I
recall one time while ministering
in Brazil God drew near to me in a
very special way. The meetings had
been unusually powerful with many
coming to faith in Christ and testifying to
notable miracles in the nightly meetings.
My preparation time for those meetings
was precious to me. As usual, I shut myself
away for the better part of the day waiting
on God. I had spent several hours of prayer,
seeking the Lord for his release on the
meetings and in preparing my message.
The closeness of the Lord’s presence was
real to me throughout this time, but when
I finally began to wash and change and
make myself ready for the meeting, God
did something quite unusual. I was walking
from the bathroom back to the bedroom
when suddenly he came. That’s the only
way I can describe it. I had been conscious
of the presence of the Lord all afternoon,
but this was something different.
presence of God eclipsed every pain and
every pleasure of earth. If I were never to
experience that blessing again, it would be
enough to last until I see Jesus in heaven.
It spoiled me for everything else but him.
That’s the kind of God-consciousness
which was prevalent in the Early Church
and is present in every revival. God turns
up the dial and brings his presence closer.
There comes a sense of awe, a holy
fear – not the fear of judgment or
condemnation because his love drives
out that kind of fear, but the healthy,
awe-inspiring fear of God in which his
glory and purposes matter to you
more than anything in the world.
I know that, biblically speaking, we
are always in the presence of the Lord.
He said, “I will never leave you nor
forsake you.” But there are different
levels of the experience of his presence.
And this was quite unlike anything
else I had experienced.
It seemed as if the ‘background’
presence of God – that presence which
fills the universe, suddenly came into the
foreground and was revealed to me.
Hearts on Fire by Colin Dye
is available in the KT Bookshop
His presence was indescribable. I can
only say that it lasted about 15 seconds,
and in that time I was conscious of thinking
that this is what heaven must be like.
When the experience was over I realised
that I would not exchange those moments
for anything on earth and that the
Revival Times October 2018
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