Into the Throne Room of God...

The most incredible, amazing thing happened to me tonight. I entered into the Throne Room of God. I don't quite recall anything like it ever happening to me before in my Christian walk.

God has been speaking to me so much about prayer lately. I have been challenged by it in my Sunday School class, in the preaching I am hearing at Church, in my devotions and even by my daughter who came home from camp and shared about a wonderful sermon she heard on prayer. The preacher had really challenged the campers to think about what they are doing and where they are going when they pray. He really challenged them to prepare their hearts and minds to stand before God in his Throne Room, for that is what we do when we go to him in prayer.

Tonight I was studying my lesson for my Sunday School class. We are starting a study in the book of Revelations. The material is very deep and there are many scripture references. I had spent several hours in God's word today, going back and forth between references. I was looking at verse 6 of Revelations 1. The previous verses had spoken very strongly about who Christ was and what he had come to do. Our role as priests on this Earth now...our role as Kings in the kingdom to come. At the very end of the commentary dealing with this verse, there was a brief comment about the benediction that John offered, one that he was taught in Matthew 6:13.

I knew that this was the Lord's prayer. I maybe even hesitated a little to look up the reference. After all, I know that by heart. Growing up as a Lutheran, I repeated that prayer, in a rote fashion, over and over and over again. To be honest, I haven't thought about it that much over the years since becoming a Christian. I came to understand that it was a template for prayer, not a thing to be memorized and thoughtlessly recited every Sunday or in a scary situation.

I decided to go ahead and go the reference. I started reading the familiar passage when all of a sudden, the truth of what I was reading washed over me like a flood. It was as if for the first time, I was truly praying that prayer to God and fully appreciating everything it says about who He is, about His power, His preeminence. I realized I was there, I was in his precense. I had to cover my eyes as I was so overwhelmed to the point of fear. I was too overcome to even say anything for a few minutes. I don't know how long I sat there. I was weeping, but then, it occurred to me to lift up some prayers to God while I was there. To ask Christ to intercede on my behalf and on the behalf of those I was praying for. Then, I sat in silence and just basked in it for some time. I am still feeling the effects of it. I can't even begin to explain what I am feeling.

Now this probably sounds pretty sensational, but most of you who know me know that I don't buy into the "emotionalism" that is such a part of many denominations these days. I am not glorifying myself or the emotional experience. I am glorifying God Almighty and thanking Him for the privilege of living what he has taught us and experiencing his very tangible presense.

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For THINE is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
Forever and ever.
Amen and Amen