Tonight as I was praying with a friend, I was reminded of one of the first times the bible truly came alive right before my eyes as I was reading it.
It was back in 1997 or 1998, it was Halloween and Phil went to a bonfire at some friends of ours. They were having a pot luck supper and they were going to have music, that Phil sang with friends of ours Sarah Gifford and Kari Hargreaves. I loved listening to them as their voices blended so well you would have thought they were siblings. Sarah and Kari are sisters, but Phil is not related.
Well Brock and his friends were going out for Halloween that night and for some reason I felt I should be home. So as I had the house to myself that night I opened the most precious book that has ever been written. I opened it up to the book of John. I started around the 12th chapter, not really sure exactly, but as I was reading the scripture I felt like I was in the story experiencing it first hand. The Holy Spirit was so present that night and I was being ministered to in a big way. As I continued to read I got to chapter 17…… JOHN 17. I will NEVER FORGET IT!
I read:
John
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lostexcept the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
ok so I started reading this next part and all of a sudden I am realizing the JESUS… JESUS was praying for ME! JESUS WAS PRAYING FOR ME! Read this next part:
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
As I was finishing reading this chapter the phone rang, it was Sarah Gifford. She said “Are you ok?” “I just felt I should call you to see if you were ok.” she said. I said “I AM MORE THAN OK… MY CUP IS OVER FLOWING AND IT IS SPILLING ALL OVER THE KITCHEN RIGHT NOW!” I could not stop the tears, I didn’t want to stop reading.
What God did for me that night was give me a love for Him and His Word…. I can’t get enough!
The Lords presence is better than anything in this world and the only thing in this world that gives me peace, TRUE PEACE!
Thank you Jesus for that night and all the many days and nights that you have and always will be right by my side. May I never stop learning about you and may the excitement for your word and for your presence never wear off. I truly can not wait to meet you face to face!