Have you ever faced a desperate situation? A time when it seems all hope of any solution or resolution is gone? Maybe you are even facing a situation like that right now.

     Something happened recently during one of our DPM prayer times that was tremendously uplifting to us. My hope is that through what I share in this letter concerning the prophetic word we received, you will be greatly encouraged as well.

Urgent Matters for Prayer 

     Every Wednesday morning, our staff has a special gathering for worship and intercession. During those times together over many, many years, we have had some marvelous experiences of the Lord’s direction and presence—regularly including visions, prophetic utterances and some powerful answers to prayer.

     Customarily, before we begin to worship and pray, we take time to discuss the needs before us. Often they are the urgent requests we have received from you and other friends of Derek Prince Ministries. In addition, the needs include a consistent focus on intercession for the international outreaches of DPM. In many of those situations, our co-workers around the world are regularly facing serious, perilous challenges in their nations.

     At the start of each of these sessions, we always begin with a substantive time of praise and worship. We believe this component is the best preparation for intercession, and it is the vital launching point for the prayers that will follow. 

A Timely Prophetic Word      In a recent Wednesday morning gathering, we were moving from worship into intercession for the requests we had received—some of them extremely desperate. I had led the time of worship from the keyboard and was continuing to play some hymns and worship tunes as a background to the prayers being offered. As I played, a prophetic word began to take shape in my heart and mind. It began with these four words: “Just about the time….”

     As a side note, when the Lord stirs the initial inspiration for a prophetic utterance, sometimes He does not provide the word in its entirety. At least that’s the way it has been for me over the years as I have stepped out in prophetic ministry. Often, the beginning aspect of the prophecy takes the form of just a single thought or a few words. Having provided that initial seed, the Lord then expects us to take the next step and speak out in faith. As we begin to speak, He is faithful to complete the message He wants to

bring forth.

     So, with those initial four words—“Just about the time…”—I started speaking in faith. The following message, as closely as I can recall, is the rest of the prophetic word the Lord provided.      This is what the Lord says to you: “Just about the time you feel that all hope is gone, look for Me! For in that circumstance, I will be there to provide hope and strength for the desperate problem before you.

     “And just about the time it looks as if the situation you face has fallen apart and is beyond repair, look for Me! For I will be there to provide My restoration, My renewal and My resolution.

     “And just about the time it seems there is no solution and no resolution to the dilemma before you, look for Me!  For I will be there, to bring My solution to you, and My resolution to the challenge facing you.

     “Know this,” says the Lord: “I do My very best work in these kinds of situations. For it is when all hope for a human solution is gone that I step in with My supernatural power and strength. That is when I bare My right arm and display My might. I have told you that I am a very present help in times of trouble. That is when I do My best work.

     “So look for Me at those times,” says the Lord, your God. “Look for Me! Look for Me!” 

The Power of His Presence

     I was weeping as I ended that prophetic utterance, almost too choked up to finish delivering it. Many of our staff members were weeping as well, for all of us—at one time or another—have faced desperate situations like the one you may be dealing with right now. Isn’t it good to know at those times that we can look for the Lord to come to us and help us? What the Lord said in this prophetic word is absolutely pivotal: we can look to Him to step in and bring His power to bear against any trauma we are facing.

     Confirmation of this wonderful truth appears throughout the Scriptures. One of the most inspiring expressions is found in Isaiah 58:9: “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I” (NIV).

     Can you hear Him speaking to you at this moment? Do you hear His voice comforting and assuring you? What tremendous encouragement comes to us when we hear Him say, “Here I am. I’m right here beside you in the midst of

this fiery trial.” 

Facing Challenging Times

     Derek Prince was no stranger to desperate situations. As a medic with the British army in World War II, he faced many life-threatening situations—yet the Lord was with him. When Derek and his first wife, Lydia, were living in Palestine at the birth of Israel, with fighting all around them, they experienced the Lord’s presence and protection. And there were other situations as well where they saw God’s faithful help.

     Derek’s personal experience of the sovereign presence of the Lord in desperate times was part of the background for his teaching from the Word of God. It wasn’t theory. He had lived it and experienced it firsthand. The following excerpt from Derek’s message, “Hope, Part 2,” carries that unmistakable mark of authenticity.      It’s important that we don’t let our eyes wander from the cross and from the purpose of God in our lives. We mustn’t let the pressures of life distract us from the things that are basic, that are fundamental, that are central—the cross, the love of God, the commitment of God, the faithfulness of God. Or, from the fact that He has called us, that He has a special purpose in the life of each one of us, and that if we’re walking in line with that purpose, God is going to see that that purpose is totally fulfilled.

     We can say with David, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13, NIV). Or, we can say the other version: “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

     But the fact is: I do have hope. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

     I hope the prophecy shared in this letter, along with Derek’s powerful testimony, has inspired you. Whether you are presently facing a desperate situation, or whether this is simply a word you want to tuck away for future reference, I hope you know how close the Lord is to you right now.

     The words of Psalm 46:1 are completely trustworthy: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” It’s no coincidence that the next words to follow this truth are these: “Therefore we will not fear.” When everything is shaking all around us, we can fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is right there with us in the midst of it. He said He will be with us always, never leaving us nor forsaking us. The Lord

Himself is our very present help in times of shaking and trouble.

     Would you like to respond at this moment to these great truths by declaring your trust in Him? Let’s do it together with the following proclamation:          Lord Jesus, You know exactly what I am facing right now. You know all about the desperate situations confronting me, causing me to feel fearful, anxious and hopeless.         At this moment, with a deliberate act of my will, I choose to look for You in the midst of this trouble. I look to You for all the needed solutions in what I am facing. I proclaim my belief that You are with me in this fiery situation. You are a very present help in this time of trouble. In the midst of it, You are my anchor, my hope, my confidence and my strength.         I place my complete trust in You, declaring that instead of defeat, I will experience victory. Instead of loss, I will experience gain. Instead of disintegration, I will see restoration—in my life, in my family, in my occupation, and in my ministry. You have said to look for You. So my eyes are fixed upon You, Jesus—the Author and Finisher of all that pertains to my life. 

A Stake in the Ground

     As I made that declaration with you just now, I envisioned myself forcefully driving a stake into the ground, laying the foundation for the remaining years of my life. That is what you have done with the proclamation you have just made. You are saying to the Lord, “Regardless of what life throws at me, I declare that You are with me through it all.” What a solid foundation to build upon!

     We want to help you in that building process. One of the best ways is by providing reliable Bible teaching as building blocks for the foundation for your life of faith. What a tremendous privilege it is for us to be the stewards of the enormous resources at hand in Derek Prince’s teaching legacy! Our greatest joy is to make these materials available to you and to many around the world who are hungry for genuine scriptural instruction.

     In that regard, we want to offer you—free of charge—Derek’s full message, “Hope, Part 2,” from which we drew the excerpt used earlier in this letter. Please allow us to serve you in this way, partnering with you in the Lord’s work in your life. And speaking of partnering, may we take this opportunity to thank you? Through your prayers, your participation with us, and your financial support for Derek Prince Ministries, you are making it possible for this vital ministry to expand and grow. We simply can’t thank

you enough for the wonderful generosity you have poured out upon us. 

Keep This Word in Mind

     Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope what we have shared here provides ongoing inspiration for you, even in the midst of whatever you may be facing.

     Now, it’s time to get back to work. Equipped with the encouragement we have received, it’s time for us to move forward in the task the Lord has placed before us. The proclamation you have just made has brought you to a new level of trust in the help and presence of the Lord. Take that assurance with you daily as you go into battle.

     You can count on the fact that other challenges will confront you as a servant of the Lord. It’s a fact of life. When opposition arises, just keep in mind what the Lord has said to us. At those moments, make sure to remember what follows those four little words: “Just about the time.…” Truly, that is when Jesus will be right there with you, to do His very best work in your life!