David Hathaway

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