From May 9 to 13, 2018, Dr. Nadine Joseph- Collins brought a powerful WOW to Central Church in St. Croix, USVI. “WOW,” stands for “Week of Wellness.” It was a time to understand the fundamentals of prayer, to learn why God sometimes says “No,” and how to pray in faith, among other topics. Though sponsored by Women’s Ministry and Prayer Ministry, this dynamic series was for the entire church.
On Sabbath morning, May 12, with the ladies (and men) dressed in shades of purple, Dr. Collins presented her message from Jeremiah 29: 11 entitled “It is finished. “ As she examined the text, “I know the thoughts I have toward you…to give you a desired end,” Dr. Collins suggested that we should be oriented to see our experiences from the “ desired end” as God sees them. This way our prayers would be more meaningful because no matter what we are going through, we would be looking at our circumstances from the “other side of the Red Sea,” the victory already won.
Then on Sabbath afternoon, in a message,” Praying in Faith” based on Hebrews Chapter 11, Dr. Collins looked at the experiences of various heroes mentioned in this Hall of Fame, pointing out that “a person full of faith is a person full of action.” As she presented each hero, we saw a pattern: each hero faced a challenge and that was followed by action. The heroes—Abraham, Sarah, Joseph all exercised their faith by action. She made special mention of Rahab, who though recognized as a harlot, is also known as a woman of faith. Dr. Collins suggested that we should not allow ourselves to be judged by our past failures only, but also by our present successes.
Some of the WOW presentations were social. On Thursday night in a “Prayer Café” with the ladies casually dressed, seated at tables café style in the community center, Dr. Collins spoke about empowering women. She noted that our churches are about 80% female, yet the leadership of the churches is about 20% female. She suggested that women should uplift each other, encouraging each to develop her God-given talents and use them to God’s glory. And then on Sunday at the Mothers’ Day Brunch, Dr. Collins spoke of “The Power of a Praying Mother,” pointing out that “we need to pray for the restoration of our men” in this climate where the “Delilah Effect” and the dark side of the “MeToo” movement have the potential of bringing [innocent] men down.
Julia Charles, a church member, called the meetings “Inspiring.” Another listener commented that the “Information was powerful. “ She added that if we all should be “not just hearers of the Word but doers also.” Yvette Etinoffe considered the presentations “very beneficial.” She hinted, “If put into practice, our lives would be different.” Maureen Williams, visiting from a sister church was especially impressed at the idea of writing down our prayer requests and then recording the joy when they are answered. Laurette Bartlette was “tremendously blessed,” and Verleen McSween considers the information “excellent” and “practical,” that could easily be applied to everyday life. She especially liked the personal stories of how God has been working in Dr. Collins’ life.
The Prayer Coordinator of Central Church, Cleveland Tonge, considered the prayer revival “Spiritually-driven.” He was reminded that “if we kill [starve] the flesh, our spiritual lives would be more elevated.” These powerful messages helped him to see how he could develop the prayer life of the church. The Women’s Ministry leader, Ursula Theophilus, stated that “the topics catered to mind, body, and soul. We will never be the same again.” And the event coordinator, Ana Browne who has been trying to bring Dr. Collins to St. Croix for months, noted, “I know we have gotten a blessing.”
Dr. Collins commented that she felt Central Church was ready for this prayer revival, poised to receive the messages. She noted, “Everyone needs a WOW prayer life.” Central Church’s pastor Ammeran Williams added, “The messages have been very impacting.” He concluded that these messages have met a real need of Central Church where prayer is “not just a technique, but an outgrowth of a relationship with Christ.” He thanks God for what has been accomplished through the ministry of Dr. Collins.
Dr. Nadine Collins, a St. Lucian by birth, resides in Georgia and is the author of five books on prayer. She has traveled extensively taking God’s messages on prayer to men and women across the globe. Nadine is married to Nyse Collins, a popular chef who conducts cooking classes on 3ABN. She can be reached at the following numbers and addresses.
info@nadinecollins.com, 817 719 3099 ,www.nadinecollins.com