Xulon Press Successful Author Spotlight: Ruth Mercado

Today’s Xulon Press Successful Author Spotlight features one of Xulon Press’s favorite authors, Pastor Ruth Mercado. Pastor Mercado is an author of 15 books, including her latest book, Mujer, Exhibe Tu Belleza (Women, Display Your Beauty), a book focused on encouragement and instruction for women of all ages. She has been ministering to women for years at conferences and meetings declaring God’s instruction for women as mothers. She believes when you train a mother, you train the next generation. She has also included her daughters in her training conferences, and when possible, sends them out to represent her at conferences she is unable to attend. She believes that this is an example of how the mothers train the daughters train the next generation on God’s plan for women in the church, the workplace and the home.

During a recent interview with Pastor Ruth Mercado, we asked her a series of questions. The following answers were gathered.

What one past experience changed the course of your life?

“My husband’s recent health crisis. Before his crisis, I always travelled for ministry, moving in vision, seeing miracles performed on a regular basis, throughout my conferences and meetings. All of a sudden, my husband spends 4 months in the hospital. I was confessing the Word, believing in a miracle, but waiting for his body to come under subjection to the Word of God. My faith was strengthened by waiting on the Lord for the past 3 years for my husband to receive his healing. Through this experience, I learned even more what the body of Christ is…not only pastors, but prayer warriors from the north, east, south and west came to support my family and pray for my husband. I reaped prayers from all over. Today, my husband is alive and well, completely healed and back at the head of our ministry all because of the body of Christ.”

When sitting down to write your books, what method do you use to start your writing process?

“I believe it takes passion that you have toward your calling. It helps you express it through your writing. During the process of waiting for my husband’s healing, writing strengthened me. I evaluated my past meetings and broke my conferences down; I would remember and transport myself back to that given time. I had the faith and assurance that my words and message would get to every woman to taste of the good word God had given me through the passion for writing. Where your passion is– that’s where you write. Passion is the family but especially the mother. You teach a mother and you teach a generation.”

What message do you want shared by the story of your life?

“My life’s slogan is – I’m just a servant to wash the feet of God’s servants. The humbleness of where you go- you serve with the heart. I want to bring the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the father, as we are told in Luke 1:17.”

Where do you draw your inspiration?

“Reading the Word of God brings me inspiration. I once read the book “Experiencing God through Prayer” by author Jeanne Guyon, which suggests that we should read the Bible until God speaks to you. Charles Finney spoke of the difference between devotion and devotions. I try to read three chapters a day, more focused on what God is saying to me through His Word than on the volume I am reading. On my 50th birthday, I went to Honduras, and I was compelled to give everything away, even my study Bible that I had used for years. It had all of my notes and my cross references from years of studying the Word. While in Honduras, celebrating my 50th birthday, the Holy Spirit instructed me to give it to someone at the party. The Spirit revealed to me that it’s not the notes I had placed in that book but the Words of that Book that have been placed in my heart that matter most. Since then, I was given a vision to write a concordance for the generations to come. Using a new Bible each time, I do a cross reference of the scriptures, as the Spirit leads. This caused me to manage the Bible by finding the scriptures all over again. I now feel that it’s my calling to create a concordance for each of my three daughters and son to have for each of them. All because I obeyed and gave my study Bible away. The Word is my Life’s inspiration!”

What would you tell others about your relationship with Christ that would inspire them?

“There is peace, joy and love that grow throughout the years of service and relationship with Christ. I started preaching at age 5. My Dad was a pastor. I travelled with my Dad. As a young child, I would sing and people would get saved. I have always had a passion to win souls for Christ. We need to learn to love God more. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, you will love the human race more. Follow your heart’s passion. My heart is bound to Honduras. I see an outpouring there where I want to spread the love of God. The one desire I have is more time alone with God in the early morning. It is like a friendship, worshipping, acknowledging Him and who He is. Worshipping Him is a burning desire of my heart. There is joy in the presence of the lord.

And lastly, when you come to the end of your time here on earth, what would you want them to write on your gravestone that will sum up your life?

“All things I was able to do through Christ Jesus – Philippeans 4:13”