David Hathaway

In today’s episode, based on James chapter 4, we are instructed to resist the devil and draw near to God.

“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?”

That is profound – the Holy Spirit within us, the very Spirit of Christ, jealously desires our devotion. This is strong language because God does not accept divided loyalty. We are faced with a definitive choice: we either choose God, or we choose the world.

Verse 6 reassures us that “He gives us more grace.” That is why verse 7 instructs us so clearly: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Many people spend endless time overcomplicating spiritual warfare, but Scripture keeps it simple: resist the devil and take your stand against him. The enemy retreats when you stand firm in God.

Then verse 8 continues: “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” The choice is yours. Draw near to Him, just as the Lord promises: “If you seek Me, you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

As a teenager, I knew an authentic baptism of the Spirit had to produce fruit and evidence. Among the nine gifts of the Spirit – the vocal, the intellectual, and the practical – I did not want to settle merely for vocal gifts. I sought the practical, asking God specifically for the gift of faith. 

God granted that request, and for decades my ministry was defined by living and walking by faith. We planted churches, led evangelistic crusades, and witnessed miraculous healings. Yet, an inner conviction remained: God still has more. 

That clarity finally came through the prophecy of Joel 2: 

"The Lord will be jealous for His people... I will send you corn and wine, and you will be satisfied... Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord will do great things... He has given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain – the former rain and the latter rain... and the floors shall be full... And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh."

God is not finished. Beyond the initial outpouring lies the promise of the "latter rain" – a complete restoration and a greater demonstration of His glory across the nations. 

To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/f88ZVnJsIVM 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

In James 4, we are cautioned that if our goal in life is to pursue the world, we cannot be a friend of God. The Holy Spirit empowers us to remain faithful to Him.

In verse 4, James addresses something striking: “You adulterous people!”

What does he mean here? He is not referring merely to marital infidelity or earthly relationships between men and women. He hits the nail on the head when he declares: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?”

As Christians, we cannot love both. Scripture reminds us that we cannot serve both God and mammon. James likens compromise with the world to spiritual adultery against God. He asks: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

This is strong, uncompromising language. James warns us that divided loyalty is impossible – you cannot be devoted to both God and the world. As verse 5 asks: “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?”

At the heart of every true vision lies the power of prayer. In 1 Kings 18, when the prophet Elijah stood on Mount Carmel and challenged the prophets of Baal, he prayed. The moment his prayer ended, fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. When he prayed, the fire came down.

We need that same compelling vision today. The calling God placed in my heart in my youth burns just as brightly now. The prophet Joel declared: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” God demonstrated this with Moses, Elijah, David, and Solomon, and He will demonstrate it again for those who carry His vision in prayer.

Before the return of the Lord, may we see His power move across the earth once more.

Lord God, place a divine vision in our hearts. Reveal Your greatness and power to this generation, just as You did in the days of David, Elijah, and Solomon. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/CnlAmOKuOmY 

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

Based on the Book of James, chapter 4, we are encouraged to ask God to supply our needs, but we need to ask with the right motive.

The reason you don't receive is because you don't ask God. You know, it – it's very interesting because in my life, I've always tended to take counsel from God and ask Him. I didn't ask my mother or my father – you may find that strange, but I didn't – and I didn't ask my brother. I'm just thinking at the moment, I can still see myself going into the shop, looking in the shop window, then going in the shop. And I certainly wasn't asking my mother, my father, my brother what I should get. Even in those days, I used to ask the Lord.

It's quite funny, really, when I think back. I'd say, "Lord, just show me which is the best that I should get." And the interesting thing was that whenever I submitted the choice to the Lord, I always seemed to end up with the best. This has been quite significant all my life, that if I'm desiring the best things, yes, God will supply them.

Because, verse 3: "When you ask, you don't receive because you're not asking God, but you don't receive because you ask with the wrong motives." Have you thought about this? There are two reasons why you don't get what you want: one, because you're not asking God; and secondly, because you're asking with the wrong motives – because you want something simply for your own pleasure. We look at things from a spiritual perspective, not just material.