Do Miracles Happen Today?
The subject of the miraculous and whether or not miracles actually happen today, is always a ‘hot’ topic to discuss amongst believers and non-believers alike. Do miracles happen? What determines a miracle and what can be put down to simple practical application is another issue that complicates the whole arguement.
In this book by James Paris ‘Do Miracles Happen? Miracles Manifest! – Why you must believe to see your prayers answered’ he suggests that there could actually be another explanation regarding unanswered prayer and waiting for a miracle – maybe it has already happened but you do not see it!
Of course miracles are not always the result of answered prayer. When somebody escapes with no injury from a bad car wreck, it it often described as a miracle – yet prayer was not involved. Someone else may recover from a fatal sickness and that recovery may be described as a miracle – even when no prayer was involved.
It could effectively be argued that God often works outside of our prayers to bring about good results, despite our lack of awareness either of HIM or his intervention.
For the sake of this work however it must be clear that miracles as a direct result of answered prayer, is what is “in the dock” so to speak.
Faith Substanciates The Invisible:
Is it possible that for the believer ALL prayer is answered? That “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). If so then why do we not always SEE the results of that prayer.
Some would argue that God in his sovereignty and mercy sometimes says NO! This is fair arguement as only The Lord himself is able to discern what is truely good for us.
This apart, James puts forward an interesting proposition in his book – perhaps the prayer has already been answered in the spiritual realm, and you must have the faith to see it physically manifest. Hence the title ‘Faith Substanciates the Invisible’
Why is there so much said in the Bible regarding ‘belief’ or ‘believe’ or ‘just believe’ if it were not immensly important for us to do so? Indeed it also says of an unbelieving man “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6)
Miracles Do Happen:
This was the subject title of a book I read ages ago written by an athiest. He argued that miracles do happen, without doubt – the evidence was overwhelming in support of this. Then he went on to argue that this did NOT mean God was involved in any way!
Interesting…This book by James however takes a different view of miracles and answered prayer that affects all believers to a greater or lesser extent.
Prayer is indeeed answered every time, either by a miracle or a change that the you may want in your (or someone else’s) circumstances.
But there is a snag…YOU must ‘substantiate the invisible’ through Faith, to manifest your miracle and ‘add flesh to the bones’.
The subject of the miraculous is something that most believers would like to see happening in their lives, but often go through their entire existence without seeing a miracle in their own experience.
Answered prayer can often be put down to circumstance and good (or bad) luck.
But what if this trend could be reversed in the believers life? What if miracles could be a regular event instead of a one-time thing that may never happen again? What if YOU could ‘manifest your miracle’ through just ‘believing and receiving’?
James believes that this is absolutely possible, and actually the God-given right of every believer in Christ Jesus.
There are some thought-provoking theories. Some ‘out there’ ideas in this short book written to encourage you to at least consider the alternatives – and perhaps see real results in your prayer life.
Perhaps it’s time not only to believe for a miracle, but to witness your faith ‘substantiating the invisible’ and make it ‘visible’ for all to see!