Q: You've been a wife, mother, and grandmother alongside your international ministry. How have these roles shaped your understanding of God's purpose in your life?
A: Whether you're a wife, mother, grandmother, or minister, you still desire to have fruit that will last. Life, for all of us, has challenges and demands for us to constantly go to God if we want to have lasting fruit. It is the same for each role. You will face challenges in ministry, and you will also face challenges as a wife, mother, and grandmother. But if you want to have good fruit, you must draw nourishment, strength, and correction from God. His supply to us from the ever indwelling Holy Spirit in us is super abundant to do the job and aid us in our fruit-bearing life.
Q: As a mentor to women for over 25 years, what have you learned about the unique challenges and callings women face in today's world?
A: I have learned that we all have an enemy, but we all have a Champion who lives on the inside of us as well. The challenges to our vision and what we wish for as women seem to be the same all over the world. Many ask, “How can I continue to trust God in my difficulties, continue to love others, continue to give grace to others, and not give up the victory in sight?” And I would say to them, the enemy is intimidated by the power of God in you. Although, he will try to throw many things at you to stop you, Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” So what have I learned? Don't quit!
Q: Balancing family, ministry, and personal growth can be challenging. How have you learned to prioritize your relationship with God while fulfilling all your responsibilities?
A: I have learned to prioritize my relationship with God by getting up early and making time for Him first thing in the morning. He has all the answers to all my huge questions. He knows all my problems, insecurities, and strengths — He even knows what I am going to say before I say it! He understands I am one person, but sometimes I feel like I have to be three or four, depending on the circumstance, and He knows there are seasons to life. He created them in nature and in us. Ask Him what season you are in now, embrace His instruction and direction with all your heart, and do your best, but do not be hard on yourself. How can you keep God first? Do it on purpose, and listen to Him every day.
Q: In your experience, what are the most important biblical truths that women should apply to their relationships, marriages, and daily lives?
A: There are two biblical truths that are very important to apply to your daily life. The first is found in Philippians 2:14, which says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” For most people, if they want to complain about something, they can usually find a reason to. If you see a complaining person, you will rarely see him happy or thankful. However, if you see a thankful person, you will rarely see him complaining and most of the time he is happy. When you are short on thankfulness and big on complaining, it can really affect your relationships, health, and daily life in a negative way. But when you find yourself high on the scale of being thankful and not complaining, you can open yourself up to a world of all kinds of beautiful possibilities. The second biblical truth is Ephesians 4:32: “…Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” There were a couple of years when I read this verse every day. These words kept me free, kind, and unbitter as I meditated on them daily, and I learned to forgive. This decision to forgive has kept much heartache and sickness out of my life, and it has also kept the door open for many blessings in all kinds of relationships in my life — more than I can count.
Q: Looking back on your journey from the U.S. to the former Soviet Union, what has been one of the most defining moments in your faith and ministry?
A: For more than three decades, we have been serving in the former Soviet Union, spending nine years in Latvia and 25 years in Russia. There have been a lot of opportunities beyond my wildest imagination, like singing in the Kremlin palace with an 85-piece orchestra. Rick and I have had the privilege to witness all three of our boys get married and to receive three beautiful Russian daughters-in-law, bringing us eight Russian grandchildren. There have been so many wonderful events in our lives, but for me personally, there have also been deaths of dear friends here in Moscow, heartbreaks and betrayals, and many opportunities to forgive and move forward. I would say the one thing that has held a very significant role in my life is Matthew 6:34, which says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Every day is a gift, and we get to decide what we will put in it and what we will take from it. While each one of us has different challenges, we all have the same 24 hours to work with, and we get to decide how we will use it.
Q: At the Lord's leading, you moved your young children to the Soviet Union to minister in a challenging environment. What did you learn about trusting God with your kids during that time?
A: I have learned that if you are doing your best and trusting God, He will take care of your kids. There were times when, because of the challenges in educating our boys while we moved to another country with a different language, I did not know if my kids were going to be able to read. But God is so faithful, and today they read and write in multiple languages and are amazing leaders. It is so important that we do our best and trust God because He will do the impossible. I am a witness of God’s faithfulness, and as it says in Ephesians 3:20, He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think, according to the power of God that works in us.
Q: How have you seen women's roles in ministry and the Church evolve over the years, and how do you encourage women to embrace their God-given callings?
A: For you to embrace your God-given calling, you must decide what that calling is, hear from God, have confirmation in your heart, and then put your hand to the plow and do not look back. It is important for women to be sensitive to the season that they are in as well. The callings inside you will not go away because you have small children, your husband needs you by his side, or you end up taking care of a sick loved one. Know that those callings and gifts in you are without repentance, and they will only grow and germinate inside you as you care for others, put yourself aside, and manage the challenges that come to your life. The changes in seasons for a woman are, many times, like open doors directing us to the callings God has placed in our hearts. Be sensitive to His voice and guidance, know when the seasons are changing, and embrace every one of them with all your heart and soul. God has a way of preparing us and strengthening us for our calling when we are not even looking or striving for it, and He will move in powerful ways to place you in your call, moving situations and people around to put you right where you were called to be all along.
Q: Mother’s Day is a special time to reflect on the role of mothers. What advice do you have for women who are balancing the demands of family, ministry, and their own spiritual growth?
A: I would tell those women to make their own time with God the priority. He will teach you how to do the rest. Don’t be harsh on yourself; simply do your best and trust God, and He will take up the slack. You will see that He is faithful.
Q: For moms facing difficult or uncertain situations with their children, what advice would you give them about trusting God with their kids' future and knowing He’s always in control?
A: The advice I would give is found in Provers 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” Your trusting and seeking God will do much more than any of the time wasted going over things again and again in your mind and worrying. Fill your heart and mind with how much God loves you and your children and listen to testimonies of how God has rescued other children and has comforted the hearts of other mothers. God cares more for your children than you do, and He has a way of rescue that we do not know about. Make it your habit to always put that child in God’s hands. He will show you what He can do when you take your hands off of that child, quit worrying, and put that child in His hands, trusting God to rescue him.
Q: As a grandmother, how do you pass down your faith to the next generation, and what do you hope they carry forward from your legacy?
A: As a grandmother, it is my job to pass down my faith to my grandchildren. I read the Bible to them, pray with them, and sing to them. I have eight grands. At first, they only spoke Russian, and my fluency was lacking greatly, so there was a breakdown in our communication. But I called them and spoke the Word to them and over them anyway, and I did my best as they grew up to communicate with them more and more. I hope they carry forward faith in God from my legacy and remember that I love them and that Grandma was always talking about what God can do and how He loved them.
Q: When viewers tune into your program, Time with Denise Renner, on Daystar, what can they expect to find?
A: First, let me say how much I appreciate that my program is aired on Daystar. On my program, viewers can expect to find encouragement, revelation, and healing. This is what I have heard from those who have seen my program, and this is my prayer. I want them to see and experience that Jesus is alive and powerful today, living inside them, and that He is our Healer and a miracle-working God who loves them and will never leave them.
