Our Guest: Carolyn Hicks
Carolyn Hicks and her late husband Buddy raised two godly daughters and played a vital role in revival, but it’s through her own quiet obedience and personal encounters with the Lord that she came to understand the depth of His love for her, not just as a pastor’s wife, but as His beloved daughter with a divine assignment.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”…
- It’s not about how qualified we feel, it’s about how present He is.
- And He equips us with all we need when we step forward in faith.
- If we put our faith and trust in Him, we can find freedom and God can give us abundant life.
- The devil makes us think we’re alone in our circumstances.
- When Carolyn started understanding who God is and what He’s done for us, it was natural to put her faith in Him.
- Sometimes she felt inadequate, even unseen. But over time as she spent time with God and got into His word, the Lord began to reshape her thinking.
- God opened her heart and gave her a love for the kids she and her husband were ministering to. She was able to talk one-on-one to many young girls and share with them the truth of what God had shown her so far.
- He was using her in a different way. It looked different, but it was no less important.
Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
- “No matter what I’m going through, I can go to that fortress and seek Him and seek His help. I can trust Him and He will be my deliverer from the snare of the devil and He will be my shield.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NIV Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ…But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…
- Every member of the body of Christ matters, even if we’re not always in the spotlight.
Carolyn has learned that God is always with us.
- The Lord dropped in Carolyn’s heart that she was under His divine protection and that He was with her.
- “Wow, you guys are doing pre-conversion discipleship.”
- God used her to plant the vision. She identified a need and God moved through that.
- The more you learn about God, the more you want to know because you know there’s so much more. No one can ever exhaust knowing and learning about God.
- It’s an ever-growing thing and we have to be intentional about it.
- As we learn and grow, God shows us things when we are open.
- We have to forgive others. It’s not for the other people’s benefit. But for our benefit.
Matthew 6:12-15 NIV And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Carolyn prayed, “God, I don’t want to be bitter; I want to be better.”
- The difference in those spellings is an I and the E. The I, is all about me, my mind, I deserve, I want. We become bitter and it’s like cancer. But when we release it to God, the E stands for eternal God. It’s all about Him.
Matthew 7:21-23 KJ21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? In thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
- It’s vital that we forgive and that we give God our will and become holy as He is holy.
1 Peter 1:16 NKJV “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Philippians 2:13 NKJV For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
- When we are constantly going to the Lord, reading His word and laying down our preferences before Him, it allows the Holy Spirit to work in us to change what we want. And then gives us the strength to do what He’s asking us to do.
Carolyn has discovered how God shapes and matures us to reflect His image more fully.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- But He doesn’t show us at that time everything that we’ve got to change. God loves us so much that He shows us one thing at a time. And as we are obedient to that, He shows us another.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
- The growing intimacy that Caolyn had with the Lord became a foundation when her husband went home to be with the Lord.
- “I never lost hope in God that He would see me through and that I could trust Him.”
- “God, I don’t want to be angry.”
- You have to cry and grieve, but we do not have to despair.
- God’s heart is very tender toward the widows and the orphans.
- After the deep part of Carolyn’s grief was over, she said, “Lord, I’m going to do whatever you ask.”
- “I did not want to stand by the sidelines and watch life go by. I wanted to be involved in His ministry.”
- Carolyn has prayed for years for revival.
There are countless people whom God has placed behind the scenes, faithfully carrying out vital work for His Kingdom.
- Their roles may not be visible, but their impact is immeasurable.
- God sees and honors every act of service, big or small.
- These hidden heroes help build the foundation for what others see.
- “God, if you call me to do this, you’re going to have to equip me to do what you want me to do.”
- And it’s not in our strength that we do this. It’s in the Lord’s strength.
1 Peter 5:7 TPT Pour out your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you.
- God loves us. And He will give us hope.
- His greatest delight is for us to totally and completely trust in Him and obey and follow what He wants us to do.
Esther’s Story
Esther 1-10 NIV …And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”…
- She was plucked out of obscurity and placed in the palace and eventually became a queen.
- And she had fierce trust in God.
- God has let Carolyn have fierce trust in Him as well.
- The king never realized that Esther’s whole life was wrapped around God.
- So he granted her wish and a whole nation was saved because of her tenacity.
- There’s no telling how God can use our obedience in His kingdom.
- We don’t have to have it all together to be used by God.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
- The very places we feel most unqualified are where God loves to reveal His strength.
Philippians 4:13 NKJV I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
- Because it’s not about our ability, it’s about His empowering grace.
Numbers 22:21-35 NIV Balaam and his donkey
- No matter how inadequate you feel, you’re never disqualified in God’s eyes.
- He created us with purpose.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
- God’s power is at work in you, even right now.
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