Working of miracles
To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:10
It occurs to me as I have been writing about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, that the reason we don’t see more of them or recognize when they show up is because we do not ask Him. At least that is what I am noticing in my own life.
Today the focus is the working of miracles. A miracle is defined as divine intervention that alters our natural circumstances or the trajectory of the direction we were headed. A good example of this is when Jesus turned the water to wine at the wedding in Cana. Also feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The Holy Spirit also performed miracles through the disciples. Acts 19:11 says: Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.
I believe I see miracles every day, but I call them answers to prayer. I guess the answers I see do not seem that extraordinary, but they are to me. I know when I pray, and I know when He has come through for me. He never ceases to amaze me when I call on Him and He always answers me. It may not look so great on the outside, but to me, I am continually in awe! Like the time I asked Him for a new truck to drive at work. That’s not important to anyone but me. Yet within that year, our entire station got a whole new fleet! I believe it was just because I asked Him! What about the time I was at one of the lowest points in my life as a single parent and the company I was working for gave every manager a $10,000 raise in their salary. Nobody knew why, but I did. Then there was the time that I asked Him for help with one of my children’s school tuition and the laws in the entire country changed the week before school started just so he could be eligible.
These are little things compared to the huge problems in the world. Also, seemingly little compared to the great miracles recorded in the New Testament. However, the point is I believe we will see miracles when we ask and believe He will do it. Many times, we don’t pray for something big because we just don’t see any possible way for it to happen. So, I will ask you . . . Do you believe in miracles?
Today I want to encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for some miracles in your life. Don’t try to figure out how it can happen, just believe He can do it. Better yet, let’s all start asking the Holy Spirit for some miracles in our world. We are living in some pretty messed up times. If you take a look around, you will see many opportunities for miracles to take place. Start talking to God about all these things and believe that in asking, He can and will make a difference. He is still in the miracle working business, but we will only recognize them when we believe.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 19:11-20
11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
The Daily Dose 