Be Perfect - But How
Be Perfect - But How
Be Perfect - But How
—But How?
Discover the building blocks
God’s power provides.
DEREK PRINCE
www.derekprince.com
BE PERFECT—BUT HOW?
© 2010 Derek Prince Ministries–International
This edition DPM-UK 2013
All rights reserved.
Published by DPM-UK
Kingsfield, Hadrian Way, Baldock, SG7 6AN, UK
www.dpmuk.org
ISBN: 978-1-908594-95-2
Product Code B113
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the
New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979,
1980, 1982, 1991 by Thomas Nelson Inc., publishers. Used by
permission.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American
Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1973 by
the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from The Holy Bible,
New International Version. Copyright © 1978 by New York
International Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptures marked KJV are from the King James Version of the
Bible.
This book was compiled from the extensive archive of Derek
Prince’s unpublished materials and edited by the Derek Prince
Ministries editorial team.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by means of any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Learning to Love
Many years ago I was confronted by the connection of love
with perfection and obedience. I happen to have been an only
child. I had no brothers or sisters. As a result, I tended to set
my own direction. One of my friends once said of me that I
was the most self-sufficient person he had ever met.
I was not used to catering to others. I made my own way in
life. I was successful, academically and in other respects, but I
had never learned to give way to others. I never learned to
“share my toys,” because I had no one to share them with. I
went through the old traditional British system of education,
which is compete, compete, compete—pass your exams, get to
the top of the class, and get ahead.
When I came to know the Lord Jesus, I was confronted by
these truths which I am now sharing with you. For the first
time, I realized I was far behind a lot of people when it came
to love, sharing with others and unselfishness. So I really
sought the Lord, saying, “God, what do I do about this?” I
believe the Lord gave me a very simple answer, which I want
to share with you. It is in 1 John 2:5:
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is
perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
I saw that there are two sides to this Scripture. (The Bible
says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is a two-edged
sword and this particular Scripture has two edges to it.) First
of all, the evidence that you love God is that you keep His
Word. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps
them it is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). Don’t deceive
yourself—you don’t love God any more than you obey His
Word. The point at which you disobey His Word is the point at
which you stop loving God. The proof that you are loving God
is that you are obeying His Word.
Second is this aspect of having God’s Word perfected (or
worked) in you. It is not just that you love Him by obeying His
Word, but it is also the means by which God’s love is
perfected in you. The word love stated here in this passage
from the New Testament is the word agape in Greek. It is not
an emotion. It is not the fact that you simply feel loving.
Rather, agape love is worked deep in your character and
expresses itself in the way you live.
So I said to myself, “I may not always feel loving, but I can
obey the Word of God.” And that has been my principle ever
since. (I will let others judge how successful I have been.) My
way of seeking the love of God is to obey His Word.
When I was converted, I made up my mind about the Bible.
I had been a professional philosopher and had studied many
books and various languages. But then I said to myself, “The
Bible is the book with the answer; in fact, it is the only book
that really has the answer. Why should I waste my time on all
those other subjects? I am going to read the Bible, believe it,
and do what it says.”
As long as I have followed that principle, I have been
successful. The only times I have not been successful are the
times when I have departed from the Word of God. My
suggestion to you is this: don’t try to feel loving. Don’t be
sloppy and sentimental. You may have heard the phrase,
“sloppy agape”—there is a lot of that around. Instead, just be
obedient. Obey the Word of God. Do what it says.
Ruth and I were in Malaysia years ago, and I didn’t plan to,
but I found myself speaking on this subject. At the end of my
message a lady walked up to me and said, in effect, “You’ve
come a long way. I knew you twenty years ago and you are a
lot better now than you were then!” That encouraged me, and I
hope it may encourage you as well.
Why don’t we end this chapter with a prayer of
commitment? If you sincerely desire to take a step in the
process of developing a closer relationship with the Lord,
please pray this prayer with me:
Dear Father in heaven, I recognize that I cannot be
perfect in my own strength. Pour out Your love and grace
in my heart in such a way that I may walk with You in
obedience. I want to learn obedience as Jesus did, and I
commit myself to study Your Word and obey it, loving You
and learning to love others by what You teach me from
Your Word. Thank you in advance for helping me to take
this step. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
CHAPTER 2
THE PERFECTION
PROCESS
The Bible is a very practical book. It does not merely tell us to
“be perfect,” but it gives us a program to follow to become
perfect. This step-by-step process is outlined for us in 2 Peter.
Chapter one of 2 Peter begins with some basic truths to
prepare us for the process, followed by specific “building
blocks” involved in the process of maturity. In this chapter, we
will look at the preliminary truths that give us insight on the
building process.
Let’s begin our study with the first verse.
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ
2 Peter 1:1
I would like to pause here and mention that the word
servant, in the original Greek, is “slave.” Have you ever
noticed that the New Testament apostles always called
themselves first a slave and then an apostle? If you meet
anybody who calls themselves an apostle first and then a
servant, you could question whether that person really is an
apostle.
For years I had a friend in the ministry who grew up in a
particular denomination in Wales. He had become rather
disillusioned by some of the people who called themselves
apostles. He felt that to a certain extent they were basically
dominating the people they were leading. Whether or not that
was actually the case, this was his impression. He said, “I
realized something. In the New Jerusalem, the apostles are the
foundation. They are not people on the top holding you down;
they are people on the bottom holding you up.” That
perspective would make a lot of difference to someone who
aspires to be an apostle. Wouldn’t you agree?
Many years ago I was teaching on the main ministry gifts
from Ephesians 4. I had intended to briefly touch upon the
ministry of apostles and then go on with the rest. Somehow, I
got stuck on the topic of apostles. As I taught, I could see
some of the young men in the audience getting more and more
excited. They were all envisaging themselves as apostles. So I
thought, “I had better do something about this.”
I asked the audience, “How many of you would like to be an
apostle?” A lot of people put their hands up. Then I said,
“Hold on a moment. Let me read you the job description.” I
read the following verses out of the New International Version,
which is so vivid in its wording. I read 1 Corinthians, chapter
4, beginning at verse 8, where Paul is writing to the Corinthian
Christians:
Already you have all you want! Already you have become
rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I
wish that you really had become kings so that we might
be kings with you! For it seems to me that God has put us
apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men
condemned to die in the arena. We have become a
spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to
men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in
Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are
honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go
hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally
treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own
hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are
persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we
answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the
scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.
1 Corinthians 4:8–13 NIV
Then I asked the question again: “How many people want to
be an apostle?” Not so many hands went up the second time I
asked.
This discussion of apostles as servants who sacrifice for
God’s people is a bit of a digression, but I believe it is an issue
that is on God’s heart.
1. A Life of Multiplication
This epistle is addressed to all of us who are true believers
in Jesus. Then we read in verse 2:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord . . .
Please notice that the first word of this Scripture is grace.
That immediately lifts us out of the level of our own ability.
As we noted in chapter 1, becoming perfect is not something
we can do without God. Peter is talking here about something
that is possible only through the supernatural enabling of God.
Do you remember what I stated earlier? Grace begins where
human ability ends. As long as you can do it, why should God
give you His grace? God deliberately confronts us with many
tasks we cannot accomplish by our own strength in order that
we may open up to His grace. In the end, the church is left
with two alternatives. Either we do the right thing and open up
to the grace of God, or we reduce the level of God’s
requirement down to something we can do by our own efforts.
To do the latter is dishonest—it is misrepresenting God.
In the verse above, after the word “grace” comes the word
“peace.” The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom, is directly
related to the word for “complete.” Please remember what we
covered earlier. We said that perfection requires completeness.
In the final analysis, we really don’t have true peace until we
are complete. So the verse is actually saying, “grace and
completeness be multiplied to you.” The Christian life is a life
of multiplication and progression. It is not a static condition; it
is a process of multiplication.
Let’s now look at the rest of verse 2:
. . . in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; . . .
Everything is wrapped up in knowing God and Jesus. Jesus
said in John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know
You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have
sent.” We don’t need anything outside of God and Jesus
Christ. Everything we need is in God and Jesus. That is truth
number two in the process of perfection.
Army Training
God imprinted this truth upon me very early after I was
saved while serving in the British Army. Believe me when I
tell you that I did not like the British Army. I thought, Now
that I’m saved, God will get me out. Certainly, I should be
doing something more spiritual.
Well, He didn’t get me out. I spent another four and a half
years in the service. Gradually, I came to realize that the
validity of my Christian testimony would be judged by how
well I served in the army.
I volunteered for the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC)
and became a medical orderly because I did not want to kill
people. That was my attitude before I was saved. I was a
philosopher, a rebel, and a hippie before my time. Even though
there weren’t any hippies in my day, I would have been
described by an equivalent term for it in my day. I understand
the hippie mindset thoroughly, because I would have been
one! For example, I had an electric-blue “teddy bear” coat
made of thick, fake fur! Wearing that coat was my way of
protesting against society.
So, I ended up as a medical orderly in the Royal Army
Medical Corps with a lot of academic qualifications, none of
which did me any good. In the RAMC, God was really dealing
with me because all the male members of my family had been
officers in the British Army. I had been totally accustomed to
mingling with officers. But, as a corporal, I did not mingle
with officers, and I learned something very significant. People
look very different when you are “beneath” them from what
they look like when you are on their level. I was shocked by
the behavior I saw in some of the officers. And I realized God
was dealing with those same issues in me.
Eventually, I was discharged from the British Army, at
which time they give you an evaluation. I don’t say this to
boast, but it is a meaningful part of my testimony. When I was
discharged, my conduct was evaluated with one word,
exemplary. During my service, I had never concealed the fact
that I was a Christian. I spoke to the commanding officers and
others about the Lord. I lived my life for God, and at the end
the army gave me its top grade; that is excellence.
It was not excellence by measurement of spiritual or
academic accomplishments, but in doing humble and mundane
tasks like emptying bedpans and taking temperatures. As a
matter of fact, when they discovered that after I was saved I no
longer smoked or drank, they put me in the most obvious place
of all. I was placed in charge of the canteen, because I was the
only one who could be trusted not to steal! So I spent a lot of
my time in the canteen.
A Devious Strategy
This may shock you, but I have observed that ignorance is
increasing at an alarming rate in all cultures. Speaking of our
own culture, for example, people in the United States don’t
know the main dates of American history. They don’t know
the dates of the Civil War. Intelligence has very little place in
our contemporary culture. There are the super-intelligent, the
“whiz kids” and the people who design computers. But
basically there is just a flat level of incompetence. It is much
harder to get a building properly built today than it was fifty
years ago, or to find workmen who can be relied upon.
After being in Pakistan, I came to realize that this is a
satanic strategy. Satan is deliberately blanketing people with
ignorance so that they will be ready for the antichrist. Global
ignorance will prepare the way for the antichrist.
A Sober Warning
In the next five verses, verses 6–10, Paul gives a list of
Israel’s problems, and every one of them is found in the
church today. They should not lust after evil things. They
should not commit sexual immorality. They should not tempt
Christ. They should not murmur. (Murmur is an old-fashioned
word for “complain.”)
How many Christians know that complaining is a sin? For
the Israelites, the consequences of complaining and “tempting
Christ” were serious. Their complaints brought serpents that
bit them, and by complaining they brought destruction upon
themselves.
What is the alternative to complaining? Praising. If you are
praising all the time, you can’t be complaining. And if you are
complaining, you can’t be praising. You have to make up your
mind which one will be your main activity.
We then read in verse 11:
Now all these things happened to them as examples [or
patterns], and they were written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10:11
All the experiences of Israel in the Old Covenant were
written for our admonition to warn us not to make the same
mistakes. If we don’t know what happened to them, how can
we be warned?
Vision Is Vital
Paul has given us the picture of an athlete who wants to win
the gold medal. That is his ambition and his vision. In order to
win that medal, he puts himself under the most rigorous
discipline. Why does he submit to the discipline? Because he
has a goal. He has a vision. He sees himself running faster,
jumping higher or throwing the javelin farther than anybody
else ever has. His vision motivates him.
In Proverbs 29:18 the writer says:
Where there is no vision, the people perish [cast off
restraint, NKJ]. KJV
Vision enables us to discipline ourselves. Have you ever
tried to slim down? Have you succeeded? If not, your problem
may be that you don’t have a sufficiently clear vision of
yourself the way you want to be. If you can envision yourself
weighing less, with your muscles toned and your skin glowing
with health, that vision may be clear enough for you to make
the sacrifices that are necessary. But if you have a blurred
vision of what you want to be, it will not motivate you to make
the necessary sacrifices.
For years, I was friends with a woman whom I considered
to be the most successful ballerina of the twentieth century. I
knew her when she was only sixteen years old, and followed
her career for some years. I was not surprised at her success
because I knew her motivation. Everything in her life was
subordinate to dancing. The books she read, the food she ate,
the exercise routine she followed—all were directed toward
excelling in dancing. And she did.
In the early days of our friendship, I was a rather aimless
student. But after I became a Christian I often reflected on that
lady’s discipline. My thought was, If only Christians were
sufficiently motivated like she was—if only they had a vision of
what they could attain like she did—they wouldn’t drift. They
wouldn’t be carried along by the tide of society’s influence
upon them.
If you will look into the Word of God—truly gaze into it—
you will get a vision. The Bible says that when we look into
the Word of God and see the glory of God, we are changed
into the same image, from glory to glory. But in today’s world
we spend too much time in front of the television and far too
little time in front of an open Bible. So much of what we see in
the images that surround us doesn’t motivate us in the right
way. That needs to change.
It is impossible to be a Christian without making some
sacrifices. We may have to sacrifice some of our accepted
practices and unedifying ways of spending time that militate
against our vision and goal to be more like Jesus.
Staying Plugged In
If you go to a healing meeting and you are prayed for but
you don’t see any results, you could say, “I didn’t get healed.”
But maybe you started to get healed. Maybe in order to receive
your healing you are going to have to endure. How long? Only
God knows. Not all healings are instantaneous; many healings
are progressive. But if you don’t endure, you might lose it or
not come into the healing that awaits.
I personally believe that, according to Scripture, everybody
upon whom elders lay hands in faith and anointing begins to
get healed. That is what the Word of God says. But many don’t
receive a final or permanent healing because they did not
endure.
When I pray for people and I see that God has touched them
physically, I say, “Now God’s power is at work in your body.
Just keep the plug in the ‘power outlet’ and you’ll be healed.”
When they ask me how to keep the plug in, I say, “By
thanking God. Just go on thanking Him, thanking Him,
thanking Him.”
When I first met Ruth in 1977, she was an invalid with a
ruptured disc in her spine. As a work of mercy, I went and
prayed for her—little knowing what else I was getting into! I
prayed for her in June of that year and I knew God had
touched her. So I said, “God has touched you—now keep the
plug in.” And she is one of my examples. She kept the plug in
until November, every day just thanking God that His healing
power was at work in her body! Months later, in a meeting in
November, she was instantly and permanently healed. But she
had to keep the plug in for about five months. A lot of people
would have pulled the plug out and said, “Well, I didn’t get
healed.” When you say, “I didn’t get healed,” you have pulled
the plug out. You have cut off the power.
Strengthened in Godliness
I want to point out in the verse above Paul indicated to
Timothy that godliness required exercise. He said, “Exercise
yourself toward godliness.” I think we all have a concept of
what exercise is. You get up in the morning and you go
through an exercise routine. (Some of you don’t do anything.
Let me just add here that in due course it will catch up with
you! My years have taught me that if you neglect your body,
sooner or later it serves notice on you.)
What I am saying here is that godliness is something you
achieve by exercise. There are muscles of godliness that can
be strengthened by exercise. There are postures of godliness
that you cannot achieve without exercise.
What are some of the exercises that will bring forth
godliness? I have just made a short list.
1. Prayer. Prayer is an exercise that can yield godliness.
2. Bible study.
3. Scripture memorization. Let me recommend that
practice to you. It is one of the greatest sources of strength you
can ever acquire.
We once read a book on the Cultural Revolution in China
called The Church in China by Carl Lawrence. It was a very
revealing book. The author made this point: Under the most
intense persecution during the Cultural Revolution,
everybody’s Bibles were taken, Christians were thrown into
prison, tortured, and put to death. Of those who were
imprisoned and tortured, the only Christians who survived
were those who had memorized Scripture. Others either denied
the faith, betrayed their fellow believers, went mad or
committed suicide. The only ones who had the stamina to
stand were those who had memorized Scripture.
Suppose you were imprisoned tomorrow for twenty years,
and you didn’t have a Bible with you. How much would you
have at the end of the first year? Who knows when you and I
might be exposed to the same kind of pressures? Don’t
imagine it could never happen to you, because it can.
4. Meditation. After memorization I usually refer to
meditation. Search out this topic in the Scriptures sometime
and read all the promises made to those who meditate in the
Word of God. Clearly, you can’t meditate on something you
have not memorized. The Word must first be in your mind in
order to meditate upon it.
5. Fasting. Another form of discipline, which I believe is
scriptural, is fasting. Let me point out that Jesus didn’t say to
His disciples, “If you fast.” He said, “When you fast.” (See
Matthew 6:16–18.) He assumed they would do it. Here is my
personal conclusion from Scripture and experience: there are
certain goals in the Christian life that are in the will of God
that you will never attain without fasting. (I could include a lot
more material on fasting, but for the purposes of this booklet,
this will have to suffice.)
Let me just review that list of exercises to godliness:
Prayer
Bible study
Scripture memorization
Meditation
Self-denial in the form of fasting
When it comes to the period in which we are living, the
Scriptures warn us of a special extra need for godliness in
2 Peter 3:11:
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved [that is,
the world as we know it], what manner of persons ought
you to be in holy conduct and godliness . . .?
On the other side of the ledger, in the epistle of Jude, we get
a picture of people engrossed in this world in the last days.
Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about
these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten
thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to
convict all who are ungodly among them of all their
ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly
way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners
have spoken against Him.”
verses 14–15
What is the word that occurs four times? Ungodly.
Therefore, what is the distinctive feature of the close of this
age? Ungodliness. Have you lived long enough in your culture
to see a tremendous increase of ungodliness in your lifetime? I
think you would probably have to answer that question in the
affirmative. In the midst of ungodliness we must cultivate
godliness. We must be determined to be different. And that
takes exercise.
Let’s tell the Lord now that we are willing to take that step:
Father, I want to see godliness come into my life in a
much stronger way. I want to represent Your character
and presence to those around me.
Lord, I decide now to put in the “exercise” necessary to
see that happen. Please help me and strengthen me as I
take this step. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
CHAPTER 8
THE SIXTH BUILDING BLOCK:
BROTHERLY KINDNESS
We have now come to the sixth building block: brotherly
kindness. Who are our brothers? Our fellow believers. In other
words, what we are focusing on in this chapter is our love for
our fellow Christians.
At first glance, this may seem easier than some of the other
building blocks we have studied. However, I believe that the
further we progress in this “perfection process,” the harder it
gets. I hope you will be encouraged when I say that for me, it
was such a relief to realize that it is not always easy to show
brotherly kindness. We assume we all love our fellow
Christians, but the truth of the matter is, it is not always that
way.
If you are a fairly new believer, probably one of the most
severe tests you will ever have in your Christian walk is the
way you may be treated by some of your fellow Christians.
You think they are all going to love you, treat you kindly, be
fair to you and never speak against you behind your back.
Unfortunately, it just isn’t so, and it may be very different than
what you expect.
Surprisingly, despite whatever ill-treatment we may
experience, we still have to love them. Let’s be realistic—it is
not always easy to have a loving attitude. In fact, let me read
these words of David in Psalm 55. I want to impress this upon
you, especially if you are a younger believer who is struggling
with the way you have been treated by older Christians. You
still have to love them, and that is the test. Listen to the
experience of David in Psalm 55:
For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could
bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted
himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was
you, a man my equal, my companion and my
acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and
walked in the house of God in the throng.
Psalm 55:11–14
David is saying to someone who is close to him, “You are
the one who betrayed me. You are the one who spoke against
me behind my back. You are the one who let me down.”
If you have ever felt betrayed by someone you trusted, you
know how painful this is. Don’t tell me it doesn’t hurt—it
does.
But I say again: We still have to love them. And God has
made this possible through the new birth. Let’s read this in
1 Peter:
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one
another fervently with a pure heart, having been born
again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through
the word of God which lives and abides forever.
1 Peter 1:22–23
Please notice that love for our brothers comes through
obedience. It is the new birth which makes it possible for us to
love our fellow believers. If we hadn’t been born again, it
would not be possible. That does not mean it is always easy.
But it is possible.
A New Commandment
If we are interested in evangelization, let’s bear in mind that
the greatest method of evangelizing the world is for Christians
to treat one another with love and brotherly kindness. There is
no way of evangelizing that exceeds that. In John 13:34–35,
Jesus says:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another.”
Notice that this is not a recommendation—it is a
commandment. If we don’t do it, we are being disobedient.
Next, Jesus says:
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another.”
What will speak to the watching world is the spectacle of
Christians loving one another. It is the one testimony that will
reach the whole world.
Let’s not talk about evangelization and reaching the lost if
we are not prepared to demonstrate lovingkindness to our
fellow believers. I think you would agree that when you speak
to the unconverted about becoming Christians, one of the first
arguments they will make against Christianity is the divisions
and quarrelling they see in the church.
I remember talking to a Jewish person once about the claims
of Jesus. He said, “If I join the church, which church will I
join?” At that time, Jerusalem was probably at the center of
division. For years every Christian group in Jerusalem was at
war with every other one. In the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, the Israeli army had to keep the Greek Orthodox
and the Roman Catholics from fighting each other for the right
to control it. In that environment, how would the Israelis be
able to believe in the brotherly kindness of Christians? That is
why we have been given “a new commandment.”
Do you feel challenged beyond your ability to handle this
building block? Why don’t we just take it to the Lord as we
end this chapter?
Dear Lord, this building block seems out of my reach. I’m
still dealing with the injuries I have received from fellow
believers, and I bring those to You again for healing and
restoration.
Please help me, Lord, to love my brothers and sisters in
Christ. For His sake. Amen.
BOOKS BY DEREK PRINCE
Appointment in Jerusalem
At the End of Time *
Authority and Power of God’s Word *
Be Perfect
Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose
Bought With Blood
By Grace Alone
Called to Conquer
Choice of a Partner, The
Complete Salvation
Declaring God’s Word
Derek Prince—A Biography by
Stephen Mansfield
Derek Prince: On Experiencing
God’s Power
Destiny Of Israel and The Church,
Divine Exchange, The
Doctrine of Baptisms, The *
Does Your Tongue Need Healing?
End of Life’s Journey, The
Entering the Presence of God
Expelling Demons
Explaining Blessings and Curses
Extravagant Love
Faith and Works *
Faith to Live By
Fasting
Final Judgment *
First Mile, The
Foundational Truths For Christian Living
Founded On the Rock *
Gateway to God’s Blessing
Gifts of the Spirit, The
God Is a Matchmaker
God’s Medicine Bottle
God’s Plan for Your Money
God’s Remedy for Rejection
God’s Will for Your Life
God’s Word Heals
Grace of Yielding, The
Harvest Just Ahead, The
Holy Spirit in You, The
How to Fast Successfully
Husbands and Fathers
I Forgive You
Immersion in The Spirit *
Judging
Laying the Foundations Series
Life’s Bitter Pool
Living As Salt and Light
Lucifer Exposed
Marriage Covenant, The
Orphans, Widows, the Poor and
Oppressed
Our Debt to Israel
Pages from My Life’s Book
Partners for Life
Philosophy, the Bible and the
Supernatural
Power in the Name
Power of the Sacrifice, The
Prayers and Proclamations
Praying for the Government
Protection from Deception
Promise of Provision, The
Promised Land
Prophetic Guide to the End Times
Receiving God’s Best
Rediscovering God’s Church
Resurrection of the Body *
Rules of Engagement
Secrets of a Prayer Warrior
Self-Study Bible Course (revised and expanded)
Set Apart For God
Shaping History Through Prayer
and Fasting
Spiritual Warfare
Surviving the Last Days
They Shall Expel Demons
Through Repentance to Faith *
Through the Psalms with
Derek Prince
Transmitting God’s Power *
War in Heaven
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
You Matter to God
You Shall Receive Power
FOUNDATIONS SERIES
1. Founded on the Rock (B100)
2. Authority and Power of God’s Word (B101)
3. Through Repentance to Faith (B102)
4. Faith and Works (B103)
5. The Doctrine of Baptisms (B104)
6. Immersion in The Spirit (B105)
7. Transmitting God’s Power (B106)
8. At the End of Time (B107)
9. Resurrection of the Body (B108)
10. Final Judgment (B109)
Derek Prince Ministries
Offices Worldwide
ASIA/ PACIFIC
DPM–Asia/Pacific
38 Hawdon Street, Sydenham,
Christchurch 8023,
New Zealand
T: + 64 3 366 4443
E: admin@dpm.co.nz
W: www.dpm.co.nz and
www.derekprince.in
AUSTRALIA
DPM–Australia
Unit 21, 317-321, Woodpark Road,
Smithfield, New South Wales 2146,
Australia
T: +61-2-9604-0670
E: enquiries@derekprince.com.au
W: www.derekprince.com.au
CANADA
DPM–Canada
P. O. Box 8354 Halifax,
Nova Scotia B3K 5M1, Canada
T: + 1 902 443 9577
E: enquiries.dpm@eastlink.ca
W: www.derekprince.org
FRANCE
DPM–France
B.P. 31, Route d’Oupia,
34210 Olonzac, France
T: + 33 468 913872
E: info@derekprince.fr
W: www.derekprince.fr
GERMANY
DPM–Germany
Schwarzauer Str. 56,
D-83308 Trostberg, Germany
T: + 49 8621 64146
E: IBL.de@t-online.de
W: www.ibl-dpm.net
NETHERLANDS
DPM–Netherlands
Postbus 326,
7100 AH Winterswijk,
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0) 251 255 044
E: info@dpmnederland.nl
W: www.dpmnederland.nl
NORWAY
P. O. Box 129 Lodderfjord,
N-5881, Bergen,
Norway
T: +47 928 39855
E: sverre@derekprince.no
W: www.derekprince.no
SINGAPORE
Derek Prince Publications Pte. Ltd.
P. O. Box 2046,
Robinson Road Post Office,
Singapore 904046
T: + 65 6392 1812
E: dpmchina@singnet.com.sg
English web: www.dpmchina.org
Chinese web: www.ygmweb.org
SOUTH AFRICA
DPM–South Africa
P. O. Box 33367,
Glenstantia 0010 Pretoria,
South Africa
T: +27 12 348 9537
E: enquiries@derekprince.co.za
W: www.derekprince.co.za
SWITZERLAND
DPM–Switzerland
Alpenblick 8,
CH-8934 Knonau,
Switzerland
T: + 41(0) 44 768 25 06
E: dpm-ch@ibl-dpm.net
W: www.ibl-dpm.net
UNITED KINGDOM
DPM–UK
Kingsfield, Hadrian Way,
Baldock SG7 6AN, UK
T: + 44 (0) 1462 492100
E: enquiries@dpmuk.org
W: www.dpmuk.org
USA
DPM–USA
P. O. Box 19501,
Charlotte NC 28219, USA
T: + 1 704 357 3556
E: ContactUs@derekprince.org
W: www.derekprince.org
About the Author
Derek Prince (1915–2003) was born in India of British
parents. Educated as a scholar of Greek and Latin at Eton
College and Cambridge University, England, he held a
Fellowship in Ancient and Modern Philosophy at King’s
College. He also studied several modern languages, including
Hebrew and Aramaic, at Cambridge University and the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
While serving with the British army in World War II, he
began to study the Bible and experienced a life-changing
encounter with Jesus Christ. Out of this encounter he formed
two conclusions: first, that Jesus Christ is alive; second, that
the Bible is a true, relevant, up-to-date book. These
conclusions altered the whole course of his life, which he then
devoted to studying and teaching the Bible.
Derek’s main gift of explaining the Bible and its teaching in
a clear and simple way has helped build a foundation of faith
in millions of lives. His non-denominational, non-sectarian
approach has made his teaching equally relevant and helpful to
people from all racial and religious backgrounds.
He is the author of over 50 books, 600 audio and 100 video
teachings, many of which have been translated and published
in more than 100 languages. His daily radio broadcast is
translated into Arabic, Chinese (Amoy, Cantonese, Mandarin,
Shanghaiese, Swatow), Croatian, German, Malagasy,
Mongolian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish and Tongan. The radio
program continues to touch lives around the world.
Derek Prince Ministries persists in reaching out to believers
in over 140 countries with Derek’s teachings, fulfilling the
mandate to keep on “until Jesus returns.” This is effected
through the outreaches of more than 45 Derek Prince offices
around the world, including primary work in Australia,
Canada, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, the
United Kingdom and the United States. For current
information about these and other worldwide locations, visit
www.derekprince.com.
Table of Contents
Title-Page
Copyright
Introduction
1–What-does-it-mean-to-be-perfect
2–The-Perfection-Process
3–The-First-Building-Block–Excellence
4–The-Second-Building-Block–Knowledge
5–The-Third-Building-Block–Self-Control
6–The-Fourth-Building-Block–Endurance
7–The-Fifth-Building-Block–Godliness
8–The-Sixth-Building-Block–Brotherly-Kindness
Books-by-Derek-Prince
Derek-Prince-Ministries-Offices-Worldwide
About-the-Author