RR: John, I’ve had to learn how to forgive people who have hurt me. And in cases, I’ve had to go to them, the Lord has sent me to them to tell me to ask them to forgive me because I’ve been holding something against them for what they have done to me.

LR: And it’s a seed.

RR: God has released me in other areas of my life when I’ve done that.  It hasn’t been easy.  I remember one man who had said some terrible things about me on television.  This was maybe ten, fifteen years ago … things that weren’t true.  And I was deeply hurt and offended, and then I was bitter at him.  And the Lord spoke to me and said, “Go to him and ask him for forgiveness.” And I said, “Why?  I’ve done nothing.”  He said, “You go ask first.”  So I did.  I asked him to forgive me for holding it against him.  And there was a healing.  He said, “Well, I found out what I said wasn’t true and I’m sorry.”  And there was a healing between us.  But it happened because I went to him.  He was the one in the wrong, not me, yet God sent me to him to ask him to forgive me.

J: That’s amazing because that’s exactly what happened to me in the two deepest things that happened to me.  God told me to go to both men both times and apologize for being critical and judgmental of them.  And when I did, it opened it up and we came together.  We reconciled together, one of whom, you know, the man continued in his ways.  The other one, we are still like this today, and that was the deepest one.

And, by the way, Richard, the person that can hurt you the worst is the person that’s closest to you. We expect the world to do us wrong, but what about another minister?  What about another believer?  See, that’s what David said.  It wasn’t an enemy that reproached me.  Then I could bear it.  David said, “I expect my enemies to hurt me.”

RR: The world would say you only hurt the one you love.

J: Yes, that’s what the world says, that’s right.

LR: You know, for us to be the body of Christ, if the hand starts pounding on the other hand, it has to hurt worse because everybody in the body gets hurt.  You know, if an outsider comes and hits you in the hand, that’s one thing.  But when your hand hits your other hand, you hurt all over.

When Oral and I married on Christmas Day, 1938, I knew I was marrying someone called to the ministry.  But at the time, I never dreamed that he would take God’s healing message across the nation and around the world.  And because Oral obeyed God’s call on his life, we’ve spent a lot of time apart during our marriage.

Love Apart

The longest moments of my life have been those when Oral was not with me.  When he conducted his tent crusades across the country, he was often gone from the family for three weeks at a time.  I can remember thinking as I drove him to the airport to leave for his first crusade, Goodbye, Oral.  I’ll probably be doing this the rest of my life.

When Oral was home, it always meant twice as much work for me—more cooking, more straightening up around the house—but I loved having him home, and there seemed to be a peace in our home when he was there.

Keeping Love Alive

I believe a marriage is worth your attention, and it’s the little things you do that can help build up a marriage.  Oral and I liked to raid the refrigerator before bedtime, and the late night snacks were usually the time for heart-to-heart talks about our future, the children, and just being in love.  Over a glass of cornbread and milk we grew closer.

Our marriage is probably no different than most couples’.  Through the years we’ve been married, there have been some rough spots, but we always worked hard to keep our love alive.

We were criticized for traveling by plane to see each other during the long crusades.  When a friend suggested that the money spent on plane fares could be used for a better cause, Oral was quick to reply, “You can’t put a price on love!”  To us, love is priceless.

Oral dearly loves his family, but I’ve always known that his love for Jesus is even greater than his love for me or the children.  That deep, spiritual love doesn’t make us jealous, because Oral’s love for Jesus makes his love for us all the more sacred.

I’ve never been sorry that I married Oral Roberts.  There were many lonely hours when he was away, but always our hearts were together in unity and love that transcended the miles.  Over the years we’ve learned that there is no distance in love.

by Richard Roberts

Have you ever wanted to help a friend or loved one come to a personal relationship with Jesus, but you didn’t really feel comfortable doing it? Perhaps, like many of us have done, you let the opportunity to witness about Jesus just slip away.
Richard Roberts wants to give you some tips that I have learned in more than 30 years of being an evangelist that I believe can help you step out of your comfort zone in sharing Jesus with those around you.
I believe one of the most important things you can do to help bring people to Christ is to:

Share what God has done for you
Mark 16:15 NKJV tells us to Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
As we walk in love with others, it’s amazing to me how people can see and feel God’s light in us. And as you share from your own personal testimony of what God has done in your life, it can open the door for others to begin to share their questions and concerns with you. Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking those first few steps.
Richard Roberts believes it’s time to be bold, and not to be timid. Jesus’ Great Commission of Mark 16 gives us great authority to share what God has done in our lives.

Be compassionate
Matthew 14:14 NKJV says when Jesus saw a great multitude, He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
I believe that when someone is not living for God, many times they may already feel convicted in their heart. So rather than “jamming” Jesus down their throats, we let His compassion—for the need they have for Him—just come rising up in us. Compassion is the love of God in action, and I believe that people often want to respond to that kind of love.

Help them understand their need for a Savior.
Romans 3:23 NKJV says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all make mistakes; we all commit sins. And without repentance—or changing our mind, turning away from our sins and turning toward God—we can lose our soul and go to hell. But it is not God’s wish that that should happen.
I often tell people, “Hell was not made for people; hell was made for the demons that fell with satan and satan himself.” Heaven was made for people, and that’s where God wants us to spend eternity with Him. But that relationship can only come through accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. John 1:12 tells us, As many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the children of God.

Encourage them to make a decision for Christ now.
Today, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, is the day of salvation. Don’t put it off until later.
When God opens that door and you can tell their heart is listening, offer to pray with them.
Often I will just ask people, “Would you like me to pray with you right now to ask Jesus into your heart?”
I’ve never had anyone turn down my prayers, especially when I ask in that spirit.
Here is a simple salvation prayer that anyone can pray. And when they do it sincerely, from the heart, they can be born again.
Lord, I ask you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I repent of my sins. I renounce satan and all of his works. Please forgive me and give me a fresh new start. Thank You for saving me, in Jesus name. Amen.
Proverbs 11:30 says, He who wins souls is wise. I believe as we begin to step out in faith and obedience, God can help us lead those we love to Jesus.