David Hathaway

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.

What we are achieving together with your support is powerful in changing nations, specifically Ukraine. The decision to go ahead with our 11th National Prayer for Ukraine in the very heart of Kyiv in this, the most critical summer of the war, was a very heavy one. But the heads of ALL Ukrainian Churches agreed, they had a responsibility before God and before the people to continue with the Prayer. To read David Hathaway's August newsletter: https://www.eurovision.org.uk/newsletters/2026/8/11/august-2026-newsletter To make a donation: https://www.eurovision.org.uk/donation  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 'Come Up Higher' used by kind permission of Vinesong. 

I believe Joel's prophecy is both a call to return to the Lord with all our hearts and a promise that God will restore what has been lost, pour out His Spirit, and do great things among His people. In this teaching, I explore the meaning of the “former rain” and “latter rain” in Joel 2. The first great outpouring of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, when the Church was born and thousands were saved. But I believe Joel points to an even greater outpouring before the return of Christ. As Joel speaks of prophecy, signs, wonders and “multitudes in the valley of decision,” I share my lifelong conviction that we are approaching a great spiritual awakening and harvest – a powerful move of the Holy Spirit that will prepare the way for Jesus' return. Watch the YouTube version https://youtu.be/5Ew_a_iviEI  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

In Acts 16 we read that about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Then, in verse 26, “Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.” What an extraordinary answer to prayer! Verse 27 tells us that the jailer woke up, saw the prison doors standing open, and, believing the prisoners had escaped, drew his sword to take his own life. But Paul shouted, “Don't harm yourself! We are all here!” As Paul and Silas prayed, God intervened with supernatural power. The earthquake shook the very foundations of the prison, the doors were thrown open, and every chain was broken. What a picture of the power of prayer! This is the only occasion in Scripture where prayer is answered by a literal earthquake. I wish more of us would pray with that kind of faith and expectancy today. This was no routine prayer meeting – it was prayer that shook the earth, broke chains, and opened doors. That is the kind of praying the Church needs once again.

In Acts 15:8 we read: “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.” This was God's confirmation that the Gentiles could receive salvation without first coming under the requirements of the Jewish law. The gift of the Holy Spirit was the evidence that God had accepted them. I hope you remember that. Peter goes on to say in verse 9: “He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.” What a powerful statement. God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Salvation is not based on nationality, tradition, or keeping religious laws. It is received by faith alone. That is the very foundation of the Christian faith. Everything centres on the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. The believers in the Old Testament were saved by looking forward in faith to the coming Messiah. Today, we are saved by looking back in faith to the finished work of Christ. The object of our faith is the same Saviour; only the direction in which we look has changed.

Jesus heals by miracles! If you want an answer to prayer, that answer is found in the Bible. I want to start by reading a passage from Mark 2, the healing of the paralytic man. These four men were so desperate, they knew only Jesus could heal their friend; no hospital could cure him, no medicine could relieve the symptoms. This man needed a miracle! The crowd was full of expectation: they knew Jesus could heal the sick, the paralysed man's friends knew He could heal the sick. What was Jesus going to do? To prove that He has power on earth to forgive sins, Jesus turned to the paralysed man and said, "Stand up, take up your mat, and go home." Immediately the paralysed man arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God! Healing is an integral part of the atonement. It has been bought for us, together with our salvation, through Christ's suffering and death. We need to apply the same level of faith to our deliverance from sickness as we do to our deliverance from sin. 'I behold Your glory' used by kind permission of Vinesong For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

So much of the Church has lost sight of what it was like in the days of the Acts of the Apostles. The early Church grew because God confirmed the preaching of His Word with miracles, signs, and wonders. The Gospel was never just words – it was accompanied by the power of God. That has been one of the most remarkable aspects of my own ministry. It is not simply the message that I preach, but the extraordinary miracles that have followed as the Gospel has been proclaimed with boldness. Jesus is still the Healer. Very often, when people ask me to lay hands on them, I reply, “No, I want you to obey the Scriptures.” Jesus said, “These signs will accompany those who believe... they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” I encourage people to place their own hands on the area of sickness while I pray with them. Then the miracles happen – not because of me, but because they are looking to Jesus, the One who heals. An important part of my ministry is simply to testify to the miracles God performs wherever I go. They are truly extraordinary. At the end of Acts 5:16 we read these remarkable words: “All of them were healed.” What a challenge that is to the Church today. God's power has not diminished. His ability to heal has not weakened. Sadly, it is often our expectation and our faith that have diminished – not His power.

Here were people praying earnestly, yet when the answer was standing at the door, they could hardly believe it! Sometimes I think that's a danger in the Church today. Do we really expect God to answer our prayers? I wonder how many Christians would be genuinely shocked if God answered exactly what they had been asking for. Too often, there is little real expectation that He will actually do it. For many people, prayer becomes little more than wishful thinking. I can't stand that kind of praying. When I pray, I pray with conviction and determination. I know what I'm asking God to do, and I pray believing that He hears and answers. The two disciples continued on their journey because they had been sent by the Holy Spirit. That is an important principle: it is the Lord who sends us. I have always been deeply conscious of this throughout my ministry. When I look back over the places God has taken me, there is no doubt in my mind that every destination and every timing was directed by Him. It was so precise that only God could have arranged it. The chapter concludes by saying, “The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” What a wonderful example for us today. We, too, should live lives that are filled with joy and continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

I have always believed the prophecies in the Bible, Joel 2, God's Promise of the former and latter rain. I believed that the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on that first Pentecost, but that we can and should experience the second Pentecost now. Although I had received my personal Baptism by the Holy Spirit aged 14, I wanted something greater, the promise of Joel 2.  Our God is about to do great things! His power is on the increase. Biblically God's power cannot become smaller! At a time of national calamity, Joel 2.21&23 says, ‘Rejoice and be glad, for the Lord is about to do great things – in YOUR nation! ... Be glad, rejoice in your God, because He gave you the former rain moderately, and He will give you the latter rain!' I know Israel well: the former (first) rain is when they plant the seed, the last rain is just before the harvest and it is greater than the first – that's why I believe we are living in a new Day of Pentecost (harvest) now! When the church was born on the Day of Pentecost, it was born in fire! And before Jesus comes back, we're going to have another greater baptism in fire!  Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/7jtzWi9YVew  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

Jesus came into the world to save the lost. He came to die for sinners. He did not come for one group of people or another. He did not come only for the Jews or only for the Gentiles. He came for all people, so that everyone might have the opportunity to be saved. And today, our calling is to take that message of salvation to everyone. Jesus is the Son of God, who came into the world to die for sinners – whatever their nationality, whatever their background, whatever their religion or creed. That is why I have travelled so widely, preaching the Gospel, because I want to reach everyone with the good news of Christ. In Acts 10:47, after the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit, Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptising these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” The message is clear: whether Jew or Gentile, everyone needs the Holy Spirit, and everyone who believes should be baptised in water. What does water baptism mean? Paul explains it in Romans. When we are baptised, it symbolises our identification with Christ in His death. Water baptism is a picture of death and resurrection. As you go down into the water, it is as though you are buried with Christ. As you come up out of the water, you rise to new life as a new creation. Just as Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, so water baptism declares that your old life has died and that you now live a new life in Him.

If you are believing for healing, for yourself or others, healing is part of the atonement of Christ. Matthew 8.16-17 says that Jesus healed all that were sick in order that the words of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses' (Isaiah 53.4). I KNOW God works miracles; when you pray in faith, God will work the miracle. And even if you don't experience the full healing in this life, Jesus has promised that a day is coming when He will wipe every tear from our eyes, there will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away, (Revelation 21.4). Watch the YouTube version: For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In Acts 10:41, we read, “He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses chosen before by God, even by us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.” These words remind us that God chose specific people to be witnesses of the risen Christ. I believe that God has also chosen you and me to be His witnesses today. Just as the early disciples were called to testify of the greatness of God, we too have been chosen to declare what we have seen and experienced of His transforming power. As a believer, you stand alongside Peter, Paul, and all the others in the early Church. You are a witness to the power of God to change lives. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, shed for you on the cross. You have experienced the miracle of salvation and have a testimony of what Jesus has done in your life. Then, in Acts 11, Peter recalls the words of the Lord: “John indeed baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” He continues, “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” These verses make it clear that God Himself was leading Peter. In verse 12, Peter says, “The Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing.” Peter was not acting according to human reasoning or personal preference; he was responding to the direction of the Holy Spirit. This is the same calling for every believer today: to listen to the Spirit, obey His leading, and become faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Acts 9 begins with one of the greatest miracles in Scripture, the conversion of Saul, and then turns to Peter, through whom God performs two extraordinary miracles: the healing of a paralysed man and the raising of a woman from the dead. What a powerful Gospel we have! It is the Gospel that not only saves souls but also demonstrates the living power of Jesus Christ. My desire is to live and minister as the early disciples did. Their example is not simply part of history; it is a pattern for how believers should live today: walking in obedience to Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, and expecting God to work through them for His glory. One of the most important aspects of my ministry is that I not only preach the Gospel, but I also pray for the sick in the name of Jesus and have seen Him perform miracles. I cannot heal anyone, Jesus alone is the Healer. I am simply called to obey Him, to pray in faith, and to leave the results in His hands. If you are a believer, you too are called to be a witness, just as Peter, John, and the other disciples were. As Acts 10:39 reminds us, we are witnesses to what Jesus has done. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God still transforms lives today, and He invites every believer to testify to His saving grace and His mighty power.

Do you want an answer to prayer? The answer is in your Bible.  God had to send Jesus into this world to understand how we live: to understand us, to know our problems. He lived amongst us. Jesus worked as a carpenter for 18 years; He knows what it is like to face financial pressures, the struggle to buy food. Hebrews says Jesus is able to sympathise with our weaknesses, He was tempted as we are, yet He was without sin, this is why we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, to find help in our time of need. Our only hope for the future, our only hope for the nations is Jesus. He is the only one who can solve all things.  'Hope for the world' used by kind permission of Vinesong. For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

In Acts 9, Peter encountered a man named Aeneas who had been paralysed for eight years. Recognising his need, Peter did not anoint him with oil or lay hands on him. Instead, he simply declared, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Immediately, Aeneas got up. There was no gradual recovery, no delay; the healing was instantaneous. The miracle demonstrated the power and authority of Jesus Christ working through His servant. Later in the same chapter, we read of another remarkable miracle. A faithful believer named Tabitha (also called Dorcas) had died. Peter sent all the mourners out of the room, then knelt down and prayed. Only after praying did he turn to the body and say, “Tabitha, arise.” At once she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. These miracles remind us that the power displayed was not Peter's own. He acted in complete dependence on the Lord, speaking and acting in faith as the Holy Spirit directed him. The same Jesus who healed the sick and raised the dead during His earthly ministry continued His work through the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 9, when the Lord speaks to Saul - who would later become Paul - we see a clear example of direct guidance from God. Saul asks, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” The Lord answers, “Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” He was given only the next step. The fuller instructions came only after he obeyed. That has certainly been my experience. There have been many times when the Lord has told me to go somewhere or do something, without revealing the whole plan. Only after I had obeyed did He make the next step clear. Looking back over my life, I can see how the Lord has ordered my steps. He has given me specific instructions and sent me to particular places. The evidence lies in what followed. My first overland journey to Jerusalem opened my eyes to the suffering of the underground Church behind the Iron Curtain. From that point onwards, at every stage of my life, I was acting under the Lord's direction. Time and again, God did exactly what He had promised. I remember preaching in a city in Russia where the pastor told me that my visit was the answer to prayers that had been offered many years before. Believers who had been imprisoned, tortured, and even put to death in the labour camps had prayed that one day someone would come and share the Gospel with their persecutors. After the collapse of communism, I arrived there, unaware that I was walking into the fulfilment of prayers prayed by faithful Christians who had long since gone to be with the Lord.

In this episode, David shares powerful testimonies of healing from his ministry in Dewsbury, Kiev, and across the former Soviet Union. Drawing from James 5 and the words of Jesus, he explores the biblical call to preach the gospel, pray for the sick, and expect God to work miracles. With personal stories of blind eyes opened, cripples walking, and his own battle with throat cancer, this message is a stirring reminder of the power of faith-filled prayer. 'When I moved to Harrogate things changed and I saw my first powerful miracle of healing. After we had prayed, I continued to visit Mr Corker, and soon, I began to see something which I came to realise was the cancer coming away from his body. His catheter tube kept getting blocked so that, even in front of me, he would be trying to clear it. Not long after this, the doctors confirmed something unusual was going on and sent him back into hospital, hopefully even to restore his body functions and remove the two bags. But he was so difficult and cantankerous in the hospital, that they threw him out without any operation. But God had miraculously healed his body – he pulled his tubes out himself at home – and soon he was back in church. The cancer never returned.' For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway http://eurovision.org.uk Watch the video on YouTube https://youtu.be/Yr4kwA34izg 

What happened on the Day of Pentecost was not a one-time event. Again and again, throughout the later chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of people receiving the Holy Spirit. Each time, there was a remarkable transformation. They were filled with a new dynamic power, and it became unmistakably clear that the Holy Spirit had changed their lives. When I received the Holy Spirit, He completely transformed me. That work has not diminished over the years; rather, my hunger for His presence has only grown stronger. Today, I need the Holy Spirit even more than I did when I first received Him at the age of fourteen. We must never be afraid to suffer for Christ's sake. For me, it is both an honour and a privilege. When I was imprisoned for smuggling Bibles, I reflected on the fact that the Father allowed His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be arrested, imprisoned, mocked, beaten, and tortured. Suffering for His name should not surprise us. In the book of Acts, the Lord said to Ananias concerning Paul, "I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." From the very beginning, following Christ has meant not only sharing in His life and power, but also being willing to share in His sufferings.

'Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,' (James 5.13-16, NIVUK). In 1948 Elim held a series of crusades in London. I attended and took part in some of the meetings and felt led to join one of these new churches. It was near Camberwell Green in South London; I knew and became friendly with the young pastor. It was my idea that Ken and I should leave the church where we had grown up and join this church. I thought it would give me useful experience for my own coming ministry. We were very active 17- year-olds; I couldn't do any preaching of course, but we worked with the young people, and I took the job of being door keeper on Sundays, greeting the people and talking with them. One man who attended regularly used to ask me a lot of questions about healing which, with my lack of experience, I found hard to answer. My only contact with this man was in church and I never knew his name. After a while, he stopped coming. Then I found out he'd been in hospital and had died quite suddenly. I didn't know, I believe probably it was prostate cancer. I was quite sad, although I only knew him from talking at the door of the church. I couldn't get him out of my mind. I realised that all his questions had been a desire for a miracle of healing – and I could give him no answers. For the first time in my life, I was confronted with the real need for physical healing from the Lord. It was this that would result in my searching for God's Power in miracles of healing. To watch the video version: https://youtu.be/1IGZIOev8SM  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

One truth I can never escape is this: the miracles recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were the evidence that confirmed the truth of the message. Acts 8:6 tells us what happened: "The people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." They didn't just hear Philip's words – they saw the power of God at work. The message and the miracles went together. Do you see the importance of the ministry of healing? Both Philip and Simon were attracting crowds, but there was a crucial difference. Simon was preaching himself, while Philip was preaching Christ. Simon's sorceries were a counterfeit demonstration, designed to impress people with his own power. Philip, however, ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. The miracles of healing – the lame walking, the sick restored, and lives transformed – were God's confirmation of the Gospel he preached. Those miracles were not the message itself, but they were the evidence that the message was true. They authenticated Philip's ministry and pointed people, not to the preacher, but to Jesus Christ. For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In the whole of Acts chapter 7, Stephen delivers one of the most remarkable biblical messages in Scripture. He takes his listeners through Israel's history, revealing from the Scriptures who Jesus truly is. Then, in verse 55, we read: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." In the next verse he declares, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." Notice something extraordinary. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is normally described as seated at the right hand of God. But here, He is standing. The scene is so significant, so glorious, that the Lord Himself is standing to receive His faithful witness. Can you imagine it? The excitement in heaven is so great that even Jesus rises from His seat. And this brings us back to an important truth. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is absolutely no question that God's intention was never to limit His Spirit to that small group. The same Holy Spirit was given for all believers, empowering ordinary men and women to live as bold witnesses for Christ. For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

You're Twice God's! Here's Why... God made you. You were lost in sin. God searched everywhere for you. Then He sent His Son Jesus and He found you. Although you were lost in sin, He paid a high price to buy you back. That is why the Bible says there is so much joy in Heaven over every sinner who repents! Jesus says, "You are two times mine!"  'The Father's Love' & 'Jesus Your Love Has Lifted Me' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is no question that God's purpose was for the Holy Spirit to come upon all who believe. As Christians, we need a personal testimony and a powerful witness – that is the strength of our preaching. In many churches today, we have deacons who are not ordained to preach but are appointed to serve and support the ministry. Yet one detail in Acts has always stood out to me: although these men were not leading the spiritual ministry, they were still required to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Stephen was chosen as one of these deacons, described as a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." But he did far more than administrative work. By Acts 6:8 we read that, "full of faith and power," he performed great wonders and miracles among the people. It is clear that these deacons were not merely serving practical needs. They were ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit - praying for the sick, seeing miracles, and demonstrating the same supernatural power that was at work through the apostles. For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk   

The Holy Spirit is essential for us to fulfil the work of God. We cannot do it in our own strength. I could not do what I do without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows the truth, and He inspires, guides, and motivates us. God does not call us to do something without knowing our limitations. He knows what we are capable of and what we are not. And when He calls us to something, it is because either He has already given us the ability, or He will provide the strength we need to accomplish it. Stephen is a powerful example of this. He was chosen as one of the deacons, a man who was "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost." Yet his ministry was far more than practical administration. Acts 6:8 tells us that, "full of faith and power, he did great wonders and miracles among the people." The Holy Spirit enabled him to do what he could never have done in his own strength. The Scriptures are clear that God honoured Jesus because of His complete obedience – even obedience unto death. Jesus submitted fully to the will of His Father, and because of that obedience, God exalted Him. The same principle applies to us. When we obey God, trust Him, and follow His calling, He will honour us and give us the grace and strength to accomplish His purposes. For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In Matt 10.1 Jesus calls the Twelve and sends them out, giving THEM the POWER to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all manner of sickness and disease.  People don't understand what distinguishes Christianity from any other religion – it's GOD'S POWER given to men! The whole message of the Gospel, the whole message of the New Testament is POWER! It's not prophecy, that's the message of the Old Testament. The message of the New Testament is POWER. God's Power. Jesus gave the Twelve Power. Now, they hadn't yet received the Holy Spirit, but they had received Power. It traces back to John the Baptist, who prophesied of Jesus, that the One who is coming will have more Power than me. We see from the beginning of His ministry, Jesus has POWER from God to forgive sin and to heal the sick. In Matt 10.1 He commissions His disciples – in preparation for when He's gone. The final message of Jesus to the disciples, after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, when His ministry is finished, is this in Acts 1.8, “You will receive POWER, after the Holy Spirit is come on you and you will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth…” When John was in prison, Jesus took over. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, the disciples took over. John the Baptist said, Jesus will be greater than I; Jesus said, the same works that I do, you will do and greater. Where is that greater power today? I grew up in the early days of the Pentecostal revival in Britain. All my life I've sensed that there's more POWER than even the great ministers I grew up with had. I received the Holy Spirit when I was still 14, I've seen great miracles in my ministry since I was 20, but I've never been satisfied. Aged 94 I still want MORE. I want to live like Jesus intended us to live. How about you? To watch the YouTube version https://youtu.be/FCOHmh5KDDk  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk