Being a Woman of God

Godly Women

Some of the most impressive people I have ever met in my life have been ladies. One was my mother, who was a praying woman. The other was an elderly woman whom I met when I was nine years old.

At that time we moved to a certain place in Tennessee where my mother was raised. There was an elderly woman who lived up in the mountains and had several children. Everybody called her Grandma Shields.

We lived a mile from a little Baptist church, and Grandma Shields lived about a mile from us. She would walk down those dusty roads, two miles one way, to come to church. And this elderly woman would shout in church all the time. She would just praise God and walk the floor in church, and the

Spirit of God would come on her.

When she was out in the corn fields working, she would be pulling corn, when suddenly she would get on her knees and start praying. The Spirit of God would come upon her and she would shout in the corn fields. And it was like that all the time with her. I would walk behind her as a little kid, and she would just stop and praise the Lord.

This woman knew God better than anybody in that community. You could hear her praying up in the mountains. When she would come down from there, the glory of God would be all over her.

Another godly woman I knew was someone I met after I gave my life to the Lord and started working with Charismatic and Pentecostal people. She was a Pentecostal woman. She lived close to the church in small white house. And I believe she knew God in an intimate way.

I would hear testimonies about this woman in the midst of cyclones and storms. I heard about her faith, how she would just kneel by a window, throw her hands up, and say, "Cyclone, I'm talking to you, you can't touch my house, in Jesus' name!" And those cyclones would go by, trees blowing the air, lifting houses up and carrying them off—but not one of them ever touched her house.

I would think, Boy, it would be good to know God like that and have that kind of faith in God.

This woman wanted me to visit with her because she knew I traveled all over the country. Sometimes I would also take my friends who were preachers and evangelists. I wouldn't tell them where we were going, because I didn't think they would want to go to some little old lady's house. When we arrived at her house, they would ask, "Norvel, where are you taking us?" I would say, "Be quiet, don't ask any questions; just follow me."

The Ministry of a 'Little Old Lady'

One time when I took an evangelist to visit this woman, I asked her how the Holy Ghost operated on her. She said, "Ohhhhh, the Holy Ghost! I had this growth the size of a lemon that grew on my jaw. I didn't worry about it; I just thanked the Lord. I just told the Lord to take it away. One day I was in the bathroom, and the Holy Ghost came on me and said, 'Go into the living room and sit down in the green chair, because this morning I'm going to operate on you. Take a towel with you.'"

She continued, "I took a towel with me and walked out of the room. He even told me what color of chair to sit in; He told me to sit in my green chair. I sat in the green chair, and I put the towel across my lap, turned my face sideways — and the knot fell off! I didn't even feel anything. And now my face is as smooth as silk!"

She said, "I wanted to save it and put it in alcohol or camphor, but the Lord said, 'No, don't save it; it's the devil's handiwork!'"

By the time the little Pentecostal lady had finished, I looked at this guy who had preached around the world, and his lips were quivering. By the time she finished, the glory of the Lord was in her living room.

I said, "Sister White, I want you to do me a favor. This is my good friend, and I want you to lay your hands on him."

As soon as she put her hands on him, he just came unglued! He cried and kept on crying. God wrung him out like a rag!

As we were leaving, I asked him, "Did you ever meet anybody who knows God like she does? When she starts talking, God comes in her house!"

My First Casting-Out Experience

Another one of my most memorable experiences in the Lord involved a woman — but this woman had a devil, and for the first time in my life, it was my responsibility to cast that devil out.

Lester Sumrall once asked me to speak a few minutes at a meeting in San Bernardino, California. He said, "That's where the Hell's Angels are from. Why don't you go with me while you are in that area? It would be good for the congregation to hear from a businessman who loves God. Before I speak, take about fifteen minutes to give a testimony from a businessman's viewpoint."

I agreed to go with him. The first night I gave about a fifteen-minute testimony of what Jesus means to a businessman. I got through giving the testimony, but as I walked off the stage, the Spirit of the Lord came on me and I began to weep. The Holy Ghost said to me, "Don't leave this meeting."

So after the service I told Brother Lester, "The Holy Spirit really blessed me because I gave that testimony. He told me not to leave this meeting."

Now, the Lord told me not to leave because He had a reason why He wanted me to stay at that meeting.

It's so important for you to obey God.

When God tells you to do something, He usually won't ever tell you the reason why He's telling you to do it. You first have to obey Him, and then He will show you.

So I decided to stay around until I got a release from God. Lester said, "You can help me pray at the altar. I pray for a lot of people."

I said, "All right, just anything you want me to do. If I'm going to be here, I might as well be doing something."

So the next morning and night came, and nothing had happened. At the next morning meeting, I was sitting on the front row the way I usually did when Lester gave an invitation.

This one woman got up and walked down to the front. She looked as if she were normal, just standing there. So I got up out of my seat, because I had been assisting Lester in his prayer ministry.

I stood at the front waiting for Lester to join us. But this woman didn't wait for Lester to come down off the stage; she walked up to me.

She said, "Would you please pray for me? Every time I go downtown to shop, I park my car at a parking meter. I walk up the street a few steps, and something jumps on top of me and makes me have back pain so badly I can't stand it. I can't even shop! I have to go back home, and the pain lasts for three or four hours. I just pray until I finally get a release, and then I'm all right. Please pray for me."

Well, I had never prayed for anybody before that had something jump on their back all the time. I was just a nice Baptist fellow!

So 1 said, "That's okay, I'll pray for you. Give me your hands. I'll just hold your hands and ask the Lord to bless you."

So she gave me her hands. The moment my hands touched her hands, she jumped back and looked at me and began to growl! I was from the First Baptist Church, I had never seen anything like that!

The congregation looked like they had never seen anything like that either. I looked up at Lester Sumrall, and he was standing against the pulpit just as calm as he could be. And I was a nervous wreck! This woman was growling at me!

I thought to myself, This crazy woman looks like she wants to fight! She looks like she's going to attack me! But, of course, I know she won't, because we're in church!

But she just kept staring at me, growling! I thought, "Grrr, yourself, I don't even know what you're doing!" She growled some more, and then she tore into me!

Well, I had already made up my mind I wasn't going to let this crazy woman beat me up in church! I thought to myself, If she starts hitting me, I'm going to throw her on the floor!

So when she tore into me, I grabbed her by one of her arms and I held her off from me. (It's never nice to whip a woman in church!) I had a real grip on her, and she groaned and growled more and more. Finally she just fell on the floor.

I thought this was the strangest church service I had ever been in! I was new in the Charismatic Movement, and I was trying to be a nice Full Gospel Businessman who just prayed nice prayers for people.

All of a sudden I heard a voice say, "Cast that thing out of her!" I jumped! It was Lester who said it.

I asked, "Me?"

He said, "Yeah."

Immediately I began to get hot flashes. I was embarrassed because I didn't know what to do. I thought to myself, What thing? What thing am I supposed to cast out of her? Does she have a THING in her? Meanwhile, this woman is still lying on the floor groaning and moaning.

Then Lester said, "And don't let her talk either!"

So I thought to myself, Okay, cast that thing out of her and don't let her talk. What am I supposed to do, just raise her up, slap her in the face, and say, 'Be gone'? It's not nice to slap a woman, period—especially in church!

Well, Lester's brother-in-law, Reverend Murphy, was there. I thank God for Reverend Murphy!

He was sitting on the front row on the other side of me. He scooted out of his seat and got on his knees beside this woman and said, "Come out of her, in Jesus' name!"

Well, I learned a long time ago if you act like you know what you are doing, nobody will know that you're ignorant. So I said, "Yeah! Come out of her!" That's the first time I ever said that.

1 had no earthly idea what I was talking to. I was just copying Reverend Murphy, because he acted as if he knew what he was doing. But I surely didn't know what I was doing!

Then Reverend Murphy said, "I said, 'Obey me and come out of her!'" He said it strong!

So I said, "Yeah, and I said it too! Come out of her! Whatever you are, come out of her!" Every time he said it, I would also say it.

While he was holding her head up, she suddenly became limp. I thought to myself, Oh my God, we've killed her! I had been going to see Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Hop-A-Long Cassidy movies ever since I was a little kid, and that's the way they all died in Westerns!

Two or three minutes passed, then suddenly Reverend Murphy reached down, took her by the hand, and raised her up. I looked at her and she was crying. She seemed to have changed into another human being! She looked like an angel. Then she began saying, "Oh, thank You, Jesus."

I thought to myself, My, my, my, she looks like an angel. She turned from a horrible creature that wanted to fight into somebody who looks like an angel. Boy, this is something else!

While I was standing there, the Lord said, "You can go now. You can leave." So I was released from the Lord to leave that meeting. I informed Lester and then left.

But, you see, the Lord wanted me to see all of that. I thought that Reverend Sumrall's ministry was real nice, but I didn't identify myself with it. That was Reverend Sumrall and Reverend Murphy; they both had good ministries. But I never thought that God would want me to get involved with anything like that—I was First Baptist!

Three Revelations From Mark 16

About four or five days later, I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, driving around conducting business. All of a sudden the Spirit of the Lord moved upon me in my car and said, "Go study the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Mark, right now!" An urgency came upon me so that I couldn't wait until I got to my house!

I jumped out of the car and ran into the house. I opened up the Bible to the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Mark. That day I got three revelation manifestations from God in that one chapter.

I want to share with you what God showed me. Let's read beginning with verse 1.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified, he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Mark 16:1-8

At the moment I read that eighth verse where it said, "they were afraid," the Holy Ghost came upon me and I began to weep and weep. The love of God overshadowed me, and I was caught up in the glory of the Lord. He just loved me and loved me, and I wept tears of joy and peace. I felt the love of God so strong, I couldn't hardly stand it.

When the glory of the Lord finally let up, I looked back at the Bible to read the ninth verse.

Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Mark 16:9

On this earth we have some great preachers, Bible scholars, churches, and crusades. But the strongest tool in all the world is the pure love of God.

Why Jesus Appeared to Mary Magdalene First

I believe the reason that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first was that she loved Him most. Now I don't have any scripture to back me up, but I believe that if you will ask God, you will find out that is true.

You see, Mary Magdalene was looking for Him. She wasn't sitting at her house with hardness of heart and unbelief. She believed what He said, and she was looking for Him.

What the Lord was doing that day in my house, as I studied Mark chapter 16, was establishing in me a ministry that would last all my life. When I read that ninth verse, "Out of whom he had cast seven devils," immediately my mind went back to San Bernardino, California.

I remembered what Reverend Murphy had said to that woman, "Come out of her! I cast you out of her!" When that woman revived again after falling to the floor, she looked like she had received the same thing I was receiving right then — the love of God. Then I realized that she received that love because a devil was cast out of her!

So what I saw at that moment was that if someone was being buffeted or possessed or oppressed with a devil, and you break its power and make it leave the person, that person will love you, and they will love God.

Let's continue reading from the Book of Mark.

...appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

Mark 16:9,10

It had been three days, and people were still mourning and weeping, because they loved Jesus so much.

And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

Mark 16:10,11

They didn't believe Mary Magdalene, because they had been with Jesus for about eight or nine hours at the Cross until He died and probably helped bury Him. But she told them, "He's alive! He appeared to me and talked to me!"

Notice the next verses:

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen them after he was risen.

Mark 16:12-14

All the disciples were sitting there, and they didn't believe it either. They had hardness of heart and unbelief. They didn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead. But when Jesus walked through the wall and appeared to them and talked to them, then, of course, they finally believed.

The Most Important Words Jesus Ever Spoke

When I read that particular verse about the danger of people having hardness of heart and unbelief and not receiving anything from God, these words began to boil up out of me; it was a word from the Lord: "Now these are the most important words that ever came out of My mouth."

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

Well of course, those are the most important words that ever came out of Jesus' mouth, "Go preach the gospel to every creature." Do you preach to anybody? Do you ever run up on any creatures and preach?

Someone might say, "Brother Norvel, I'm not called to preach. That's not my calling."

My answer is, "Oh yeah, it is."

Now you may be thinking about preaching in a church or a crusade or up on stage. But that's not what that means. Everybody in the world who is born again can preach the greatest sermon in the world by opening up his mouth and telling what Jesus has done for him. There isn't a person that can't do that.

That verse doesn't specifically mean you have to be called to a public ministry—just open up your mouth. Paul said, "If you'll open your mouth, the Holy Ghost will put words in your mouth." You know what the Lord has done for you; just give your testimony. Tell about what you used to be, and what you are now that the Lord saved you.

You don't have to go into all the gory details—just tell them that you were a scuzball! And since the Lord saved you and touched you, now you are sweet and precious.

Cast Out Devils!

Now let's continue reading from Mark chapter 16.

...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mark 16:15,16

As I continued studying Mark chapter 16, the word of the Lord came unto me again saying, "Son, hardly anybody on earth believes this verse, and very few people ever obey it," He was referring to the next scripture. I didn't even know what it said. The word of God came to me like lightning and told me that.

Then I looked down at the seventeenth verse and read:

And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils...

Mark 16:17

Well, I thought to myself, I've been believing the Lord ever since I was a little Baptist kid, but I don't cast out devils.

However, in these verses Jesus is saying, "I have an order for you: If you're saved, I want you to use My name and cast out devils."

Then I thought about what had happened in California with that woman. I said, "Lord, I think You're trying to show me something."

Obeying and Doing the Word

Once when I was in Columbus, Ohio, I began to obey the Lord. He moved on me and said, "Son, I've given you the ministry of casting out devils." And I found out that devils would leave people just because I spoke with authority and say, "In Jesus' Name, Come out of her! Go from him!"

When you do that, you can break demons' power, and they leave. The people are set free and start crying, and the glory of God comes upon them.

What It Takes to Be a Woman of God

Do you want to be a woman of God? If you do, you have to learn to resist the devil.

If your teenagers won't serve the Lord, the devil has come to your house to steal your children. Don't let him have them! Bind him up and throw him out of the house! Say, "In Jesus' Name, turn my son loose. I bind you! In Jesus' Name, I resist you. Go from my children!

"And I confess, in Jesus' name, that the Holy Spirit will create a desire in my children to go to church. And that they will love me and their father and show respect. I bind you, you unrespecting devil!"

If your teenage son sasses you and wants to do his own thing when he leaves the house, just stand in the middle of the floor and say, "I bind you, you rebel devil, in Jesus' Name! You turn my son loose! Thank You, Lord, for the desire coming into my children to go to church and serve the Lord!"

And just keep on resisting. If you resist the devil, you can break the power of the devil — over anything!

When I see something wrong with you, I don't care what it is — I see the devil at work. Do you know why I see the devil at work? Because it is the truth. I have been in the presence of God too much now not to know it.

Friend, always know that you can trust the Bible all the time. When Jesus said, "In my name you shall cast out devils," just believe that you can say, "In Jesus' Name, come out! I cast you out!" and the demons will go.

You may say, "But, Brother Norvel, I'm just a little sweet lady. I want to be a lady." Well, be a sweet lady in public. In your private life, when people need help, be a tiger and cast out devils!

You have a voice. Just because you are a little sweet lady, you can still get mad at the devil when he is doing evil to people. Say, "In Jesus' Name, I break your power! Leave this person alone! Go from this person!"

Now think about what Jesus said, "If you believe in Me, I want you to cast out devils." This was the first commission from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.

Someone might say, "Well, I believe in Jesus."

Then Jesus says, "Oh, you do? Well, if you believe in Me, I want you to use My name. I'm going to give it to you for free. And I want you to cast out devils. I want you to resist devils."

Friend, you better start resisting devils, because devils are what get you into trouble.

Don't Let the Devil Torment You

Now the lady in California, well, she was a sweet lady. But there was this thing jumping on her back so that she couldn't even go shopping. Well, it was the devil! A tormenting devil!

Well, don't let devils torment you. Any kind of torment that you're going through with your mind, family, anything else — don't accept it! Bind that thing in Jesus' Name, and resist it!

The words "resist, bind, rebuke" are some of the best words in the Bible. It keeps your enemy away from you. It makes your enemy flee!

Of course, the best thing in the Bible is what James 4:7 says:

Submit yourselves therefore to God...

James 4:7

That means to worship God, to submit yourself to God. Show Him that you will praise Him and worship Him.

Just because you are a real sweet lady and you are a Christian, don't just sit around and let the devil do anything he wants to do to you. Let the Lord do anything He wants to do to you—but don't let the devil do anything to you! Resist the devil in Jesus' name!

Mary Magdalene Sold Out to Jesus

Friend, when Jesus cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene, she sold out to Him— totally! She was looking for Jesus because she believed it when He said, ...and on the third day he shall rise again (Matthew 20:19). She wasn't afraid; she believed. And the Lord appeared to her first and talked to her. Why?

Well, Jesus is just like you and me; we always want to hang around people who love us a lot. They don't want anything in return; they just love us a lot.

Jesus loved Mary Magdalene a lot—even though she had devils. He cast them out. She sold out to Him, and she loved Him a lot, and He trusted her love. Show God He can trust your love. Let's read from verse 17:

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils....

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them...

Mark 16:17,18

The word "serpent" is a name for a devil. "Satan" is a name for a devil. "Devil" is a name for a devil. "The prince of darkness" is a name for a devil. He has a lot of names. The Bible says to take up serpents and throw them out! Don't wait for them to leave; they will hang around—they are like leeches!

As I continued studying from Mark 16, I was utterly amazed when I saw the next verse. Then the Spirit of the Lord reminded me, He said, '"Notice, Son, the last eleven words that came out of My mouth."

...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

And they went forth, and preached EVERY WHERE, the Lord working with them...

Mark 16:18-20

He Will Confirm Your Words

Now remember, every time you open your mouth to sing a song in an old folks' homes; every time you open up your mouth to tell somebody about Jesus; every time you open up your mouth and tell them that Jesus will help them—He will confirm your words with signs following.

He will confirm your words with signs following, just as much as He will any bigtime preacher. He wants you to be a witness unto Him.

One of the main ministries in the world is for you and me to be a witness for Jesus to somebody who needs help. And just keep it that way for the rest of your life. Don't ever try to get popular; don't ever get fancy. Just stay normal. God loves normal people, full of the Holy Ghost!

And, women, remember what it takes to be a woman of God: Learn to resist the devil in the name of Jesus wherever he rears his head, and be a woman who loves the Lord very much!

About the Author

Norvel Hayes shares God's Word boldly and simply, with an enthusiasm that captures that heart of the hearer. He has learned through personal experience that God's word can be effective in every area of life and that it will work for anyone who will believe it and apply it.

Norvel owns several businesses which function successfully despite the fact that he spends more than half his time away from the office, ministering the Gospel throughout the country. His obedience to God and his willingness to share his faith have taken him to a variety of places. He ministers in churches, seminars, conventions, colleges, prisons — anywhere the Spirit of God leads.

Being A Woman Of God

Norvel Hayes shares biblical insights on what it takes to be a woman of God. Using godly women that he has known as examples, Norvel discusses the qualities that make up a godly woman.

Norvel shares that two of the most important qualities of the godly woman-and, indeed, of commitment to resist the devil in every area of life, and a deep, abiding love for jesus.

Norvel Hayes, a successful businessman, has learned through personal experience that God’s Word works for anyone who will believe and apply it. He shares witha bold simplicity that captures theheart of the reader and shines new light on hidden treasures.

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