This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15, NIV)
God never fails! Being a believer longer than most, I’ve experienced many problems - cancer, and have spent a year in prison for the Gospel - but my testimony is: in all my life God has never failed me once. My life hasn't been easy, but He is faithful.
When I first realised that the promises of both the Old and New Testaments were not just for the Jews in the past and for the first disciples, but also for me as an inheritor of the same promises as a ‘son of God’, it opened up a whole new experience for me. Whilst receiving my healing from throat cancer many years ago began to lead me into a more positive experience, it was the miracle which finally brought me out of a communist prison which confirmed this. It challenged my own faith, that God could actually physically open my prison doors in Czechoslovakia. It happened to Paul and Silas in Philippi 2000 years ago (Acts 16), why could it not literally happen for me today? – And it did, God even used British Prime Minister Harold Wilson to make it more dramatic and provide unquestionable proof.
It is a challenge! It is easy for us as believers to read and hear about these things that happened in the Bible without personally identifying with them. But if God worked miracles in the past, why not believe for them today?
When I was in prison God showed me the day I would get out (my birthday), and that I would be speaking in the biggest auditorium in Britain to 10,000 people, sharing the joy of the miracle of answered prayer.
I did get out, exactly on my birthday, as God showed me! The British Prime Minister came to Czechoslovakia, they set me free on his request, I flew back into London with him – it was all over the newspapers, on the television – I was asked to speak to 10,000 people in the Royal Albert Hall in London three days later! Everyone asked: why did the British Prime Minister come to the rescue of a Christian believer? I’ll tell you, it’s because God is a God of power, glory, miracles – He is a prayer-answering God.
Let me encourage you. I remember the day so clearly when, overwhelmed by doubt and distress, I put my head in my hands and cried silently to God in despair. He had given me a definite promise that I would be released the next day, my birthday. It seemed impossible. Yet He had promised! God does not make mistakes. Still, humanly speaking, my hopes were shattered.
Then it seemed as if I heard God speaking to me: “David, how do you know that you are a Christian?”
I knew the answer to that. My salvation did not depend on my own feelings, nor upon my hopes – and if it was dependent on church attendance, I had no chance for it was nearly ten months since I had last been to church. The answer was faith in His Word.
“The Bible says, ‘Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’.”
Quick as a flash the reply came into my mind. “And do you not have my promise that I will release you?”
Fresh hope rose inside me. I would go home tomorrow. God had promised. The circumstances were immaterial. God does not lie, otherwise my faith in salvation was also in vain. I lifted my head from my hands, and as I did so I saw the clock on the wall, it was twenty past twelve.
At that exact moment, before I had even time to collect my thoughts, a prison guard came running, calling my name. “I have just had a telephone call from the Ministry.” There was a pause. “You are to be released immediately.”