The Vision That Changed My Life: Apostle Pride Sibiya

The early hours of the seventh of February 1997 would prove to be a real turning point in my life. I had been born again under the ministry of Reinhard Bonkee, the famous German evangelist in the year, 1987. I was young and did not understand the implications of my decision to raise up my hand and repeat the prayer to receive Jesus as my personal savior. Anyway, I did and though my new found faith would be put to the test and for many times I would fail God, He had a definite plan and purpose for me.

The Holy Spirit helps us understand the things of God.

Though I had backslidden from the faith many a times, I never ceased to read and be touched by the Word of God. Many times I would be in prayer but would not find myself in the church. Of all biblical characters I read about, I was deeply impressed by the life and ministry of Paul the Apostle. I found myself reading and repeating the narratives about him. They were so good to me.

By 1995, the year when the All-Africa Games were held in Zimbabwe, I was already going to church and was already preaching, though I had not fully committed my whole life to God. My first ever sermon was on the last days and that people should leave their evil ways because of these times. I felt a deep sense of talking about the end-times everywhere I went. As I travelled from the Eastern city of Mutare, in a bus, I heard a voice call my name, and clearly spoke audibly, in my native language, Shona, “Sibiya unofanira kundinamata”(Sibiya, you must worship Me). Being an ardent reader of the Bible and knowing about Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus, I suddenly begun to pray right then knowing God had spoken to me. When I got home, I immediately embarked on a prolonged fast as I tried to please God that He would forgive me. When the guilt of my sins lifted, I continued to seek God for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. God was faithful and indeed filled me with His Spirit. I continued to preach the Word. Many men and women of God were sent by God to minister to me prophetically so that I would be strengthened in the faith and in God’s ministry. I was strengthened indeed and did a lot of the work of God. I preached in classrooms, school campuses, colleges, in buses, in streets and hospitals, in short everywhere I found people. By 1996 I was already in church leadership in the church I used to fellowship in.

Then came the early hours of the seventh of February. In the night vision I was walking and was suddenly approached by a very bright light which forced me to fall to the ground. As I struggled to rise I saw a human figure standing in the air. He wore a purely white robe and had a fire blazing around him though he was not burning. He also had a light that permeated him such that it was hard for one to really see through to his face. As I knelt He spoke to me and said that I should do what He did. I didn’t understand this and up until now, though I now know some things, I am still in the journey to fully understand what He meant by, “what I did.” He told me to hold His hands and when I tried, they were hot. I managed to continue holding on to His blood-flowing, pierced palms, as He strengthened me and in a few moments left. As I travelled home, in the vision, I saw my youth head evangelist, in the church I attended then, coming to our place and knocking on my bedroom door. I was suddenly awakened by a knock on my door and realized it was the same evangelist by my door and I told him about my experience and how I saw him coming to our place. This inaugural meeting with Jesus deeply touched my life and I knew from here onwards that I had to fully commit my life to Him and His service so that I could do “what he did,” no matter what that meant. It was one of the most dramatic turning points of my life.

Apostle Pride Sibiya.