Bill Perkins

I had just finished speaking at a men’s event in the Texas when a man approached and asked if I would pray for him. Josh was 52, stood 5’10” and wore a red racing jacket covered with patches.

“I’ve made a lot of money,” he said. “In fact, I’ve made so much money I couldn’t spend it all if I tried.”

Josh said this with no more joy than a mortician would say, “I buried a lot of people this year.”

“My problem is, I don’t know what God wants me to do with the rest of my life. Should I sell my businesses or keep them? Or, should I pursue something else?”

One day a man named Jaker asked if I would pray for him—he suffered from a congestive illness that had plagued him for years. Before answering his question, I asked about his name. He said his parents planned to name him Joker, but they wrote an “a” instead of an “o.” I considered asking why they wanted to name him Joker, but figured the answer would open too many doors to walk through in a phone call. Instead, I asked if I should call him Jake or Jaker. He said he didn’t care, so I went with Jaker. I think it’s a cool name which I’ve never heard before.

On numerous occasions I’ve had men approach me and say, “I have a word from the Lord for you.” They would then speak the “word” which was actually many words, not just one. Without exception their “word” included something about my ministry and finances growing at a breath-taking pace. While I appreciated their encouragement, I’ve since wondered why their divine predictions haven’t happened.

Until three years ago, I didn’t think God spoke today. In fact, I would have argued that there is no need for God to speak to anyone today because he’s given us the Bible. I urged people who wanted to hear from God to read the Scripture. And I would still give that advice. I love the Bible and have spent my adult life studying its words and listening for God’s voice within its pages.