'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power... For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes,' (1 Corinthians 4.20; Romans 1.16, NIV).
I have seen the power of God in an incredible way. From childhood, I wanted every day and every part of my life to be under the direction and control of the Holy Spirit. Now when I look back over 75 years of ministry I know with absolute certainty that there has been both purpose and direction in my life. God has been in control of all my days and all my experiences. Everything that has happened in my life was foreknown in His plan.
I shall never forget the dramatic and exciting evangelism we held in Yambol, Bulgaria, before communism finally fell there. It was August. The music group Vinesong and I arrived the day before the opening. What could we do? Nothing? No!!! So without permission, we decided to hold an open-air service in the big square in front of the Communist Party Headquarters in Yambol! This city of 100,000 had never witnessed such scenes before! As darkness fell the beautiful worship music drew the crowds. But when Vinesong sang in Bulgarian, ‘I bow the knee to Jesus’ – the whole crowd, 10,000 strong, knelt in prayer with their hands raised in worship and acceptance of Christ! Even the communist police on duty took off their hats, and the Communist Party Flag, which until then had been fluttering bravely in the breeze, hung down limp as if it too was bowing before the Name of Jesus!
What a tremendous start it was to the conference and evangelism! The morning and afternoon teaching sessions in the sports stadium were filled with people hungry for the Word of God – and packed for the evening evangelism with 7,000 crowded in, people standing, 2,000 repenting… For four days, we witnessed the mighty Power of God, not only in conversions, but also in mighty miracles of healing. Night after night crutches were thrown onto the platform as people were delivered and walked out free. The blind, the deaf, the sick – all were healed. Revival swept from there – we travelled by road in broken down communist cars from church to church to church – the Power of God was falling – no time seemingly to eat, sleep or even drink a cup of tea! For two years the Holy Spirit moved across the whole of Bulgaria! Eighty new churches were opened as a direct result of that evangelism!”
Too many start praying, but give up and lose faith before the answer comes! Many pray, but it is the desperate prayer and agonising in prayer, which if persistent, will see the answer!
I am reminded of my throat cancer 60 years ago. I prayed for three months for God to heal me – and I so believed I was healed, I went back to the doctors, but they said, ‘You are not healed, the cancer has grown so large, in three days we must operate and remove your vocal cord!’ I then had to learn how to pray – and within two days the miracle happened and the doctors were astounded – they said, ‘Someone has cut it out and left a scar! Who did it?’ – Jesus!
In 1972, when I was imprisoned for Bible smuggling in Czechoslovakia, I began to pray that God would release me – He asked me a question, ‘Do you want the easy or the hard way?’ I’m a coward, I asked, ‘What’s the easy way?’ He said, ‘The easy way is you stay here for ten years, I will keep you alive, and you will come out at the end.’ My reply was, ‘If that’s the easy way, then tell me the hard way!’ – He said, ‘You can pray your way out – that is the hard way!’ You know the miracle, after one year of agonising prayer, the British Prime Minister came to bring me home! It was a greater miracle than I could have anticipated in my wildest dreams!
Yes, I have experienced the Power of God in my life! Not some emotional experience in a conference, but step by step walking closer to God – my teenage cry for Fire, the cancers, the prison – and many other problems and miracles. What will it be next time, what will happen this year? I still don’t have enough power, I’m still not satisfied that God has answered me fully, what will it be next? All I know is that it is step by step by step, and I have not reached the end of the road yet! Every step is another miracle towards experiencing the Power of God in our lives! As for me, I will seek a fresh baptism in the Holy Spirit every day until I am in the Kingdom of God.
God can touch your life too in a very powerful way and begin to direct and use you. Then in years to come you will see the direction He has taken. It will be evident – there will be no mistake.