David Hathaway

Jesus says to you today, "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Let Me teach you, and you will find rest for your souls." So many people have 'secret' problems, burdens you cannot share. They are too deep, too hurtful, you cannot open up. Talk to Jesus, He's listening. Whatever disturbs you, whatever the frustration, keep talking to Jesus. He will comfort and restore your soul. Jesus is your Good Shepherd, He knows and cares for you. God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid."

How do I receive answers to my prayers? In my relationship with the Lord, prayer is a conversation. Prayer has to be more than just one-sided dialogue, it has to be a two-way communication to be real effective prayer. Most of you know my testimony, the two times I had cancer – 1964 when it was throat cancer, and 2002/3 when it was lung cancer – on both occasions when I was asking the Lord for a miracle, I also asked Him to give me an answer. How did I get an answer? As I so often do, I said, “Lord I want to see it in writing!” And I get the answer in the pages of my Bible – it is God’s Word to us! So often that’s how God answers me. Although sometimes the answer is just something I sense in my spirit.

There is Resurrection Power available to those who believe. In 1 Kings 17, we read the story of how the widow, who was caring for Elijah, was struck by an unspeakable tragedy. In verses 17-23, her son dies, but miraculously, in answer to prayer, God resurrects the boy. We see similar miracles in the ministry of Jesus where he heals a 12 year old girl in Mark chapter 5. And also in Luke 7, Jesus was moved with compassion when he saw a widow at the funeral procession for her son; He immediately raised the boy from the dead. These miracles are the evidence of the power and authority we as believers have in Christ. In verse 24 of 1 Kings 17, the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."

Some of the biggest miracles in the Bible occurred in the Old Testament; we recognise the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing in the New Testament, but when we read what happened on the Old Testament, it was phenomenal: the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the conquest of the Promised Land, but in this message I want to look at 1 Kings 17 & 18. In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah speaks prophetically. In verse 14 he says, 'For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land."' I believe this passage is prophetic about the generation we live in. The oil of the Holy Spirit, which was poured out on the church at Pentecost will not run dry. Regardless of the circumstances we face, whatever the difficulties in the world, the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the flour of the Word of God, will not fail us.  

The Holy Spirit is powerful within you! You can work miracles! You will see the signs and wonders promised by Jesus! But we have got to be like the early disciples and experience a personal Pentecost. We need to break out from every restriction. It was this Holy Ghost empowerment which enabled me to believe to be delivered from that communist prison. It gave me the confidence to believe for my healings from cancer. You too can be the living witness and testimony that the miracles of the Bible can happen today! 

The life we live, we live by faith. In 2003 when I had lung cancer, I had no treatment, and was healed by a miracle. When I had throat cancer in 1964, I was pastor of a church which, under my ministry had seen tremendous miracles. We still have the newspaper reports of the blind seeing, cripples walking – this was in the local newspaper! My congregation really challenged me saying, “It’s all very well telling us to have faith. But now you have cancer, what are you going to do?” I had to say to the Lord, “Lord, I have to demonstrate my faith. I cannot have an operation!” Both times I had cancer I prayed for 3 months before I was healed, and with this lung cancer, it actually came out of my mouth in a massive cough! I was in bed at the time, and they had to burn the bed afterwards! The Apostle James says, some people say they’ve got faith, but they don’t act it, they don’t demonstrate it. But I try to demonstrate my faith by the way I live. 

Faith must result in some action! James says, without accompanying action, without 'works', faith alone is dead, (2.17). When I was a young pastor, God called me with a tremendous challenge, I think it was after a Sunday service. He said to me, "Stop talking, I'm tired of listening to you. Go out and do all the things you are talking about! And don't come back until you've done it!" The Holy Spirit was literally saying to me what James is saying here, that if you have faith, that faith has to become action. And the testimony of my life is that my faith has led to action.

Jesus said that the same works He did, we should do and greater! For those who don’t believe this applies to us today, let me challenge you: at least do what Jesus did! But I am believing for the greater works! In Acts 3, Peter and John healed the lame man at the gate of the Temple. What I want you to understand is, previously Jesus worked the miracles, but now it was the disciples working miracles in and through the Name of Jesus. Miracles happen by the Power of God working through us.

There is great Power in Prayer, but we must ask in faith, without wavering. Scripture teaches, “If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally – without criticising! But ask in faith, without wavering – because he who wavers is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed with the wind.” Faith has to come with some element of stability, just as God is stable, and we’re asking, we’re trusting, we’re acting on that faith. James says, the man who wavers, let him not think he’ll receive anything! Faith has to be consistent, you have to hold on to that faith. Or you won’t get anything. Most of you know my testimony, the two times I had cancer – 1964 when it was throat cancer, and 2002/3 when it was lung cancer – on both occasions when I was asking the Lord for a miracle, I also asked Him to give me an answer. How did I get an answer? As I so often do, I said, “Lord I want to see it in writing!” And I get the answer in the pages of my Bible – it is God’s Word to us! So often that’s how God answe

The Holy Spirit is Powerful within you. Through Him, you can work miracles! But we must be like the early Church and have a Pentecost experience. We must have a Baptism of Fire. Be bold in your faith; believe for the impossible; put your trust in the Name of Jesus. In Acts 2, the disciples were filled with the Spirit. In chapter 3, we read that faith in the Name of Jesus healed the lame man. And in chapter 4, Peter and John prayed, 'Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus.'

The Name of Jesus is so Powerful – His NAME conveys all the majesty and glory of God! Today, if you talk about someone remarkable – an actor, a scientist, a politician, a leader – they have a NAME – and they are known, by name, for what they do. That person has a name as an explorer, as an athlete… You can name tennis players, swimmers, rugby players – you know the specific thing they do by their name. But Jesus has a NAME! He has a NAME for what He stood for. It is a specific NAME and it conveys the specific Authority and Power God has – to us! 

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the evidence will be God working through you! The Apostle Peter says in Acts 2, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, was a man approved by God to you by miracles, signs and wonders, which God did among you through Him.’ God will work signs and wonders through you. It won't be you working the miracles. It is God through you!

God wants you to be filled with the fire and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in Acts 1:5, "For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ And then in verse 8, He said, "You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." Too many people read the Bible, say they believe it, but then they will dispute that what they read can happen today. I live my life to prove that what Jesus said, can, and will happen in our lives today! I believe in the miracles of the Bible. I believe in the Power of the Holy Spirit. I believe when we receive this Power, we will do the greater works Jesus spoke about. To me, it is so important that we read what Jesus said to the His disciples in Acts 1, and then we should do what the early Church did. 

I know that many of you are experiencing difficulties, firstly Covid and delays receiving medical care, now the cost of living, and the disruption to transport – so many things. We, like you, are compelled to depend on Scripture for help in time of trouble. As fulfilment of God’s strategic plan in the vision which He gave me for Europe many years ago, the main mission is ahead of me – the best is yet to come! This year I will be back in Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Poland, and organising our national ‘Days of Prayer’ for Ukraine – and evangelising!

I am fascinated by the Roman centurion who came to Jesus saying, "My servant is sick." The immediate response of Jesus was, "I will come to your house." But the centurion says, "No, You don't need to come to my house. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Jesus, You're exactly the same. All You have to do is speak – and my servant will be healed." Jesus did just that, and the servant was indeed healed at that very moment! Jesus is showing us the authority we have in Him: "Whatsoever you ask IN MY NAME, I will do."

When I pray, whatever I'm praying about – whether I’m praying for health, whether I’m praying over problems, anything – I always pray in the Name of Jesus. Just as Jesus said in John 14:13, “Whatsoever you ask the Father in My Name, that will I do!” My prayer and my requests are in the Name of Jesus! I bring every request in the Name of Jesus: “Father, I’m asking You in Jesus’ Name…”

'Whatsoever you ask in Jesus Name, that He will do, so that the Father might be glorified in the Son.' That’s powerful! In Philippians Paul is saying, God has given Jesus a NAME ABOVE ALL OTHER NAMES – because of His obedience to His Father, because He came and humbled Himself, and was obedient even unto death – in order to fulfil God’s purpose. And, because Jesus was sent to fulfil the purpose of God, because He was obedient, He was able to say, "Whatsoever you ask the Father in My Name, I will do it."

Faith in the Name of Jesus will heal every sickness. Peter says in Acts 3, after the lame man was healed at the Temple, "By faith in the Name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ Name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. It’s absolutely clear – the healing came IN THE NAME OF JESUS and THROUGH FAITH IN THAT NAME. 

I want to show you the Authority and the Power that is in the Name of Jesus! People ask me how is it that I see so many miracles, so many healings? My life has been truly remarkable, partly because of the length of time that I have been in ministry, and the intensity. Very few people have seen the miracles that I have seen and experienced, and I believe there is a strong Scriptural reason for this. It was only recently in prayer that I felt the Lord pressing on me that the authority that I have and the miracles I see, come IN AND THROUGH THE NAME OF JESUS. This is so important, because the Bible says here in Philippians 2:9, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name which is above every name – that in the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow, things in Heaven, things in the earth and under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father!

God wants YOU to be so full of Faith and Power that you can do great wonders and signs wherever you live and work. The Bible says that Stephen, who was appointed by the Apostles to administration, not ministry, was so powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith, that he did great wonders and miracles among the people!   What an example! This is a tremendous challenge! Too many people look at the miracles in the Bible and say, “Oh, that only happened in the Bible, with the Apostles. But no! Even Stephen, who had been set apart and anointed for a ‘secular’ ministry, is so full of faith and the Power of the Holy Spirit that he did great wonders and miracles!