SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Miracles
Expect God to act... without making the extraordinary the point.
Miracles are works of divine power that go beyond ordinary human ability and reveal God’s activity. Paul describes “workings of powers” or miraculous powers among the Spirit’s gifts.
WHAT IS THE GIFT OF MIRACLES?
Miracles point beyond ordinary human ability toward the activity and power of God.
Someone with this gift may carry unusual faith for divine intervention, especially in situations where human resources appear exhausted. There may be a repeated pattern of extraordinary answers to prayer or events that cannot reasonably be explained by ordinary ability alone.
But Miracles are not spiritual entertainment.
At its healthiest, this gift directs attention away from the minister and toward God.
The extraordinary event is not the final point.
What matters is what it reveals about God, how it serves people, and whether it produces deeper faithfulness rather than spectacle.
YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THIS GIFT WHEN...
Others may have noticed...
- There is a repeated pattern of extraordinary answers to prayer connected with your ministry.
- Events occur that cannot reasonably be explained by ordinary human ability alone.
- These experiences consistently direct attention toward God rather than toward you.
You may have noticed...
- You possess unusual faith for divine intervention.
- You feel drawn to situations where human ability has reached its limit.
- You feel responsibility rather than excitement about personal recognition when extraordinary things occur.
THE GIFT IN SCRIPTURE
PETER AND TABITHA
Tabitha, also called Dorcas, is a disciple in Joppa known for good works and generosity.
She becomes ill and dies.
The believers send urgently for Peter.
When he arrives, he encounters a grieving community. Widows show him the clothing Tabitha had made and the evidence of a life that mattered deeply to them.
Peter sends everyone from the room, kneels, and prays.
Then he turns toward the body and tells Tabitha to rise.
She opens her eyes.
She sits up.
Peter presents her alive to the believers.
The event becomes widely known, and many people believe in the Lord.
The miracle does not end with amazement at Peter.
It directs attention toward God.
That pattern matters.
EXPLORE THE SCRIPTURES
WHEN MIRACLES ARE HEALTHY
Healthy Miraculous Ministry...
- directs attention toward God rather than the minister.
- welcomes honest discernment and verification.
- serves people rather than creating spectacle.
- does not manufacture dramatic claims.
- remains humble when extraordinary things occur.
- keeps love and faithfulness more central than spiritual excitement.
THE WEIGHT OF THE GIFT
Miraculous ministry can easily become performance.
Extraordinary stories attract attention.
That makes truthfulness, humility, and accountability essential.
Claims should not become larger than the evidence supports.
People should not be pressured to interpret ordinary events as miracles.
And no one should use another person’s suffering, vulnerability, or hope to build a platform.
If something extraordinary happens, the goal is not:
Look what happened through me.
The goal is:
Look what God has done.
Miracles are signs.
Signs point beyond themselves.
ASK THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU
WE ARE FORMED PERSONALLY.
WE ARE REVEALED RELATIONALLY.
Ask:
- Have trusted people seen a repeated pattern of extraordinary answers to prayer around me?
- Do unusual experiences make me more humble or more interested in attention?
- Am I comfortable with honest verification and discernment?
- Does the fruit point people toward God?
- Where might excitement cause me to overstate what actually happened?
TRY THE GIFT
PRACTICE MIRACULOUS EXPECTANCY
Bring one situation before God where human ability seems limited.
Ask boldly for His intervention.
Then release the outcome.
Do not manufacture a story if nothing dramatic happens.
Do not minimize ordinary provision if that is how help comes.
Stay attentive to God without deciding in advance what His action must look like.
GUIDED PRAYER
God,
If You have entrusted Miracles to me, teach me to expect Your power without seeking spectacle.
Keep me truthful, humble, accountable, and centered on Jesus.
Protect me from exaggeration, performance, and the need to make extraordinary experiences about myself.
Let whatever You do serve people, strengthen faith, and point beyond the moment toward You.
Amen.
CONTINUE DISCOVERING
Think Miracles may be one of the ways God has entrusted you to serve others?