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

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ISBN: 978-1-63769-792-4

E-ISBN: 978-1-63769-793-1

Dedication

I am dedicating this book to the many women who have been living in the shadows in their faith and who need to step into the light and into the fulfillment of the plans that God has for them. That is my main reason for compiling this book. I want to inspire the women of God to have the courage to open their hearts and minds to the fullness of God’s Spirit, who is waiting to empower them. Jesus’ promise to us is, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). God will never fail in His plan for you. He will cradle you in His Spirit as He leads you into your holy assignment as a witness to His love.

Acknowledgments

First of all, I want to acknowledge and thank all the powerful women who have given their time, energy, and prayers to writing their testimonies for this book. I have been personally blessed as I have read and meditated on each story. I know that you will be encouraged, as well, to see the many ways Jesus Christ has intervened in each woman’s life, empowering them to overcome their trials and build the kingdom of God within them. God has instructed us to spread His kingdom wherever we go. I pray God’s blessing upon each of you who have been obedient to share God’s words here in this manuscript, as well as those of you who will be stirred by these words to enter into God’s directive to be powerful women of God.

Be a Powerful Woman of God:

A Testament of His Goodness

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 12:11

Introduction

The disciples followed Jesus around, amazed at the acts He did and the wisdom He spoke. They were disheartened when they learned that He was leaving them. A sinking feeling landed in their hearts. They didn’t understand what He was telling them. They thought Jesus was going to stay present with them and set up His kingdom on earth. Nevertheless, Jesus had a different plan—a better plan. We would receive His righteousness and speak for Him on earth. He promised to give us everything we need to expand His kingdom here on earth.

Have you experienced this kind of transforming power coming from your connection with God? If I were to ask you, Are you a carrier of the power of God? Would your answer be, Yes? Or…maybe it is your heart’s desire, but you haven’t a clue how to achieve it. The fact that you chose this book to read tells me that there is that place inside your heart that is eager to learn. Furthermore, I know that you can learn because the Lord is committed to imparting His Spirit to you.

Walking in the power of God is not a solitary journey. It is a collaboration. It is a mutual commitment between Jesus and you to enter into God’s perfect plan for your life. His dedication toward us is revealed as we view His heartfelt prayer to the Father:

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

John 17: 22-23

Walking in the power of God is twofold: we are to partake of His transforming power to be perfected into His image and then to reveal to the world who it is who gives us the power. As we explore, through these pages, what it looks like to be a powerful woman of God, we will discover both our personal transformations and the many ways we have joined with God in imparting His power to the world.

That is what this book is all about. It is us, taking the keys of the kingdom from Him and passing to one another: His words, His righteousness, His healing, His peace, His love, and His promises. He has given us the tools that we need for this task. He has given us the Word of God. He has given us His Holy Spirit. And, He has given us one another. We can sometimes forget that Jesus has called us to minister to one another. We are His disciples.

From these pages, you will hear the voice of the Father speaking through women just like you and me. We don’t have to be well-known to possess a powerful voice. Our testimonies, alone, speak volumes of God’s love and care. Among the stories in this book, you will find some biblical examples of women you may have overlooked, as well as personal stories from women you may have never met or heard about. These stories are meant to shift your attention to your own experiences and stir your heart to wanting more of the power of God.

Do you now, or did you in the past, feel like a nobody? I know I have. I think that title may be the greatest tool of the enemy to dissuade us from walking in the plans and purposes of God. That is not how God sees us at all. Look at the woman who Jesus chose to be birthed through—a young woman with unknown parents. The man who would become her husband was a carpenter. Furthermore, Jesus was born in a stable. Looking at His life and His mother Mary’s life is where we discover the tie between humility and power. Above all, the character trait Jesus would display was His humility. Jesus’ own personhood unwraps the secret to living a powerful life: humility.

So, if you are living in the nobody cloud right now, this book is for you. Your misbeliefs will be challenged by unknown stories of women who refused to let their station in life or their negative self-images dictate their identity. You are powerful, which means you are full of the power of God. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Chapter One

Humility

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do …And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:12-13, 17

Where do we begin in our journey to becoming powerful women? Obviously, it begins with God. Since we are talking about powerful women of God, the foundation has to be our relationship with God. Humility is the key, which will open the heart to the love of God. Therefore, it is not our strength, which brings the power of God, but it is our humility. We have to start low, on our knees before God, to achieve the resources of God.

Ruth (Biblical)

Ruth showed all the wonderful characteristics of what it looks like to be humble. She was a Moabitess; whose people were hated by early Israel, but she ends up winning their hearts because of her kindness, especially towards her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi’s both sons had died. Ruth was the widow of Mahlon, and Orpah was the widow Chilion. Naomi’s family had left Bethlehem ten years prior and settled in Moab because of famine. Moab was fertile land, but it was there that Naomi’s husband and two sons died.

Naomi was old and weary and longed to return to her homeland. When she was ready to leave, she begged her two daughters-in-law to stay at their mother’s house. Orpah wanted to stay, but Ruth clung lovingly to Naomi. This is what Ruth said:

Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

Ruth 1:16

Ruth’s loving sacrifice to Naomi was noticed and admired by all the neighboring people. For all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11).

Ruth, in her humility, took the lowliest of tasks in order to support herself and her mother-in-law. She worked in the fields following the reapers and gathering up the fragments of grain, which were left behind for the poor. Ruth gleaned all day in the hot sun and then gladly returned to Naomi at the close of the day with her small harvest. One day, Ruth came upon a field belonging to Boaz, who was a distant kinsman of Naomi’s husband. Ruth worked in his field alongside the other poor gleaners and was unknown to Boaz. She did not rush to Boaz to introduce herself but worked diligently at her task.

Boaz noticed her, however, and offered her protection. He ordered his young men not to touch her and invited her to drink of the water which they had drawn. Boaz then found out about the sacrifices she had made and was even more impressed by her. Boaz declared to her, The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge (Ruth 2:12). When Ruth discovered through Naomi that Boaz was a close relative of theirs, she listened to Naomi’s suggestions to find a way to come under his provision. She laid at his feet as he slept as a gesture of submission and honor to him as the supposed nearest kinsman of the family. Boaz assured her that he was her debtor for the preference she had shown him.

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

Ruth 4:13-14

Ruth and Boaz named their son Obed, and he became the lineage of the house of David. (Matthew 1:5) Humility and faithfulness worked a miracle in Ruth’s life. She had been lifted out of obscurity and poverty to influence and plenty.

As I read Ruth’s story, I notice that her humble act of laying at the feet of Boaz is a model of our directive to lay at the feet of Jesus. Boaz was Ruth’s redeemer—a picture of our redeemer, Jesus Christ. Ruth, in essence, was laying her life and future at Boaz’s feet. It is clear that she was not motivated by selfish ambition but in simple obedience to her mother-in-law’s direction. Ruth trusted that Naomi was a godly woman and, as such, would give her wise instruction. Can I extend my application further? Wasn’t Naomi acting like the Holy Spirit to Ruth? Ruth had told Naomi, Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God (Ruth 1:16).

Within the next two testimonies, I want you to notice how closely humility and honor are wound together. Both Marian and Christy, after humbling themselves before God, came to a place of honoring their mothers. To be humble is to be unpretentious. It is the position of a servant. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful example of humility and servanthood. And, it is He who imparts this gift to us as we are sent to serve others. When our hearts are changed, we can then view others with the same high regard that the Lord places on them.

Marian G’s Testimony

Marian had psychic defenses from childhood wounds that kept her bound from honoring her mother in the manner she desired. Through prayers of repentance and positioning herself at the feet of Jesus, it became possible for the defenses to drop and open a path for the love of God to flow through. Humility before God—being open with our failures and sins—makes a pathway for love and honor to flow.

My testimony begins in my childhood. I am a twin, and one of the reasons growing up was so difficult for me was the fact that my mother and two older siblings blamed me for my twin’s irresponsibility. My twin wouldn’t take care of her share of the household chores. Consequently, we were both grounded. Eventually, I made the choice to do both our chores to avoid the consequence. I developed the survival skill called denial, which sadly followed me into my marriage.

My marriage was very destructive to me. My husband threatened my life and was abusive both verbally and emotionally. I was the prime breadwinner, and yet I never stood up for myself in the divorce. I just kept convincing myself that it was okay to split things fifty-fifty. Really? I knew in my heart that I wasn’t being fair to myself, but I had grown used to discounting myself. At the same time, I was fighting with my mother and pointed out all the wrongs I suffered as a child. My relationship with my mom was strained and continued like that for years.

When the time came, and my mother needed care and support, I was thinking, Okay, we are six children, and all of us can pitch in to care for her. Well, that didn’t happen. Slowly, over time, I was yet again held responsible for caring for her alone. I spent four years sleeping at her house on weekends, cooking for her, beautifying her, shopping and paying for her groceries, and taking her on occasional weekend getaways. I couldn’t believe how my siblings pulled back and let me carry the full weight of caring for Mom.

I was filled with rage, anger, and resentment. My emotions took over me, and I kept arguing with my mother for not telling my siblings to help. Nevertheless, nothing changed. One night I left the house angry and jumped in my car. Thank God, I called a prayer partner friend and inquired of her how to do my life in a different way. I knew that I was supposed to honor God and my parents even though they had mistreated me, but I didn’t know how to do that. She prayed for me, and I calmed down and drove home.

I entered the house and went straight to my prayer room. I began by praying that God would change my mother. I was crying my heart out to the Lord, Please, God, change her. I can’t take it anymore. That is when my prayer began to change. In the midst of being bent over in violent cries, I heard myself pray, God, she isn’t changing; please change me. I’m the one who is struggling and in need.

I was silent for a few minutes, and the Lord gave me a vision of my mother as a grandmother. Through that image, I was reminded of my beautiful, beloved grandmother (who was a loving family member to me). I felt God’s love fill my heart for my mother. I realized that caring for my mother was a gift from God to bless me and bless her. The next day I went to visit my mother with a renewed attitude. I was filled with love and respect, ready to serve her as God would lead me until she went home to be with the Lord.

In the present, the Lord is revealing to me more about my denial. There are deep dark places under the surface where all the negative emotions are housed. The Lord said, If you are willing to take my hand, I will lead you through the darkness and help you to see things in My light. If you read My Word daily, you will see things from my perspective. My light exposes the darkness and leads you into truth.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future …You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back from captivity.

Jeremiah 29:11, 13-14 (NIV)

As I take God’s hand for the rest of this journey, I am learning about myself. I know there are mountain tops, but also valleys of healing for my broken emotions. As I embrace the courage to kneel at the feet of Jesus with an open and honest heart, I am grateful that I experience a shift in my thoughts, heart, and emotions. Sometimes I find myself in