The Glory of Heaven

When I was in a communist prison in 1972 for smuggling Bibles into the Communist Bloc (2 tonnes every time I came), I was pastor, evangelist - but I had to learn all over again HOW to pray. For the first six months, it seemed as if there was NO answer.  In my utter desperation the Spirit reminded me of the Lord's Prayer. So I began to say, "Our Father", but I argued, "That's plural, I'm alone in here. I'm not in church. I have to say, 'my' Father!" Suddenly I knew, He's MINE! He's my FATHER! I'm HIS child! I'm locked in this stinking prison, but He's not only MINE, He's my FATHER! Then I came to the next part, 'Who is in Heaven...' - But I argued, "You're in Heavenly glory, with angel choirs, worship, power... I'm not in Heaven, I'm in a filthy cell, in a hell on earth! Oh God, You're up there in Heaven, don't You understand?!! I'm in a living hell!!!"

Then I remembered, God so loved me, He sent His Son, not only to live on earth, but to go into a prison like me. God allowed His own Son to be incarcerated, beaten, tortured - so much, He should have died under the beating, there and then in that prison cell, even before He reached the cross! God allowed it. Who am I if I am called to suffer?

And then I came to the next part, 'Hallowed be Thy Name'. What does that mean? I have never understood until my time in prison for Bible smuggling. But it was as if the Lord said to me, "This is where you have to worship." But HOW could I in the circumstances I was in? I tried to 'praise' God through clenched teeth. Can you imagine?!! I was in rebellion, there was no reality. HOW could I praise God in the depths of hell? Suddenly, as I began to say those words, 'Praise the Lord', it was if the roof of the prison opened. I could hear the angel choirs, I heard the music of Heaven, I sensed the glory of Heaven - something happened in that cell. The glory of God came down! It was as if I was transported into Heaven and the glory of God came on me. I leaped up off that stool and began to run around that cell, singing, shouting, "Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, HOW great Thou art!" The glory of God filled my soul. Never in a church or prayer meeting have I ever experienced the glory of God, the very presence and power of God - as I did in that hell on earth.

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God is my Father

'When you pray say, "Our Father"' (Luke 11:2)

Things were difficult in the prison in Czechoslovakia where I was imprisoned for Bible smuggling; in the first few months it seemed as if God did not answer any of my prayers. When I prayed for food, there was none, when I prayed that my wife would come, she was not allowed a visa to visit me - it seemed that every prayer that I prayed, God said no. I began to despair. We had to get up at 6.00 am every morning and sit for hours on a wooden stool embedded with nails. It was torture. In the first six months I wasn't allowed out of my cell - my food and my toilet were in the cell. I lost so much weight. However, I would try to pray in those early hours before the guards brought the mouldy black bread and foul tasting, drug laced drink which was our only breakfast.

One morning when I had been three months in that cell, I cried out in desperation that I could not pray anymore because, I said, "Oh God, every time I pray, You say no! When I want the food parcels my family send, or a visit from my wife, or for me to be found not guilty in the court and be set free, always the answer is no! I don't know how to pray anymore, everything I ask for, it's no!" I sat there, not knowing what to do. "Oh God, if You don't hear me, I'd rather die, because life has no purpose, no meaning if You don't answer me." While I was still saying, "Oh God, I cannot pray anymore", I remembered the words in the Bible (I had no Bible in the prison - it was forbidden) when the disciples had asked Jesus how to pray, and He said, "When you pray say..." - and I began hesitantly to say those words, 'Our Father' - but as I did so, I began to argue, I cannot say 'our', that's plural - I'm alone in here, no family, no friends, no believers, how can I speak in the plural? I have to say MY Father. Suddenly I knew the reality of those words, He is mine - He is my Father!

Watch or listen to this message by clicking on the links below

To listen to the podcast click here

To watch the video click here