Prayer Answering God

Our faith is not faith until it is put to the test! Without testing, without proving it, it's just something in the mind. Peter wrote, '...so that the TESTING OF YOUR FAITH, being more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ!' - 1 Peter 1:6-7.

God puts this test of faith in all our lives. He tested my faith. How did I react in 1964 when, after 3 months of prayer, God did not heal my throat cancer? Did God already know that I would pray in desperation, "If You want me to stay in England, don't heal me - but if You want me to leave the security of my home, church and ministry and go to Russia and Israel - I need an immediate miracle to heal me"? It took three months before I came to the spiritual place with God where the miracle happened - three months in spiritual growth, followed by a sudden revelation - an explosion - and in that moment the healing was instantaneous! When I was in a communist prison thirty years ago for Bible smuggling, I was almost one year in the prison, believing that God would work the miracle to get me out - but that year was the best year of my life! Yes, I was separated from my wife and my children, my youngest daughter was only three years old - but I grew all the time in my experience with God! It was a testing of my faith, but when God did it, it was sudden, a big miracle! I travelled the world for two years afterwards, talking about that miracle. I preached to more than a million people, sometimes ten thousand at a time - a quarter of a million came to Christ because of that testimony! But the miracle took one year of prayer.

Imagine if He had answered my first prayers and released me from the prison within one or two days, what would have happened? Suppose God had organised things 'extremely well' and got me out of prison really quickly - I would not be evangelising in Russia the way I do now, I would not have the ministry I have today. The longer I stayed in the prison, the bigger the miracle became - in the end it was the British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who came to Czechoslovakia, just to get me out! I was not thrown out of the 'back door'! I was released in a blaze of publicity! That's God! But the whole miracle took one year to prepare. I didn't let go of God even in the darkest days of despair - I knew, I believed - but it hurt and it was hard. It's the same with you. Hold on. Don't let go of God! God WILL do it! Even if it takes three months, three years, God WILL do it!

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Prayer Works!

James 5:16 says, 'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.' Powerful prayer works! The original Greek of the Bible uses a special word for power: dunamis. It signifies miraculous, wonder-working power. From it we get the words 'dynamo' (which generates energy) and 'dynamite' (the explosive). If you want prayer to work, to change your circumstances, then it must generate power. And it has to be like dynamite. If you put an ordinary explosive against a wall, its energy disperses into space. But dynamite does not dissipate its energy - it pushes the wall down! That's what our prayer must be like. It's got to move mountains! We must learn how to talk to God until our praying will move every mountain, every obstruction, everything that stands between us and the fulfilment of God's promises.

When we are dealing with the things of God, we are dealing with impossibilities, because the Bible says that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Over the years I have learnt that if you are going to ask God for something, ask Him for the impossible! When you are praying for something that is possible, your own mind recognises that it’s possible, it can happen. If I were spend the night in prayer asking for £10, it's quite reasonable that somebody could give me £10. But if I were to ask God for £10,000, that's almost impossible. A quarter of a million pounds – I don't know anybody who can just write a cheque for that amount. When you are in the realm of the impossible, you are getting into the realm where only God can answer. The exciting thing about living as a Christian and working for the Lord is that we are dealing with things that are impossible to men; so when the answer comes, we know that only God could have done it! I believe God allows problems to come in order to drive us to prayer. - It's when we are in our extremities of need that God steps in and takes over. Then when you receive your miracle, you'll realise there are no impossibilities, only limitless possibilities with God.

The regions beyond

I want to challenge you to go to the regions beyond - the regions beyond in your faith, the regions beyond in your service. The regions beyond in your prayer life. Don't be satisfied with your prayer life. Don't be satisfied with what you are doing. Let's go higher. How do you get up this 'mountain'? There is no chairlift and there is no cable car. There is only one way up this mountain. You do it by setting the pace and keeping it up step-by-step. So long as you keep moving, Jesus will guide you, leading you on, bringing to you hope along the way.

The regions beyond: We get stuck at the thought that mortal man could move anything bigger than himself! We agonise over the reality of moving that mountain - call our friends to stand with us in believing prayer - because this mountain is proving harder than we thought to move. Then when it happens - that miracle, that healing, or financial solution - we become so excited (as I experienced so many times personally), that we drop the real key down the drain in our excitement!

In Matthew 17:14-21, the disciples had missed the opportunity of releasing the greatest power into their lives - Jesus was putting a key in their hands, and if they would only use this key, their lives would never be the same again! For me, searching and hungry for more of God's power in my life, I saw what I have been waiting for - there is a spiritual 'region beyond'.

We need to realise God has a power and a glory far greater than anything we have ever seen yet! Are we, in our spiritual experience, ready to cross the barrier, to move into something so big we could hardly dream about?

Of all the gifts of God, faith is the greatest - it's the key to the 'normal' Christian life! There are nine gifts which you only receive after you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit (have you received... since you believed?): three VOCAL gifts, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy; there are three INTELLECTUAL gifts, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits; and there are three PRACTICAL gifts - I love the practical gifts - healing, working of miracles, and the gift of faith, 1 Corinthians 12. These are the normal every-day gifts of the Holy Spirit to the believer. By the same power with which you speak in tongues, you also heal the sick and work miracles! Paul asks, does everybody work miracles? What a challenge! Does every church work miracles? But this is the NORMAL Christian life! Cry out to God that He will fill you with the Holy Ghost and power!

Faith is what you DO! Are you living a normal Christian life? Do you have the gift of faith? This is NOT an intellectual gift. Faith is nothing to do with your education OR with what you think – it's what you DO. Faith is ACTION. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE, something solid. It's not something intellectual, it's the most PRACTICAL gift God can give.

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"We did it together"

When David's wife, Zena, died in December among her final words were, "We did it together". David often preaches from Romans 12:1 on offering our lives as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service. To be in ministry is a sacrifice; it was a sacrifice for Zena, especially when David was in prison for Bible smuggling, and the many long periods when he was evangelising in Russia and Siberia. She knew it was God's calling on his life and wouldn’t allow anyone to stop him. Her first words on being given her terminal diagnosis were, "David, you must carry on with the ministry!" Days later David was holding the largest evangelism he had ever held, with thousands of souls saved, reaching the whole nation live on national TV! She knew her eternal home was heaven and wanted others to have the same assurance. - That is why next week David will be Ukraine, followed by ministry in Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Slovakia and UK.

As she passed to her reward Vinesong's song 'Heaven' was playing. Using this song we have made a photo tribute of the ministry she sacrificed for. May it be a blessing to those of you who have also lost loved ones.

'I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.' (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, KJV)

Post by Ministry of David Hathaway.

A glorious future

Call upon Jesus! When you are in distress, when you are in trouble, when all the problems of life have come upon you, you will find God if you search for Him from just where you are. Today, God has given you a solemn promise of a glorious future. I want you to let these words sink into your spirit this year: God has a bright future for you, He is bringing you out into abundance. An abundance of health, joy, peace: He will give you an abundance of every good thing. You've been through the fire now it's time to enjoy the blessing (Ps 66:12).

I know many reading this have secret problems you cannot share. They are too deep, too hurtful, you cannot open up. Just tell everything to Jesus. It's the only way to be healed, delivered, set free. Talk to Him. He's listening. He loves you – He'll answer. You are not forgotten or insignificant, to Him you are precious and valuable. Reach out to Him right now, just call His Name, 'Jesus'.

Will you come home to your Father's love? If you want this new life, if you will receive Him, I want to pray with you: 'Oh God, become a Father to those reading this, comfort and deliver them. Give them a new hope and a bright future in Jesus' Name.'

Do you know this Jesus?

When I speak, I always begin with the Bible, the Word of God. It is the most up-to-date 'smartphone', because it is the only one where you can actually hear God speaking to you. Sometimes I speak from Matthew 8:23 where Jesus entered into a ship and His disciples followed Him. There was such a great storm that the ship was covered with the waves, but Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Him saying, 'Save us, we're dying!' Jesus responded, 'Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith?!' Then He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled saying, 'What kind of man is this that the winds and the waves obey Him?!' - Isn't it interesting that even after seeing all the miracles that Jesus performed, they still didn't recognise who He was.

I want to introduce people to the real Jesus. In this Bible story the disciples were with Jesus in the boat. A storm came. I know Galilee and how violent these can be. Even these strong fishermen were afraid! There comes a time when there are storms in all our lives and we are afraid, life is not easy. Now they were sinking and Jesus was fast asleep, in the boat! They called out, 'Don't You care?! Help us! Save us!' - How often do we feel the same way? We are screaming, 'Aren't You interested? How can You love me when You allow all these problems?!' With authority, Jesus spoke to the wind, and the sea became calm! Jesus reveals Himself through the miracles when He is in the boat with us.

Jesus changes lives. Every one of us has to go through storms. I've had cancer twice, but both times I've been healed by a miracle. We all need Jesus in the boat with us when we go through these storms, or else we drown under the crashing waves. But when He is by our side we can walk on stormy seas. The great hymn writer put it so profoundly: 'I've had many tears and sorrows, I've had questions for tomorrow, there's been times I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation that my trials only come to make me strong. Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God. Through it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word… I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know God could solve them, I'd never know what faith in God could do' (Andrae Crouch, Through it All).

If we could see from God's perspective

Not every experience can be 'prayed' away. When God's heavy hand is upon you, nothing can change the path He has chosen, even though it is one we would never have taken. If after all your praying you've ended up some place and you don't know why, that place is where God intended for you to be. God will do what is appointed for us in accordance with His plan; therefore we'd be wise to submit to it. It must be as God wills. Scripture teaches us 'Whatever God does is final; nothing can be added or taken from it' (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Jesus too was in agony and tried to pray away the path chosen for Him, to the extent that He sweated blood, yet He submitted Himself to God's plan and prayed 'Yet not My will but Yours be done' (Luke 22:41-42).

God has a dynamic, divine purpose in everything He does, with a clear beginning and end. His plan is a kaleidoscope of movement with innumerable processes, each with its own character and period of sowing, blossoming, ripening, harvesting and pruning. His actions are not simply arbitrary, but appropriate, not simply confining, but releasing. From the beginning God determined there to be set times and seasons as clear evidence of His providence.

If we could see from God's perspective, we would see that His plan is perfect; for there is nothing unnecessary in it, nor any experience that can be spared. It has all been designed by a master architect. As the Word of God is final and settled in heaven, so the works of God determined for us must be fulfilled. It is presumption for us either to add to them or to diminish them. It is therefore as much our interest, as our duty, to bring our wills into accordance with the will of God. As the hymn writer wisely wrote: 'there is no other way but to trust and obey'.

Call on Him!

In the Bible Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open the door, I will come in!" (Revelation 3:20.) Jesus is more willing to come to us than we are to receive Him. I try to tell people how simple it is to receive Jesus. All you have to do is be like a drowning man: stop struggling, let go of your tiny piece of flotsam and let Him rescue you. I understand that one problem the rescuer has is that while the drowning person is struggling so much, it is hard for the victim to trust their saviour! The panic and desperation to be saved actually makes being rescued even harder.

Healing, deliverance, forgiveness… stop struggling to rescue yourself, relax and let Him deliver you. That wonderful hymn writer put it so powerfully: 'Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy Blood was shed for me… I come.' We all need the touch of someone who loves us. So many of you reading this have secret problems you cannot share; they are too deep, too personal. Tell everything to Jesus. It's the only way to be healed, delivered, set free. He already knows, He understands and He's waiting for you to come to Him. He lived here on earth like you in order to understand all the problems we face, that's why He does not condemn. Talk to Him. He's listening. Ask Him for help. And receive His peace.

Claiming the promises of God

How can you live the abundant life of God if you don't know what that life is? How can you take the blessing if you don't know what it is? How can you speak with tongues, prophesy, heal the sick without the gift of the Holy Spirit? How can you receive the Holy Spirit without first seeing it in the Word of God?

God speaks to us through the Bible. It is important we search the Scripture to find the answers we are looking for. If I am facing a specific situation, I will search the Bible for an answer to that problem. An easy way to start searching is a key-word search in the concordance, or do as I do, I read a specific book in the Bible until God speaks to me. If something is in your heart, then God will lead you by the Holy Spirit to what He wants to say to you, if you will search the Scriptures.

We have to look into the Word of God - we have to possess every promise with the same tenacity and faith that Joshua had when he conquered the Promised Land. 'Eat' your Bible for breakfast, for lunch and at night. Do you know the promises of God? Have you seen the promises of God? Before you read the Bible pray, 'Lord, open my eyes. Speak to me through Your Word. Give me the faith to believe and possess every promise.'

God's promises are wonderful and available for you in this life, not merely when you die. You can call on the Lord and be healed, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. For the believer it is the most wonderful life, so full of the joy and the glory of God, you will never want to go back to the old way.