It goes without saying that God has favored His daughters and has strategically set them on the frontlines of history. When God moved, it seemed as though women were always there on the cutting edge of His activity. Elizabeth birthed a prophet. Mary birthed the Messiah. The Canaanite woman demonstrated a faith in Jesus that prematurely drew in a reality—the kingdom of God being opened up to the Gentiles—that was reserved for the post-resurrection time frame (Matt. 15:28). These women all knew about collaborating with God and birthing heaven on Earth.
Just review the pages of history. Revival after revival, movement after movement, has seen prominent women serving as forerunners for what the Holy Spirit was saying and doing in that hour.
Maria Woodworth-Etter introduced people to the Pentecostal experience before Pentecostalism became a formal movement within Christianity in the 20th century. Her meetings were quite extraordinary. The gospel of Jesus was always central, but the supernatural phenomena that occurred in that context was truly otherworldly. Healings, miracles, prophetic trances—even those who came to mock these meetings experienced encounters with God.
Aimee Semple McPherson was revolutionary in making the church experience relevant, interesting and engaging, while also being a stalwart champion of God’s miraculous healing power. While McPherson was renowned for her engaging gospel presentations, often drawing celebrities and Hollywood notables to her services at Angelus Temple, she did not back down from preaching the uncompromised gospel … and preaching it in the power of signs and wonders.
Kathryn Kuhlman could be best described as a friend of the Holy Spirit. She did not chase after healing miracles, nor did she ever claim to be a faith healer or miracle worker. She rejected such descriptions. Kathryn was an evangelist, who passionately pleaded for people to meet her precious Jesus. She preached the gospel with clarity, love, compassion and gentleness—and healing broke out. Truly, Kathryn enjoyed such close fellowship with the Holy Spirit, that when she walked onto a stage, audiences recognized that she was not alone; she was overshadowed by His presence.
These are three examples among the multitudes. I could go on and on about daughters who said “Yes” to God’s call and have been changing the landscape of Christianity, both then and now. Joyce Meyer is a no-nonsense Spirit-filled teacher and preacher, anointed to help make the Scriptures practical for everyday living. Marilyn Hickey, now in her 80s, is preaching the gospel with boldness overseas (in some very difficult to reach areas), with mighty healing and miracles following her presentation. Cindy Jacobs is a prophetic and intercessory strategist who contends with heaven for revival and reformation. Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech was a key catalyst in the mid-1990s, used to release the sounds of heaven into the Earth and help pioneer the modern worship movement. Karen Wheaton has led a youth movement in the backwoods of Hamilton, Alabama, for 15 years, raising up the next generation to usher in awakening. Heidi Baker has given her life to seeing the nation of Mozambique transformed by the love of Jesus—and in doing so, she and her husband founded IRIS Ministries, which has seen over a million people come to Christ, churches built across the Earth, the sick healed and even the dead raised. The list continues and grows very long!
So as women, why does the enemy war against you and try to keep you from taking your place?
Here are three ways that women uniquely usher in revival and crush the devil. Make no mistake, the enemy doesn’t want God’s daughters to live mindful of these realities!
1. Women give birth to the impossible and remind Satan of his eternal defeat. Mary was not some otherworldly super-being; she was an ordinary teenaged girl upon receiving her summons. Yet she deserves to be honored as a revivalist and powerful example of how anything is impossible when one says yes to Jesus. No one is beyond ushering in a great move of God! You were born to birth things into the Earth—and in a way, you uniquely get to give birth to the expression of Jesus, since the Spirit of God lives within you and empowers you to manifest the nature, character, image and power of the Risen Christ through your life!
Every time you demonstrate the work of Jesus through your life, you are enforcing the victory of the One who forever crushed the devil at Calvary. Women walking in this identity continually remind the enemy of his eternal defeat. When salvation is brought to a life or household, Satan is crushed. When healing reverses sickness, Satan is crushed. When immorality, crime and corruption are exchanged for peace, honor and love, Satan is defeated, yes—but he continues to be crushed as sons and daughters actually walk out this victory that Jesus purchased for them and enforce it.
2. Women sustain revival, from generation to generation. A woman must never devalue her ability to be a life-giver and life-bearer. You carry the ability to bring life into the world that perpetuates the move of God from generation to generation. This is the commission of every mother, natural and spiritual: to birth children who sustain and excel your supernatural momentum. The next generation should always be positioned to exceed the previous generation. If you have a womb, you have the ability to give birth to sons and daughter that prophesy, perform signs and wonders, heal the sick, lead movements and change nations. You have the ability to raise up boys and girls, young men and young women who go further and deeper in God than you ever dreamed possible because God works generationally. Whether you have natural children or not, whether you can give birth or not, women are spiritual mothers who raise up a generation of men and women to birth the purposes of God into the Earth.
3. Women preach and shift atmospheres over entire cities. One evidence of the Acts 2 outpouring is that daughters will prophesy. To prophesy is to speak forth! You cannot prophesy silently. Need Bible references? The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 went back to her town and “told the people there…” about Jesus. And some of these people that she told were men! As a result, the people left the town, went to see Jesus, begged Him to stay with them, experienced a two-day visitation from the Son of God, and as a result, many became believers.
She preached and as a result, she became a catalyst for a city to experience a divine visitation from Jesus Himself. How many more cities could experience powerful Holy Spirit visitation if women were encouraged to go and tell? Preach. Proclaim. Disciple. Prophesy. Jesus did not rebuke this woman for going … and likewise, I do not believe He is rebuking His daughters today as they rise up, take their place and begin saying what the Father is saying.
It’s time for women to usher in the Holy Spirit outpouring they were anointed to release! From the Day of Pentecost until now, the daughters have been qualified to prophesy. Let us encourage them to boldly speak forth the Word of the Lord, expecting their participation to release the fullness of God’s kingdom on Earth! {eoa}
Larry Sparks is co-author of the book The Fire That Never Sleeps, with Dr. Michael Brown and John Kilpatrick. Larry’s mission is to help teach all believers how to experience and sustain personal revival—enjoying a deep relationship with God through encountering the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. To this end, he maintains a blog through Charisma magazine, is a published author, teaches revival seminars, and is the co-founder of Renewing South Florida, an organization committed to uniting the local church for regional outpouring. Larry holds a Master of Divinity from Regent University and presently serves as Publisher for Destiny Image publishing house.
You can receive daily empowerment for personal revival from Larry on Facebook (facebook.com/larryvsparks).
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