Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
I once pray with someone in the struggle against a severe illness. I would spend time on a rather regular basis to pray for him and encourage him in this battle. At one point, I remarked, “We pray for nothing short of a miracle.” I observed on his face a shade of disappointment. I explained later what I meant. As God’s people, miracle in a seemingly impossible situation is a reasonable expectation!
When someone prays, the level of faith is expressed in the things he asks for and the way he prays. Some pray, asking for something that is fairly achievable. Or something which the pray-er sees there is a good probability that it will come to past. There could be prayers so general, that anything that falls within that broad category will be considered as answered prayer. Or prayers that do not expect much, to avoid disappointment.
Yet, the Bible tells those who believe in Jesus to ask boldly. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24) If we believe what we ask for, amidst a humanly impossible situation, something that can only be accomplished by God, we lean completely on God. That’s mountain moving faith. Faith is spiritual. It is not rooted in the mind, but in the spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who builds faith in us. When we draw near to God in intimacy, our faith grows because we know the heart and mind of the miracles working God more personally. Then, when we pray asking, we ask with confidence, with persistence.
Why are miracles reasonable expectations of God’s people? Because miracles in the lives of God’s people, glorify God. They deepen our faith. They become our personal testimonies to encourage others. They are legacies for us to pass on to future generations. They are simply the expression of God’s love and Covenantal faithfulness to God’s people.
Pray, ask, press in and expect that miracle in your life!