Richard Roberts: Oral Was Ready To Meet The Lord

By LeAnne Taylor, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Oral Roberts will be remembered at his namesake university Monday. The memorial service begins at 2 p.m. at the ORU Mabee Center. Thousands will gather to say farewell to the world-renowned evangelist who passed away last week. 

12/20/2009  Related Story: Memorial Service Monday For Oral Roberts

Richard Roberts spoke exclusively with News on 6 anchor LeAnne Taylor about his dad's life and ministry. 

Richard and his sister Roberta were by the bedside of their father when he left this earth.

Richard Roberts: "I, I, I had a feeling in my heart that this was the time. But I knew for another reason, because for months he had been saying, ‘I want to go home for Christmas' and I knew what he meant because Christmas day is his wedding anniversary. He and my mother were married in 1938. He wanted to see my mother.

"We spent Thanksgiving with him and he was just as bright and cheerful, but he kept saying ‘I've done everything God has told me to do. I'm ready to go home and meet the Lord.'

"In fact he said, ‘I don't know why the Lord has allowed me to live this long. I'm ready to meet the Lord. I'm ready to see Evelyn.' I knew he was ready. We had the most fabulous time of prayer together Thanksgiving day. We gathered around his chair and he laid hands on all of us and it was a tremendous, tremendous time. God was preparing us for what we have been through this past week.

"My mother was really something. Strong, foundational, principled woman... very supportive, strong mother, strong wife, my dad didn't make a move without checking with her and neither did we children. She went home to be with the Lord, four or five years ago and he has missed her so much. He's been alone and living in California since 1992. It's just been very difficult on him and he has so longed to be home and now he's home.

"Early that morning, I knew it would be only a matter of hours. I was praying, I was staying in his condominium and I was praying about 5:00 in the morning and the Lord spoke to me and said the angels are preparing to bring home one of my generals and I knew when I heard that word in my heart, I knew it wouldn't be very long.

"And it was only a few hours before he went home to be with his Lord.

"I was… I was next to his bed. Roberta was on the other side and I had his right hand in mine and I was determined I was going to be there I was going to see him when he went. I saw him as he took his last breath on this earth and when he took his first breath in heaven. And I received, I believe, I received that double portion anointing. It has been prophesied over me all my life, but I knew that it couldn't happen until he went home to be with the Lord. Just the same as it couldn't happen with Elisha until Elijah was transferred to heaven. It was an awesome moment, LeAnne. It was the most peaceful, the most spiritual, it was the most dignified moment I'd ever experienced in my life… I'm determined not to cry, but we have shed buckets of tears this week. It's been an experience that I don't know adequately how to describe it."

Richard Roberts shared with LeAnne what it was like growing up in the shadow of this powerful man. To the world, Oral Roberts was an evangelist, the founder of a university and a great visionary in 20th century Christianity. But to Richard, he was simply dad.