Is Derek Prince still alive? This frequently asked question can be answered with a simple: no, he is not. Derek Prince died of heart failure on September 24, 2003, in Jerusalem, Israel, at the age of 88. When Derek Prince passed away, he left behind a rich legacy of Bible teachings that continues to reach millions of peoples around the world.
Yet there is one particular legacy that was most precious to Derek Prince.
God’s Tailor Made Plan For Life
“If at the close of my life I were asked to pass on one message to posterity—my family, my friends, my fellow believers—I have no doubt what it would be. I would not have to hesitate or ponder, even for one moment. My message could be summed up in just three words: God is faithful. I want to say that again, because it can make a difference for the rest of your life. God is faithful. That is the testimony I want to leave behind to posterity. It is not long, it is not complicated, but it is tremendously important. God is faithful.”
This truth, emphatically spoken by Derek Prince in his radio series ‘Learning by Living’ was so deeply engraved into his heart, that it also marks the tombstone on his grave in Jerusalem.
“God is faithful. I want to say that again, because it can make a difference for the rest of your life. God is faithful.”
Experiencing God’s Faithfulness
God’s faithfulness is a strong encouragement to trust Him and follow His calling. Derek testified of this in his book, Called to Conquer, when he said:
“God has made you for a certain life. When you are saved, you are saved to a specific calling. What is more, you will be frustrated and unfulfilled until you enter into that calling. Certainly, you can go through life without finding it and end up in heaven, but you will have missed the most important experiences on earth.
From 1940 to 1949, I was a fellow (member of the governing and teaching body) at King’s College, Cambridge. At the end of World War II, the college authorities wrote and offered me a professorship at the university. I wrote back, and I turned down their offer because God had a different call on my life.
Now, suppose I had accepted their offer. At age 65, I would have retired. I would have sat somewhere in a little cottage with a rather moderate pension. But here I am, well past that, traveling the world, strong, active, leading a life that is challenging and exciting.
This life is tailor-made for me. I would be a misfit anywhere else. But in order to find that life, first and foremost, I had to lose the other life. God just put me in a situation where to obey Him meant that I had to give up all else. I gave up my country, Britain, and settled in a foreign land. But God is faithful. I would not want to trade my life with anybody—not with the royal family, not with any prime minister, not with anybody. It is the life God appointed for me.”
Reaching millions with the Gospel
God’s faithfulness was – and still is – the reason why Derek Prince Ministries continues to reach millions of people today with life-changing Bible teaching. As Derek himself explained: “What is the reason for all this? Is it my cleverness? Is it my spirituality? No, my dear friends, the reason is: God is faithful. He called it and He is doing it. It is not my own righteousness, my own wisdom, my own strength, but God’s faithfulness.”
Derek Prince is no longer alive, but his God is. The truths Derek Prince pioneered in his generation live on. God’s faithfulness stands. Since Derek’s death, in 2003, more people and in more languages than ever before are being reached today by Derek’s bible teaching through new outreach initiatives in many countries and via online platforms such as YouTube.
"Decades from now there may be a people who take “God is faithful” as their battle cry"
As Stephen Mansfield, who wrote Derek’s biography, concluded: “Decades from now there may be a people who take “God is faithful” as their battle cry, who defy destructive extremes, laud the words of the Bible, embrace the power of the Holy Spirit, disdain the oft-travelled path, use their minds to the glory of God, and call the nations of the earth to their best. If there is such an army one day, they will surely remember that much of what they know was taught by a man named Derek Prince.”
Recommended Bible Teaching Resources
Strengthen your trust in God’s faithfulness with these Bible-based resources by Derek Prince.
- Listen to Derek's radio series Learning by Living
- Learn how to find your calling by reading Derek's book Called to Conquer
- Get more inspiring life lessons from Derek Prince: Pages From My Life's Book
