Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast David Hathaway

In this powerful message, David shares testimonies from over seven decades of ministry – from surviving post-war church decline and facing miraculous physical healing, to smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and preaching to thousands across Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Russia. Discover how genuine revival isn't just an idea, but a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms hearts, moves nations, and overcomes impossible odds. David says, "Revival changes a nation, and I believe that God can change this nation."

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/FBwhxU5fkDA 

For information about the RELEASE NOW! Conference: https://www.eurovision.org.uk/event-reports/2026/9/22/release-now-a-day-of-impartation-and-revival 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In Mark 10.33, Jesus takes the Twelve aside – speaking specifically to them rather than the wider crowd – to reveal what lies ahead: His suffering and death. He tells them, “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.”

Immediately after Jesus reveals His impending death and resurrection, an extraordinary interaction occurs. In verse 35, the brothers James and John approach Jesus with a bold request: “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

It is a striking demand – unlike almost anything else seen from the disciples in Scripture. It reflects a mindset people sometimes bring to prayer today: approaching God demanding our own terms.

Jesus responds by asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Though He already knew their hearts, He allowed them to speak for themselves. In verse 37, they make their request: “Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your glory.”

In verse 38, Jesus rebukes them gently but firmly: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?”

Jesus redirects their focus from status to calling. Before the crown comes the cup; before reigning comes the willingness to endure suffering and persecution for the sake of the Gospel. The message remains a vital challenge for believers today: if we desire a place in His Kingdom, we cannot merely seek honour – we must be willing to pay the price of true discipleship and service.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/EorXRVlqAgs 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today’s episode, based on the Book of James, chapter 3, we must learn to control our tongue – to only use words that uplift rather than tear down.

We all stumble in many ways. We all fail; not one of us is perfect.

In verse 3, he then puts it in a slightly different way, saying the same thing. He says: "We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us." And it's quite interesting, because that's the only way you can control a horse, really, is by pulling on that bit – that steel thing in its mouth. In doing so, we make the horse obey us and turn.

And then he uses another illustration – it's quite interesting that he uses this illustration in verse 4 – of ships. Because, of course, in those days they were large, heavy, wooden sailing ships, not like our modern ships. And he said that although the ship can be so big and driven by a wind so strong, the whole ship is turned by that tiny rudder.

We have to be so careful the direction that we choose. If we listen to the wrong voices and if we're not responding to God, we will turn – without necessarily realising it – in the wrong direction.

In today's episode, based on the Book of James, chapter 2, verse 19: Do you think it is enough to just believe that there is a God? Move beyond that. Be like Abraham, and put your faith into action, and become a friend of God.

The devil believes that there's a God. He knows – he knows only too well! And, I mean, that was evidenced right from the beginning of Scripture with his temptation in the Garden of Eden, and also in the temptation when Satan took Jesus onto a mountain and tempted Him three times. The devil recognises who God is.

In verse 22, do you see how faith was confirmed by his action, and by his action his faith was made complete? And in verse 23, the Scripture which was fulfilled – this is the Old Testament Scripture: "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted, imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called a friend of God."

Why? The thing which justified Abraham in God's sight is not just that he believed in God, but the fact that he believed enough to obey God because of his actions in the Old Testament. Salvation in the Old Testament came with Abraham because he believed God and acted in faith.

I want to tell you who Jesus is. He is the Son of God! That is why He can heal the sick and raise the dead. When I was recently in Israel the taxi driver who was driving me to Tel Aviv Airport kept asking, 'Why did we kill Yeshua, He was a good man; He said good things, He healed the sick; He must be the Son of God!' Jesus could only work the miracles we read about in the Bible because He IS the Son of God! God loves Israel, God loves you. He wants a relationship with you, but how can you find Him?

From healing the sick to raising the dead, Jesus does what no ordinary man can do. God loves you. He sent His Son to forgive your sins, heal your sickness and set you free. The question is: Will you recognise who Jesus really is and call upon Him today?

'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was sent here to die upon a cross, and from that cross His blood still pours forth. So while there's still time be cleansed be healed!'

'Behold the Lamb of God' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today’s episode, based on the Book of James, chapter 2, David challenges you to live out your faith with purpose – to not just say, "I believe in God," but to understand that your faith has to be life-transforming.

Verse 14: "What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith, and he doesn't have the responding work? Can faith save him?"

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute, and if you simply say, "Go on your way, I can't help you," and you don't give them the things which are needful, what does it mean? That is why in verse 17 he says that if you have faith and you don't have the accompanying lifestyle, then that faith is dead.

Verse 19 is very strong. There are a lot of people who say they believe in God. The majority of people – even non-believers, non-churchgoers, non-Christians – will say, "Oh yes, there is a God; I believe in God."

"I believe in God," yes, but look at what James says in verse 19. He says, in essence: "You do very well, don't you? Because even the devil himself believes in God."

It's all very well simply saying, "Oh, I'm fine because I believe there's a God; I believe in God." Yes, but the devil believes that there is a God – he knows only too well! Your salvation doesn't come simply because you say, "I believe in God."

In today’s episode, based on the Book of James, chapter 2, David challenges you to live out your faith – not just to attend church and say you have faith, but to demonstrate it by the life you live.

What does it profit a man, brethren, though a man says he has faith, but doesn't have the works that go with that faith? Can faith alone save him?

Faith, if it doesn't have the accompanying lifestyle, is dead. He says here very clearly in verse 18: If you say, "I have faith," and someone else says, "Well, it's the work that I do," then somebody can challenge you and say, "Show me what kind of faith you have by the way you live." Because the answer is: I will show you the depth of my faith by what I do, by how I live.

Do you see the contrast? It's no use simply saying, "Oh, I'm a Christian, I have faith," if you don't live as a Christian. It's easy to talk the talk, but you have to walk the walk. In other words, you have to live according to what you say. There are far too many people who will say and speak, but their lives don't correspond.

In this three-part series, David is reflecting on Mark 10. In verse 23, Jesus looked at his disciples and made a comment: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” The disciples were so astonished, so surprised, that Jesus repeats the statement. They then ask, “How can anybody get saved?” Jesus gives a straight answer: “For men it's impossible, but not with God. For with God, all things are possible.”

Salvation is free, but Jesus is teaching that the way into the kingdom is not broad and easy; there's a price to pay.

The Impossibility of Self-Salvation (Mark 10:23–27) In Mark 10, Jesus challenges worldly assumptions about security and status by declaring how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God. When the disciples express shock, He clarifies that the issue lies in trusting in riches rather than God.

To illustrate this, Jesus references the "eye of the needle" – alluding to the narrow wicket gate in ancient city walls. A pack camel could not navigate this gate until its heavy cargo was entirely removed, and even then, passage required great effort. In the same way, entering the Kingdom requires shedding self-reliance, material pride, and personal status. When the disciples ask who then can be saved, Jesus offers an uncompromising reality: human salvation is fundamentally impossible through human effort. It can only be accomplished by God.

The Cost and the Promise (Mark 10:28–31) When Peter points out that the disciples abandoned their livelihoods and families to follow Him, Jesus does not dismiss their sacrifice. Instead, He promises a hundredfold return in this present life – restored community, provision, and spiritual family – culminating in eternal life. Crucially, Christ notes that these blessings will be accompanied by persecutions. Divine reward does not exempt the believer from suffering; rather, sacrifice and reward remain deeply intertwined.

The Mystery of Judas (Mark 10:32–34) En route to Jerusalem, Jesus pulled the Twelve aside to detail His impending betrayal, condemnation, and execution. Remarkably, Judas Iscariot was among this intimate circle. Christ knew Judas’s heart from the beginning, yet He washed his feet, commissioned him for ministry, and allowed him to witness and perform miracles. The inclusion of Judas serves as a sobering reminder that proximity to divine power and active involvement in ministry are not substitutes for true heart fidelity.

Watch the YouTube version https://youtu.be/ov5gJoK5K6M 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

Based on the Book of James, chapters 1 and 2, David highlights how God doesn’t look at our outward appearance, but our heart. God wants us to love one another, thereby fulfilling the royal law of Scripture.

God doesn't judge us by our appearance, and this is why James goes on to say – if you look at verse 5: "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to those that love Him?"

What James is pointing out is that, in God's sight, He is not looking merely at our outward appearance; He is looking at our heart. God judges us by what we do. He says that those of us who are rich in faith are heirs of a kingdom that has been promised. This is a promise – not a fantasy dream of a rich uncle in America, but a factual, evidential promise of the reward we have in the kingdom if we fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture.

The royal law according to the Scripture – and here it is very blunt – says: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

Thank-you to you, our supporters, who so generously gave towards the costs of SOZO, the All-Central-Asia Youth Conference held in August in Kyrgyzstan. Without you, we could not have done it. Only much prayer brought in the final finance to pay for it. I sensed so strongly, I HAD to be there!

We have a busy September planned. By the time you hear this, I shall have been in Poland – for evangelism in a 5,000-seat stadium in Wroclaw (there will be a full report in my next newsletter) – and away in Norway for a week of prayer and ministry. Although my main ministry has always been the former Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine and now Central Asia, it does include Europe!

Delivering Relief, Restoring Hope, and Uniting in Prayer: Millions in Ukraine are facing ongoing displacement, trauma, and hardship. We partner with trusted local church networks on the ground to deliver emergency food, heating aid, and provide vital pastoral care. Your gift of any amount enables us to help those in need. Will you partner with us today? 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

To make a donation to support David's ministry and vision: https://www.eurovision.org.uk/donation 

Timestamped Transcript 0:00 – 0:17 | Introduction to Faith in Action and announcement of the song Our Nation by Vinesong.

0:17 – 1:04 | Music track: Our Nation (Fire of Revival).

1:05 – 1:34 | Opening thanks to supporters regarding the SOZO Central Asia Youth Conference in Kyrgyzstan.

1:35 – 2:10 | Context on attendance numbers, border vetting, and security clearance.

2:11 – 3:00 | Arrival, pastorship address, and observations on regional spiritual pressure.

3:01 – 4:05 | Special unscheduled leadership meeting and ministry address to the youth.

4:06 – 4:38 | Upcoming itinerary: Wrocław (Poland) and Norway.

4:39 – 5:48 | Tübingen awakening conference, ministry history with Eurovision conferences (1988–1992), fall of the Iron Curtain, and Eastern European broadcasts.

5:49 – 6:15 | Annual prayer retreat in Austria.

6:16 – 6:40 | Ministry update: Ukraine relief efforts and plea for support.

6:41 – 7:06 | Invitation for partnership and standing order contributions.

7:07 – 7:51 | Scripture reading: Colossians 1:3–10.

7:52 – 8:08 | Donation instructions: eurovision.org.uk/donation.

8:09 – 8:56 | Website resources, books, and closing ministry info.

Many believers assume that accepting Christ and receiving water baptism represent the entirety of the Christian spiritual experience. Scripture in Acts 8 reveals otherwise. When the believers in Samaria received the Word of God and were baptised, the apostles Peter and John still had to be sent so these new converts might receive the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not merely an optional addition; it is an essential, distinct endowment of power for every believer.

Salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are distinct milestones. Jesus instructed His disciples after His resurrection to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. Just as the fire on the temple altar in Leviticus 6 was commanded never to go out, the fire received through the Holy Spirit is meant to remain ablaze, evident through supernatural power, bold witness, and transformed lives.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/uFBeG-vsWCE 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today's episode, based on the book of James chapter 1 and 2, David says that every good gift comes down from God, the Lord of glory, who shows no partiality.

Every good gift comes from God, described in James as the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

James contrasts this with the sun. While the sun follows an orderly cycle of rising and setting, its light shifts and produces shadows; we cannot remain in its full brilliance twenty-four hours a day. God is not like that. He does not rise and set, nor does He wax and wane. His presence, character, and faithfulness remain constant 24/7.

James then urges believers not to hold faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favouritism. This isn't merely instruction on how to treat others without prejudice; it is a profound declaration of who Christ is – the Lord of glory. When we reflect His nature, we live out that same consistency and impartial grace.

In today's episode, based on the book of James chapter 1, David says, there is a blessing on those who endure. Even in your hardship, God is constant in His care of you.

Scripture plainly tells us that the one who perseveres under trial is blessed; having stood the test, they will receive the crown of life. While the Bible speaks of various crowns – such as the soul winner’s crown – the crown of life is reserved specifically for those who remain faithful to the very end without yielding to hardship.

It is easy for believers to feel overwhelmed and want to give up when confronted by trials, temptations, accusations, and relentless opposition. Yet, a special reward belongs to those who refuse to quit – those who persevere and stand firm until the finish.

God is entirely consistent. When He blesses you, His hand is on you, guarding and protecting you 24/7. In Him, there is no shifting shadow or hidden compromise. While human nature is often flawed – filled with conflicting shades of good and bad – God’s character is pure, steady, and unchanging.

So many people ask the question 'why'. Why the problems? Why the tragedy? There have been times when I have questioned why. Why did I have cancer? Why was I in prison for Bible smuggling? We all ask: why hasn't God delivered me? In Mark 5 we have this Jewish ruler. He had pleaded with Jesus to come to his house. But it was too late. In the delay between asking Jesus and Him arriving, the girl had died. The house was now full of mourners. - Have you ever mourned over lost opportunities? Has Jesus ever turned up too late?

'The storm around me rages. My peace has been denied. There's One that I can turn to, His arms are open wide. Oh I'm sheltered in the rock of ages. You hold me in Your arms and You tell me that You love me. I'm sheltered in the arms of my Lord.'

'The Living Word' and 'Sheltered in the Rock' used by kind permission of Vinesong

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today's episode, speaking from the book of James chapter 1, David encourages you to count it all joy when you experience many trials. Don't be afraid in your uncertainty to ask God for help, but ask in faith.

We should never be discouraged when trials and hardships come our way. Instead, we must recognise that these difficulties serve as a testing ground for our faith. Never hesitate, even in times of doubt or questioning, to bring your needs directly to God.

I find myself doing this constantly – in truth, I must. Most mornings before even getting out of bed, my prayer is: "Lord, take charge of today and guide my steps." The older and busier I become, the more reliant I am on this prayer. With a full schedule ahead, I prayed that very thing this morning: "Lord, take care of this day and carry me through every responsibility."

Scripture reminds us to ask in faith, consistently and without wavering. As James 1:7 cautions, those who lack consistency and doubt will receive nothing. Often, people do not receive because they harbour doubt that God is truly able. Trust Him, ask with certainty, and know that He can do it.

In today's episode, David speaks on the importance of prayer. If you have enough faith to believe that you are saved, then put that same faith into believing God answers every other prayer.

The fundamental question when you pray for something significant is this: do you truly believe that God has the power to do it, and do you believe He wants to do it? If you do, command it. We have been given authority and power in prayer.

In my own walk, whenever I bring requests before the Lord – whether in deep conversation or daily prayer – I ask Him for an answer. How does He reply? Not through spoken words or personal prophecies, but directly through the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit brings God's Word to mind, revealing the exact path to the breakthrough. The answer is found right there in the text, and when it is anchored in His written Word, God always fulfils what He has promised.

I can tell you with certainty: God has never failed. Whenever He has given me a promise, He has kept it. If you have enough faith to trust Him for your eternal salvation, put that very same faith to work in your prayer life today.

In Acts 2, Peter described Jesus as "a man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs." From the very beginning – throughout the life of Jesus and in the early Church – miracles served as the undeniable evidence of divine power.

This presents a vital challenge for us: we must return to the evidential reality of the Gospel. The Gospel demonstrates the truth of everything Jesus lived and died to accomplish. He came to break the curse of sin, forgive our guilt, and set us free.

Some teach that one automatically receives the fullness of the Holy Spirit the moment they accept Christ. Scripture shows otherwise: these believers were truly converted and baptised in water, yet had not received the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not merely an optional, secondary blessing; He is the essential blessing. Before His ascension, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. That outpouring launched the apostolic church. Today, we still need to experience that authentic baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Watch the YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/UJa__HpCjdU 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today's episode, David speaks on the importance of prayer. If we have the faith to believe, God will give us what we ask, so long as we ask in accordance with His will.

For many of us, prayer begins with the model Jesus gave when His disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." Yet the issue is that too many believers never move beyond that initial step of the Lord’s Prayer. It is profoundly important – God miraculously revealed its depth to me while I was in prison – but we are called to go further. We must actively combine our prayers with faith and true belief.

Often, when praying for the sick, I have felt an inner certainty that God was going to heal them. It was in that place of praying with absolute conviction that the miracles truly happened.

In my book, Why Siberia?, I share how, despite having dedicated intercessors supporting our teams and me personally, the breakthrough answers consistently came when I prayed in faith. Miracles followed – including the unexpected provision of transport and airplanes. God not only answered, but He gave specific instructions on what steps to take to receive that answer. It demonstrates what is possible when we simply trust that He has the power to fulfil what He has commanded us to ask.

Today, I want to direct our attention to a pivotal turning point in Scripture: Acts chapter 8.

Up to this point in the Book of Acts, Peter and John have held centre stage, proclaiming Christ with bold authority throughout Jerusalem. But as chapter 8 opens, the narrative shifts sharply under the shadow of intense hostility, introducing a man named Saul.

Acts 8 begins with a sombre marker: Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen. Stephen, a spirit-filled leader whose martyrdom closes chapter 7, looked steadfastly into heaven, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and prayed for his executioners with his dying breath: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Watching over the coats of the executioners stood Saul – a brilliant Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, born in Tarsus with Roman citizenship, and violently opposed to the Gospel.

Following Stephen’s death, a great persecution erupted against the church in Jerusalem. Verse 3 tells us, Saul "made havoc of the church," dragging men and women from their homes into prison. Yet, what the enemy intended for destruction, God used as an engine for expansion.

The believers scattered across Judea and Samaria – while the apostles remained in Jerusalem – and verse 4 records the astonishing result: those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. They refused to be silenced. Persecution did not extinguish the message; it dispersed the fire.

Out of this scattering, another leader steps into the light: Philip. He travelled down to Samaria and proclaimed Christ. The crowds listened intently, not only hearing his words but witnessing the undeniable demonstration of God's power. Unclean spirits were cast out, the paralysed were healed, and the lame walked.

From the ministry of Jesus – attested by signs and wonders – to the early church, the Gospel was never merely a philosophy; it was validated by the tangible power of God. Philip's ministry in Samaria challenges us deeply today: we cannot settle for mere words when the true witness of the Gospel has always been the power of God in action.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/EaTZNbJUyZ0 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway http://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In today’s episode, David continues his teaching on prayer, highlighting the key to seeing every divine promise fulfilled from Mark 11: “Have faith in God.”

Jesus declared: “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  

Jesus is remarkably specific here: you can witness the most extraordinary miracles if you only have the faith to speak them.

In verse 24, He reduces the principle to pure, profound simplicity: whatever you ask for when you pray, if you believe that God will answer, it will be given to you.

While similar teachings appear in Luke, Mark’s account carries exceptional weight because Jesus unveils an entirely deeper dimension of prayer. For many believers, prayer simply means reciting the pattern Jesus taught when the disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Yet here, Jesus invites us to take the next step: moving from routine petition into mountain-moving, faith-filled declaration.

David says the key to seeing the fulfillment of every promise is found in Mark 11: "Have faith in God."

If I turn you to Mark chapter 11, it's very interesting. Jesus was hungry – it's verse 12 – and seeing a fig tree having leaves, He came thinking that He would find some fruit, and there's nothing, only leaves. And Jesus cursed the fig tree.

But if you then turn to verse 20, the following morning as they pass by, and they saw the fig tree was already dead, Peter said, "Lord, how come?" This is verse 21: "That fig tree which You cursed is already dead."

And Jesus didn't answer him specifically on that question. But what Jesus says in verse 22: "Have faith in God."

Jesus said, "You say this and shall not doubt in your heart, but shall believe that those things which you have said shall happen, shall have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them."

So Jesus is being very specific here: that you can see the most incredible miracles if you have the faith to see it.

There is a solution to every problem and crisis. In your struggle, in your battle for survival, reach out and touch Jesus. What mystery there is in touch. When a child is born, that first touch by the mother means so much. She has carried the child for 9 months yet has never touched him; in that first touch her hopes and dreams are realised. Do you realise how important physical contact is? The child falling over in the street cries out; there is only one comfort, when the mother comes, picks up her child and tenderly embraces him. Her gentle touch is an expression of a mother's love. It is the same with Jesus. His tender touch will wipe away your tears and heal your sick body. These two people in Mark 5 recognised that if they can just touch Jesus a miracle is about to happen.

'Angels beckon me to come a little closer. Then Lord You said to me, leave behind your problems. Fears and troubles, some untold, surrounded by Your love. My tears You'll wipe away. To lean upon Your promises, never turning from You away.' - (Lamb of God)

'Jesus Jesus Jesus', 'Dios es Amor', 'Lamb of God' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://eurovision.org.uk 

Over twenty years ago, David was diagnosed with lung cancer. God gave him a clear promise of both health and healing – a word confirmed in Jeremiah 33. As David explains, the key to seeing God’s promises fulfilled is found in Mark 11: “Have faith in God.”

I remember crying out in prayer, asking the Lord to heal me. In response, He gave me a very clear scripture promising not only healing, but sustained health.

Remarkably, God spoke that word to me before the miracle took place. That night, after praying and getting into bed – feeling as though I were at the very point of death – the cancerous growth came out of my mouth. That was over twenty years ago. God didn’t just heal me in that moment; He has preserved my health ever since. It was a wonderful double promise.

I want to encourage you today: God does not simply hear our requests; He makes the impossible happen when we believe. Consider Jesus’ words in Mark 11:22, where He gives us the foundational key: “Have faith in God.”

While imprisoned for smuggling Bibles in 1972, God promised David that he would be miraculously delivered—a promise confirmed through Psalm 68. Seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives requires both steadfast faith and prayer.

Reflecting on Psalm 68:6, King David writes: “God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound with chains.”

I exclaimed, “Lord, that is the exact verse!”

To me, this meant God would perform two distinct miracles: first, that He would bring me home in time for my birthday; and second, that He would have me home for Easter to minister at the Easter convention.

God did, in fact, release me on my birthday. The British Prime Minister had personally flown out to secure my release, and I sat right beside him on the flight home. When we touched down at Heathrow Airport, the arrival was met with massive media coverage – reporters, press, and television cameras everywhere. He made quite an occasion of it.

Shortly after landing, I received a call from church leaders: “We have witnessed the miracle of your release. Would you have the strength to speak at the Royal Albert Hall this Monday?” Naturally, I answered yes.

Literally to the exact day, God fulfilled both of those promises.

In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah confronts the people: "How long will you falter between two opinions?"

The trouble with Israel was that their religion was not enough. Ultimately, Jesus had to come to deliver people from the deadness of mere religion. He condemned the scribes and the Pharisees, calling them "whitewashed sepulchres" who entered people's homes and robbed the poor. That was Jesus' description of the religious leaders of His day.

Consider Saul: he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, educated under Gamaliel, Jewish by heritage, and a Roman citizen by birth. Yet Saul was the one holding the coats of the men stoning Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Despite his religious credentials, Saul needed a divine encounter. He experienced a complete transformation, going on to become an evangelist whose impact exceeded even the original eleven disciples. He needed a true transformation to change his life.

Throughout history, as in the days of Elijah, God poses that same challenge to His people. That challenge stands before the church today, and it challenges me personally: You must make up your mind. Are you going to serve God or not?

If you are going to serve God, do it completely. Surrender your whole life to Christ. Spiritually, you cannot sit on the fence; you must choose one side or the other. Jesus made it clear: "You must be born again." That is what He told the rich ruler. You do not become a Christian simply because you attend church, because religion is spoken over you, because you pray daily, or because you read the Bible. You become a Christian because you are born again. That is the only entrance into the Kingdom of God.

When Elijah challenged the people, they could not answer a word. In verse 22, Elijah stated: "I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are 450 men."

Then came the showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah proposed: "Bring two bullocks. Let Baal's prophets take one, prepare it, lay it on the wood on their altar, and put no fire under it. I will do the same with the other bullock. Then call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers by fire – let Him be God!"

The prophets of Baal prayed all morning and afternoon. They leaped around the altar and cut themselves until blood gushed out. By midday, Elijah mocked them: "Cry louder! Perhaps he is a god; either he is meditating, or busy, or on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!" They cried louder, but there was no voice, no answer, and no one paying attention – because Baal is no living god.

When the time came for the evening sacrifice, Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, arranged the wood and the sacrifice, and had water poured over it repeatedly until the trenches were full. Then he stepped forward and prayed: "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant... Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

Then the fire of the Lord fell! It consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench. When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried, "The Lord, He is God!"

We need a demonstration of the power of God today. If we are going to impact nations, change the world, and preach the gospel effectively, we cannot rely on empty words. In my ministry, God has continually confirmed the preaching of His Word with powerful miracles. I have lived by faith, by the power of God, and by the power of miracles.

Miracles provide unmistakable evidence. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was through miraculous signs that our ministry was able to reach roughly 80% of the population across Russia and the former Soviet states with the gospel.

God answers by fire. We must call upon Him to answer by fire again. The church today does not need more empty ritual; it needs the fire of God. We need more power, more miracles, and undeniable evidence of His presence.

"O God, in these last days, send Your fire into the church and into our hearts! Baptise us with the Holy Spirit, with power, and with fire. Answer our prayers in Jesus' name, and work miracles today. Amen."

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/pGU4qS-3VqY 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

While imprisoned for smuggling Bibles, David received a divine promise of miraculous release – a word confirmed through Psalm 35. Yet, seeing that promise fulfilled required persistent faith and prayer.

In Psalm 35:18, King David writes: “I will give You thanks in the great congregation.”

That was where faith truly came alive for me. Standing in that prison cell, I leapt to my feet and declared, “Lord, that’s the answer!” David spoke of giving thanks in a great congregation, and while it demanded immense faith to believe that for my own life, I embraced it wholeheartedly.

A few days later, as I continued meditating on God's promise, I prayed boldly: “Lord, if You are going to perform such a great miracle, consider my birthday, which falls four days before Easter. Release me on my birthday. If You can perform one miracle, You can surely perform another. If this is Your will, confirm it through another psalm that specifically speaks of freeing those in chains.”

When I opened to Psalm 68:6, I read these words: “God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity [chains].”

I cried out, “Lord, that is the exact verse!”

We see God work two dramatic miracles through Elijah right at the start: first, Elijah shuts up the heavens so that it doesn't rain; second, he speaks God’s promise over the widow of Zarephath, and her jar of flour and cruse of oil never run dry.

Yet by verse 17, reality hits hard. Elijah is living in the widow’s home, and her son falls gravely ill. He stops breathing – he is completely dead.

In her grief, the widow lashes out: "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" (v. 18). It is so easy in our broken human nature to forget yesterday's provision the moment today's tragedy strikes. Without Elijah’s faith, both she and her son would have starved months earlier. Yet pain clouds her memory, and she assumes God has brought this prophet to expose her hidden past.

Elijah doesn't debate her. He simply says, "Give me your son." He carries the boy up to the upper room where he was staying, lays him on his bed, and cries out honestly: "O Lord my God, have You brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge?" Stretching himself over the child three times, he prays, "Let this child’s soul come into him again."

God hears Elijah. The boy breathes, his life returns, and Elijah carries him downstairs: "See, your son lives." Only then does the woman say, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth."

Facing Ahab (1 Kings 18)

After more than three years of severe drought, God directs Elijah to step back into the fire: "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."

Even within a corrupt royal house, God has a faithful remnant. Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's palace, had risked his life to hide one hundred prophets of the Lord in caves, feeding them bread and water while Jezebel slaughtered the rest. When Elijah commands Obadiah to arrange an audience with Ahab, Obadiah obeys.

When Ahab meets Elijah, the king immediately shifts blame: "Are you the one who troubles Israel?" (v. 17).

Elijah doesn't flinch: "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals." Ahab was blind to the truth: the drought was not the prophet's malice; it was the direct consequence of the king's idolatry.

Mount Carmel: Refusing the Middle Ground

Elijah demands a showdown on Mount Carmel before all Israel, pitting the solitary prophet of God against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Standing before the nation, Elijah delivers a challenge that echoes directly into our modern world:

"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." (v. 21)

The scripture records a chilling silence: "The people answered him not a word."

You cannot sit on a spiritual fence. Try sitting on a physical fence – eventually, you fall off one side or the other. True faith does not allow for neutral ground. Israel was immersed in religious ritual, yet devoid of genuine surrender to God. Religion alone does not save; only covenant obedience does.

The Speed of Human Forgetfulness

This spiritual fickleness runs straight through Israel's history. When God delivered them from Egypt with ten devastating plagues and parted the Red Sea before their eyes, how long did it take for their devotion to crumble?

Within just a few weeks of seeing the sea split in half, Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Law, and the people below were already stripping off their Egyptian gold to fashion a molten calf. Later, after the spies scouted the Promised Land for 40 days, the nation melted in fear, rejected God’s promise, and turned a short journey into 40 years of wilderness wandering.

The pattern is stark: whether it is the widow in Zarephath, the crowd on Mount Carmel, or the camp at the foot of Sinai, human hearts turn remarkably fast from witnessing God's power to questioning His goodness. The call of Elijah remains urgent for us today: stop halting between two opinions, lay aside the compromise, and decide whom you will truly serve.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/pdiwX1NzE-0 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

The miraculous healing I experienced from throat cancer built a foundation of faith for an even greater trial years later. When I was sentenced to ten years in a foreign prison—five for smuggling Bibles and five for preaching the Gospel with the underground church – I turned to God, praying for deliverance.

Just three days after the trial, the Lord spoke to me through a vivid dream. He showed me that I would be released and standing in London’s largest auditorium, preaching to 10,000 people at an Easter convention. That dream provided two clear assurances: first, that I would definitely be set free; and second, it gave me an exact timeline – Easter.

I held onto that promise in prayer. Five months later, I managed to smuggle a Bible into my cell. Prompted by the Holy Spirit to look at the writings of King David, I opened to Psalm 35:18: "I will give You thanks in the great congregation."

Immediately, faith ignited in my spirit. I leapt to my feet inside that prison cell, knowing without a doubt that God’s word was sealed and my deliverance was on the way.

Answers to prayer are deeply intertwined with our faith. When Jesus descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, He found nine of His disciples unable to cast out a demon. When they asked why they had failed, Jesus pointed directly to their lack of faith, explaining that such breakthroughs require prayer and fasting. To see real answers to our prayers, we must maintain a positive posture of faith in both what we speak and how we pray.

I experienced this firsthand when God healed my throat cancer. The very next day, the doctors were astonished to find the tumour completely gone – cut out not by human hands, but by the hand of God.

That miracle anchored my faith years later when I was sentenced to ten years in a foreign prison: five years for smuggling Bibles and five years for preaching the Gospel with the underground church. As I prayed for God to deliver me, He answered just three days after my trial. Through a dream, the Lord showed me that I would be set free and return to London to preach to 10,000 people at an Easter convention in the city’s largest auditorium. When we pray with unwavering faith, God makes the impossible possible.

We all experience difficult circumstances. But what creates and defines your character, and with it your whole Christian life, is your reaction, not just to what is said, but what happens to you! If you believe God, you believe His Word - it's the same thing! God and His Word are the same! The decisions I have taken in my life have been formed by the Word of God. If you believe God, nothing is impossible - I expect miracles - the Bible teaches you to expect a miracle. - What is your reaction to your crisis? Anybody can pray, but it takes a determined believer to get answers from God. And the answer, when it comes, does not come in the ordinary way - but by fire! We must live by prayer and the Word of God! What else do you have? The Bible says that man does not live by the ordinary things, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God. I believe Him. Let your reaction be: never give up, translate your faith and prayer into action!!! He will not fail you. 

Often my reaction is somewhat extreme, because people are telling me that God is not big enough or powerful enough to do what we ask. All I know is that the Bible says God does the impossible things if we dare to ask Him - after all, there are many gods in the world - but the God I worship is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and the only real evidence of who He is, is seen by His miraculous actions! We have a prayer answering God!

'On Christ the Solid Rock' & 'Let Your Living Water Flow' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

During the greatest crises of my life, prayer was essential. In 1964, when I was diagnosed with throat cancer, I made the decision to refuse medical treatment and trust God for healing. After three months, the doctors examined me and insisted prayer had failed. The tumour had grown so large that without an immediate operation, I would soon choke to death.

I stood firm, refusing surgery, and went before the Lord in desperate prayer. While I believed God would heal me, I asked for undeniable confirmation: "Lord, I want to see this in writing."

Initially, I opened to Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good." But I pressed further: "Lord, I don't want comfort; I want a clear answer: yes or no."

The Lord prompted me to read Romans chapter 8 from the beginning. As I read through to the passage describing how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God when we do not know how to pray, revelation broke through. Through the witness of the Holy Spirit, I knew with absolute certainty that God’s answer was yes; and divine healing followed.

Prayer is not merely about us speaking to God; it is about God speaking to us. Real communication is never one-sided. In any human relationship, silence or failing to respond creates distance – and the same principle applies to our walk with the Lord. Prayer is designed to be a dynamic, two-way conversation.

Throughout our ministry, we could never have accomplished what we did without the power of prayer. In the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, we led a team of 400 people on a three-month mission to Siberia. Standard communication was virtually non-existent: there were no mobile phones, and computers and local phone lines rarely functioned.

To contact our UK office, I had to wait in long queues at public call stations. If the coins ran out before a connection was made, I had to return to the back of the line and start over. Faced with impossible circumstances and zero earthly connectivity, we turned to the Lord. In every crisis, we prayed – and God miraculously answered.

True faith is defined by action. As the classic song proclaims, if we are to live in "the days of Elijah," we must demonstrate the same boldness, authority, and power with God that marked his ministry.

Living by Faith in the Miraculous

Reflecting on 1 Kings 17 and 18, Elijah's ministry provides vital lessons on bold, unapologetic faith. Faced with a rebellious king and a backslidden nation, Elijah boldly shut up the heavens so that it did not rain.

During the ensuing drought, God guided Elijah to the Brook Cherith, commanding ravens to supply him with food. When the brook eventually dried up, God commanded him to go to Zarephath, promising that a widow would sustain him.

The Never-Ending Provision

When Elijah met the widow, she was gathering sticks to prepare what she believed would be a final meal for herself and her son before starving. Yet, Elijah challenged her with a word from the Lord:

"The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." (1 Kings 17:14)

She stepped out in faith, baked a cake for the prophet first, and experienced sustained divine provision. For two to three years, neither the meal nor the oil ran out.

This mirrors God's eternal promise for our spiritual walk: the divine oil, anointing, and fire of the Holy Spirit will never run dry in our lives.

Authority Over Life and Death

Later, tragedy struck when the widow’s son fell ill and stopped breathing. In her grief and confusion, she lashed out, assuming the boy's death was divine punishment for past sins.

Elijah remained steadfast in faith. Carrying the boy up to the upper room, he laid him on his bed and cried out to God in earnest prayer:

"O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again." (1 Kings 17.21)

Elijah refused to accept defeat or despair, standing on God’s authority to see life restored where death seemed final. When we walk intimately with God, our faith moves beyond mere words – it commands circumstances, releases supernatural provision, and resurrects life.

To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/cCydC9mX_OM 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

We all understand the vital role prayer plays in the Christian life. At its core, prayer is simply communication between us and the Lord.

In any relationship, if there is no communication, the relationship ceases to truly exist. When a husband and wife stop talking to one another, the marriage struggles. The same principle applies to our walk with God: if we do not talk to Him, we do not have an active relationship with Him. Prayer is not a ritual; it is a living relationship, a genuine conversation, and a way of relating directly to the Father.

There is a real danger in treating prayer as a mere formality or relying purely on scripted recitations. Scripture instructs us to avoid vain repetitions because repeating empty phrases quickly becomes meaningless.

Reflecting on my own school days at a boys' school, we had morning devotions every day with a Scripture reading and a set prayer. Unfortunately, much of it devolved into vain repetition. By the time I left school, I resolved never to repeat those prayers again because they carried no real meaning for the boys reciting them. True prayer must come from the heart, engaging God in honest, personal communion.

I remember a few years ago I was on my prayer mountain in Austria. I was saying, “Lord, I want to see bigger miracles in my life.” I was questioning, asking, “Why is it that the bigger miracles are in the Old Testament rather than the New?” I said, “Lord, I want to see those bigger miracles. Give me an answer.”

Jesus gave me the answer. I opened my Bible, and in Matthew and Luke, I read where Jesus was on the Mount of Olives. He was hungry and went to a fig tree, but found no fruit, so He cursed the fig tree. That night they went to Bethany, and when they returned the next morning, Peter looked at the fig tree and said to Jesus, “Master, what's gone wrong? The fig tree is dead!” I don’t know what was wrong with Peter, but he exclaimed, “It’s dead!”

The only answer Jesus gave was to say firmly to Peter: “If you command this mountain to move” – they were standing on the Mount of Olives – “and believe in your heart that you will have what you say, that mountain will move.”

Peter didn’t do it, but what a challenge. If we pray in faith and believe, God will work the miracles.

All through my life, I have been dependent on this. I remember reading in 1 Chronicles about David’s vision to build the temple. He prepared everything – as recorded in 1 Chronicles 28 – but God told him: “You will not build the temple, but your son will.” In verse 6, He said, “Solomon your son shall build My house, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.” Then in verse 11, David gave Solomon everything: the men, the money, and the materials to do the job.

In those early years, as I began working in the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s – alone, with no mission, no finances, no staff, and living under terror before I was imprisoned – God said to me: “You will be like Solomon to Me. You will be My son, and I will be your Father. I will give you the men, the money, and the materials to do the job.” Exactly what God told David regarding Solomon, He spoke to me. And for 75 years, God has provided exactly what He promised: the people, the provision, and the resources to fulfil the work.

God answers prayer. My life is a tremendous testimony of miracles – not only healing from cancer, but so much more. When I first launched out, God spoke to me from the Book of Joshua, reminding me of what He said after Moses died: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.” During my hardest days – whether in prison or battling cancer – He reassured me, “I will be with you.” And He has always been with me.

When praying about bringing the power of the Holy Spirit behind the Iron Curtain, God brought to mind the promise in Joel: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” I stood on that promise in faith wherever I travelled, knowing God pours out His Spirit without measure. Even now, in my mid-90s, I continue to stand in faith on that truth. Everywhere I go, God pours out His Spirit.

I pray you experience that same life-changing relationship with God.

Heavenly Father, open their hearts and minds to see the power of Your Word. Communicate with Your people, Lord, and continue to speak to me all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Ud_69OCZH0 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

Jesus did not begin His public ministry until He was about 30 years old. He was baptised in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. From that moment, His ministry began, accompanied by miracles and demonstrations of God’s power. It shows us that the power behind His earthly ministry was the Holy Spirit.

And that is why, before Jesus left His disciples, He told them, “Wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit has come.” He had been with them for 40 days after His resurrection, and Pentecost came on the fiftieth day. They were to wait those ten days in Jerusalem because Jesus knew they could not fulfil the commission in their own strength.

This is what my father taught me: when the Holy Spirit comes, He will do the work in you.

The power I have is not of myself. Without the Holy Spirit, I would be as powerless as the disciples were – and, sadly, as powerless as many churches are today.

But when I received the Holy Spirit, everything changed. From that moment, I understood that I was called to live and minister in the same way we see Peter, Paul, John, Philip, and the other apostles living and ministering in the Book of Acts.

The work of God cannot be accomplished in human strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, he immediately stood up and preached – and 3,000 people responded and received Christ. This shows us something of the power behind Spirit-filled preaching.

I know this from my own experience. When I first started preaching at the age of 13, I remember complaining to my father because nobody was repenting. He said to me, “You’ve been baptised in water, but you haven’t been baptised in the Holy Spirit. You need the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

Look at Jesus Himself. He did not begin His public ministry until He was about 30. First, He was baptised in the Jordan, and then the Holy Spirit came upon Him. From that point, His public ministry began, accompanied by miracles and demonstrations of God’s power.

The lesson is clear: the Holy Spirit is the power behind the ministry.

That is why, before Jesus left His disciples, He told them to wait in Jerusalem. He knew they could not accomplish the task in their own strength. They needed the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was essentially saying, “Wait. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will do the work in you.”

I know many of you listening face difficulties and sicknesses, yet those problems will soon come to an end. I want to show how in your trials there is an answer, but sometimes that answer comes through hardship. In Mark 5 a ruler of the synagogue came to Jesus because his daughter was dying. He pleaded with Jesus to come to his house, saying, "Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live." What a tremendous statement! Today, in your tragedy, in your battle to survive, reach out and find Jesus. He will answer. He has all power!

Make this declaration of faith as Vinesong sing: 'All will be well, the Son of God is on my side, all will be well!'

'It is well with my soul' and 'All will be well' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

Acts 22 contains a very powerful challenge to every one of us as Christians. Paul’s commission was clear: he was to be a witness of Jesus to all people, telling them what he had seen and heard.

And that raises a question for us: Do we have a testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives? We should have something to tell. We should be able to speak about what we have seen and heard and how God has changed us.

Then Ananias says, “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth.” And then, in verse 15: “You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.”

Notice that Ananias speaks of “the God of our fathers.” The God of the Bible is the God of Israel – the God who created heaven and earth. There is only one true God.

And I find what Jesus told Paul particularly interesting. He said, in effect, “Go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.”

Paul didn't receive the whole assignment at once. He simply had to take the next step in obedience. And I believe that is often how God works with us: He may not show us the whole journey, but He tells us what to do next.

Acts 21:12–14 gives us a remarkable picture of Paul’s determination. He says, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

This is a phenomenal statement. Paul had already been warned by prophets in Tyre, and now again in Caesarea, that if he went to Jerusalem, he would be attacked, bound, and imprisoned. Yet his response was not to turn back. He was ready to go – even if it meant suffering and death – for the name of the Lord Jesus.

There is something here that reminds us of Jesus Himself. Jesus knew that going to Jerusalem meant suffering and death, yet He set His face toward Jerusalem and went. Now Paul is facing the same reality. He knows what may await him, but he is determined to obey God.

Verse 14 says that Paul could not be dissuaded, so the people finally stopped trying to persuade him and simply said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

What a statement of surrender: whatever the cost, whatever the consequences, the Lord’s will be done.

We can receive clear answers from God, but whenever I pray over difficult issues, I ask the Lord for written confirmation in Scripture.

This truth became real to me during my imprisonment. After being sentenced to up to ten years, I had a vision of being released, returning home to London, and preaching to 10,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall on Easter Monday. Nine months later, after smuggling a Bible into my cell, I asked God to confirm the vision in writing through the Psalms. He led me straight to Psalm 35:18: "I will give You thanks in the great assembly."

Deeply encouraged, I asked for a second specific confirmation: a verse promising that a prisoner would be set free, so that I could be released in time for my birthday just days before Easter. In Psalm 68:6, I found it: "He bringeth out those which are bound with chains." God was completely faithful to His written Word – I was released on my birthday and preached at the Royal Albert Hall that Easter Monday.

Our salvation carries that exact same certainty. It is not based on fleeting emotions or human opinion; it is documented in writing across Scripture. As even Balaam acknowledged, God is not a man that He should lie.

While in prison, I read Marco Polo’s account of a group of Christians sentenced to death unless their faith could move a mountain. For two days, they prayed desperate prayers of fear, and nothing happened. But on the third day, they stood on the authority of Christ's words and commanded the mountain to move in Jesus' name. The mountain moved, their lives were spared, and the ruler demanded that missionaries be brought to teach his people. When we anchor our faith in what God has explicitly written, His promises never fail.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/DfplEdtoRWo 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

Acts 20.24 says: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I can finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

What a powerful statement. Paul considered his own life nothing compared with finishing the race and completing the task God had given him. All the suffering, all the hardship, and all his personal desires were secondary to that one purpose.

You remember the final words Paul wrote before his death: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Here, in Acts 20, he is speaking in anticipation of what he would ultimately declare at the end of his life.

Then, in verse 32, he says: “I commit you to God and to the word of His grace.” He had not coveted anyone’s silver or gold. He had supported himself, saying, “These hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.” What a challenge to us – to live not for what we can gain, but to give ourselves completely to the task God has entrusted to us.

And then, as Paul prepares to leave, we come to verse 36: “He knelt down with all of them and prayed.” They wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.

This was the heart of Paul: he had given his life completely to God, and nothing – not even the prospect of suffering or death – could stop him from finishing the race and completing the task the Lord Jesus had given him.

Prayer is a conversation with God. And a conversation needs to be two-way. So often in families, you can get a situation where the wife does the talking and the husband just has to listen! But in the right relationship, it should be a two-way conversation: you should speak, and you should get answers.

What I'm saying is this: in our spiritual relationship with the Lord, we should be able to speak and expect answers. Sometimes I think the way people treat getting answers is as being unexpected, as if to say, "Oh, I got an answer!" No. Sometimes there are delays, but I do believe that we can expect and receive clear answers. I certainly have in my life, because I face so many crises, and in every case, I expect the Lord to answer me – and He does.

So really, I want to suggest to those of you who really know the Lord: prayer is a means of communication.

To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/VdK3EBO-GCQ 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In Acts 20, Paul says, “I have declared both to Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

There is no difference in the message he preached to Jews and Gentiles. It is the same Gospel. And the Gospel we have today is exactly the same: whether Jew or Gentile, we all need to hear the message of repentance and put our faith in Jesus as Messiah.

Then, in verse 22, Paul says something very powerful: “And now, compelled by the Holy Spirit…”

Notice how strong that wording is. Sometimes we talk about being led by the Spirit, or even driven by the Spirit. But Paul says he was compelled by the Holy Spirit.

And I sometimes feel that same compulsion in my own ministry. People have questioned why I do certain things or why I go to certain places. But I don't always describe it simply as being led – I feel driven, even compelled, by the Holy Spirit.

And where was the Spirit compelling Paul to go? To Jerusalem.

But Paul was full of concern because he says, “I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”

He didn't know what awaited him. He didn't know what the consequences would be. But he knew he had to go.

That is what it means to be compelled by the Holy Spirit. You may not know everything that lies ahead, but you know that God is telling you to go – and when He compels you, you obey.

Acts 19:11 gives us something we haven't seen recorded in quite this way before: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and people were healed and evil spirits left them.

Here we see another dimension of the healing ministry. God was working so powerfully through Paul that even cloths that had touched him were being used as a point of contact, and the sick were healed.

But then we come to a very different situation. Some men were attempting to drive out an evil spirit, and the spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

The man who had the evil spirit then jumped on them and overpowered them. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Look at what happened! They weren't acting in the name of Jesus – they were trying to do it in their own power. And without the authority of Jesus, they had no power over that evil spirit.

This is so important. The power is not in us; the power is in the name of Jesus. We cannot manufacture spiritual authority. We must know Jesus, trust in His authority and operate in His name.

And when this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, Acts 19:17 says they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour.

That is the result we should desire – not that people glorify us, but that the name of Jesus is lifted up and honoured.

God will do so much more than you ask, His power is without limit. I want you to call upon Him today, not just for your healing from sickness, but to heal your heart. When God heals you, you get a new life, it's like being born again; He will fill you with a new energy and vitality. 

Put your hand on your sickness and say this prayer with me: I believe Jesus is alive and that God is my Father. You gave me a promise that when I call upon the Name of Jesus, and by the power of His Name, I shall be healed. In the Name of Jesus, I command every curse to be broken, I command every disease to come out of my body. In the Name of Jesus I receive my healing. Thank You Jesus, Amen.

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

'Holy You are Lord' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com 

Now, we know there was already a church in Ephesus, but Paul found some new disciples there. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They were clearly converts; they were Christians.

But they answered, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

It seems quite obvious to me that much of what they had heard had come through Apollos. And because Apollos had come from Alexandria, he apparently didn't know what had happened on the Day of Pentecost.

So Paul explains in verse 4 that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. John told the people to believe in the One who was coming after him – that is, in Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They spoke in tongues and prophesied – and there were about twelve men.

What an incredible picture of the power of the Holy Spirit! And Paul was so prolific in his preaching and reached so many people that Acts 19:10 tells us that, during those two years, all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

That is the kind of impact I believe the Church should be having today. When we are empowered by the Holy Spirit and faithfully proclaim Jesus, the Gospel can reach an entire region.

I believe that we are living in the days of a second outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And I can't see any reason why we shouldn't be living as the early disciples and apostles did. Yes, I must admit, I'm trying to live like Paul in many ways.

One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and said, “Don’t be afraid. Keep on speaking. Don’t be silent, for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

I was extremely conscious of that in my own ministry. I spent 30 years working in communist countries, and another 30 years afterwards – 60 years in all working throughout the former Soviet Union. And during those years, there were four attempts to assassinate me. Yet I was always conscious that God was protecting me.

Acts 18:10 says very clearly, “I am with you, and no one is going to attack you, because I have many people in this city.”

And what happened? Paul stayed there for another year and a half, teaching the Gentiles. He wasn't silenced by opposition or fear. He knew that God was with him, and he continued to preach.

Joel uses the picture of Israel’s harvest. The first rain came after the seed was sown, and the latter rain came before the harvest, swelling the grain and preparing it for harvest.

I believe this is a picture of the Holy Spirit. The first outpouring came at the beginning of the Church – not during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but on the Day of Pentecost.

There were 120 disciples gathered in the Upper Room, fearful and hiding behind locked doors. Then the Holy Spirit came with power. Peter stood up and preached, and 3,000 people were converted. This was the beginning of the Church.

But I have always believed the Church must also experience the latter rain – and that the latter rain will be greater than the first.

That belief challenged me from the beginning of my ministry. Although I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at fourteen, I was still searching for greater power. That is why, in 1961, I travelled to Jerusalem for a Pentecost conference. I had very little money, but I was determined to get there. I travelled by road because I believed I had to be there.

That journey changed my life. I believe God gave me what I had been seeking. From that time, I began to see miracles, healings and the power of God in a way I had never known before.

But I don't believe that was the end. I believe the prophecy of Joel points forward to the return of Christ. The outpouring that began at Pentecost will reach its fulfilment in the latter rain before the harvest.

So, Church, wake up! Jesus promised that we would receive power and that we would do the works He did – and even greater works.

Where are those greater miracles? We need to see them now.

I believe I am entering into this prophecy, and that before I enter the Kingdom, I will see greater miracles than anything I have witnessed in my life.

Don't look only at Pentecost. That was the beginning. Read Joel for yourself. Believe the promise, seek God, and ask Him for the power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to see the latter rain – and I want you to enter into it with me.

To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/cSUNfciLqvo 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

This is the record of the early Church – not just the ministry of Jesus. It gives us a pattern for how we should live and minister today. I believe we should be living according to this biblical pattern.

The people in Berea were more receptive than those in Thessalonica because they received the Word eagerly and then searched the Scriptures for themselves to test the authenticity of what Paul was preaching.

Wow. I wish people would do that today – to search the Scriptures and examine the evidence for themselves to see who Jesus really is.

But by verse 18, some of the philosophers encountered Paul and began to challenge him. They asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” They accused him of proclaiming strange gods because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

There it is again – Paul comes back to the simplicity of the Gospel: Jesus and the resurrection.

He challenged them to seek the Lord, saying that perhaps they might reach out for Him and find Him. And the wonderful truth of Scripture is this: God can be found. If you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.