It is said that Jesus often visits women differently. He speaks to them when they are busy, when they are serving other people, when they are at the well, or tending to children, or doing the dishes. He finds us there, and speaks to us there. That can certainly be said about Regenia’s story. Regenia has been a partner of FVChurch for almost a decade, faithfully serving in Kids Ministry and attending almost every time the church doors are open, but in the fall of 2021, God seemed to speak to her in a whole new way.
Regenia writes, “This year, the Holy Spirit was using different situations in my life to show me I was better than the things I was doing. Before the “Different” series, He spoke to me through the radio, through Bible sermons I was listening to, preparing me for the series even before it began. I started to think of myself differently and respecting myself, and even deciding to date differently. For four months I didn’t date at all. God had me examining my life and showing me that as a child of God and in teaching children’s ministry, I needed to change a few things in my life. I needed to be not only telling the kids how much Jesus loves them, but also living my whole life that way.”
“I started to think of myself differently and respecting myself, and even deciding to date differently.”
Regenia missed hearing a lot of the “Different” Series in person, because of teaching preschool and tending to her own children being sick, but she would listen to the sermons while sitting at her kitchen table, or taking a shower, or doing the dishes. She began to be reminded all over again just how the Holy Spirit really can move in your life anytime, and anywhere.
Regenia remembers her time listening to the sermons, “The one week I was standing, after the message, in my dining room worshiping, praying with arms held high. I felt God‘s presence through my body and the Holy Spirit said to me, ‘I am with you through this storm.’ It brought tears to my eyes. Another Sunday, I was in the shower listening to the “Different” message about giving God your secret corner. I was, again, at the end, in my bathroom, praying. I was giving my secret corner to God, asking Him to work in my life and guide me and direct me.”
“I have been praying for quite a while for a Godly relationship to come into my life, but I was also searching in my own way. Through this year and through the “Different” series, I learned that I am different as a child of God. I am still praying for God’s will in that situation in my life, but I have realized that I get to be different and do the whole dating thing differently. Not how the world says you should do it, but how God says it should be done.”
The enemy knows our weaknesses and does everything he can to interfere with our God-given callings! Regenia had been wondering for a while if the prayer team would be a good fit for her, but she worried that her OCD would inhibit her ability to pray over others well. She worried about saying the wrong thing, but months prior she had decided to rebuke the bad thoughts, worries, and fears, and just trust Jesus with it. Over the next few weeks, it became apparent why the enemy was working so hard to get Regenia to stop praying.
She writes, “Saturday, October 16, while I was doing dishes I was listening to Jeremiah Stoddart’s missions weekend. At the end, as he was talking about healing, I was praying, hands held high, right along with him. He said, ‘Put your hand where there’s pain.’ I put my hands on my lower back, left side. This one spot that had been hurting for weeks. I prayed along with Jeremiah, finished listening, and went on with my day. Didn’t pay attention to my back, until Monday, and realized there was no pain in that spot! And there hadn’t been ever since I prayed on the 16th! What’s even more amazing is that I had a cyst in my reproductive area, and I believe now that was where the back pain was coming from. Sunday night, when I turned in bed I had a bad pain in my stomach and woke up in the morning bleeding pretty bad for three days. I also have not had that stomach pain since! I had the cyst for a couple years. One of the symptoms I was having could have been ovarian cancer, so whether it was cancer or a cyst GOD HEALED the back pain, stomach pain and frequent urination! It’s ALL GONE!!!”
“It’s all gone!”
Since then, God has continued to work through Regenia. October 23, she went out to feed her horse, Romeo, when Romeo started choking. He could still breathe, but it was stuck in his throat and he was coughing up mucus from his mouth and nose. Poor guy wasn’t getting any better, he was throwing his head, pawing the ground and trying to lay down. Regenia began to pray. She laid her hands on him, ran her hands down his throat, his neck, his face, and prayed for God to heal him to help him to get it out, or all down, and help him to stop choking. She just poured her heart out to God, and as she watched, the horse began to change. The coughing slowed, he began to normalize. Soon, he wasn’t coughing at all, and didn’t choke or spit up anything anymore! GOD HEALED the horse!!
October 27, something else significant happened. It seemed like God just kept proving to Regenia over and over again that He was there. Regenia’s two-year-old nephew, Tommy, decided to put a bead up his nose. She tried everything the doctor said to try. Several times, she covered his mouth with hers and blew, to try to blow the bead out his nose. That didn’t work. Nothing worked. She began to get him dressed to go to the ER, but decided to pray and try it one more time—and the bead BLEW out! Regenia truly believes that if she wouldn’t have prayed, that bead would not have come out. They would have had to go to the ER and have it removed. That prayer made all the difference!
God seemed to be proving to Regenia that—YES—she should serve the church on the prayer team. God was honoring Regenia’s prayers! Prayer is so important. It can change any situation. God wants to hear our prayers and hear us call out to Him. Regenia is so convinced of that now, that her first question to people going through something tough is, “did you pray about it?” She fully believes that our prayers can change the world! As we pray and seek God through sermons, Bible readings, Christian radio stations and many, many more things He will speak to us and reveal so many things to us.
“Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”