How to Pray for a Miracle
Prayer
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By Clarence L. Haynes Jr., Crosswalk.com
There are many people facing situations that require a miracle, and maybe you are one of them. In these situations, it is not uncommon to wonder how to pray for a miracle. Is there something extra God requires to do the miraculous in your life?
What you will discover is the way you pray for a miracle is pretty much the same way you pray for everything else. If you are not sure how to even pray, then keep reading because I will show you. If we are going to talk about miracles it is appropriate to begin by asking does God still work miracles?
Does God Still Work Miracles?
The good news is that God still works miracles. In Malachi 3:6, God made a very definitive statement – he said he does not change. This means if he did miracles in the past, he can do them in the present, because he does not change.
What often gets missed when thinking about miracles, is God doesn’t just perform miracles for miracles’ sake. Because God is very meticulous with what he does, there is always a greater plan or purpose behind the miracle. These purposes will vary and quite honestly you may not always know what they are, but there is always a reason God chooses to perform or not perform a miracle.
Who Does God Work Miracles For?
God can work a miracle at any time, for any person, for any reason. There is only one requirement needed for you to become a candidate for a miracle. You need to have a problem.
The problem cannot be one where you can provide the solution. It must be great enough that it requires divine intervention, something that only God can do. When your situation is beyond your ability, and you acknowledge you need God’s help, then you are in a place where God can do the miraculous in your life. This does not guarantee that God will do the miracle, but at least it positions you in case he chooses to.
Is There Something You Must Do, or Faith You Must Attain, for a Miracle?
Faith is a requirement when you pray for a miracle. However, I want to caution you because there are some who will blame your ability to receive a miracle on the size of your faith. If you don’t receive your miracle, either you don’t have enough faith, or there is some sin in your life. While both things could be true, they are not automatically true.
While your faith matters, how you pray for a miracle, or the size of your faith is typically not what hinders you from receiving a miracle in your life. Let me remind you what Jesus said about the size of faith required to move a mountain.
“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20).
While miracles require faith, too often we get caught up in the amount of faith instead of focusing on the presence of faith. As you can see, it does not take a lot of faith for a miracle to happen. So if faith is present, even a little bit, God can do miraculous things.
One more quick note. It’s not just having faith, but it is also where or rather who you place your faith in. If your faith is in God, even if is just a little bit, then you have enough.
How to Pray for a Miracle
Let’s now dig in and discover how you pray for a miracle. I mentioned earlier you pray for a miracle the same way you pray for everything else. Let me be clear – there is no formula or magic words you can say to make the miraculous happen. However, if you want some guidelines for praying, one thing you can do is follow what Paul laid out in Philippians 4:6-7.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Here are four things to do when you pray for a miracle:
1. Don’t worry, ask
All answers to prayer begin with prayer. To pray is to petition or to ask God for what you need. Asking tells God you are looking to him and requesting him to intervene in your situation. This is how you pray for a miracle, and this is how you pray for everything. You begin with asking.
2. Believe
After you ask you must believe. While it doesn’t take great faith as we mentioned earlier, it does take some faith because God does not respond to no faith. In other words, if you ask but don’t expect God to move then you won’t see God move. Sometimes your faith will require actions that demonstrate you believe. The Bible is full of stories of people praying for miracles and God asking them to do something to demonstrate their faith. Don’t be surprised if God asks you to do the same thing.
3. Give Thanks
After you have asked and as you are believing, you must make thanksgiving a part of your prayer. Thanksgiving comes when you put your situation in his hands, and you leave the outcome to him. The reason you can give thanks is because you know he has heard your prayer and you trust he will do what is best for you in that situation. For this you can give thanks.
4. Wait
After you have asked, believed, and given thanks, all you can do is wait. Waiting is not a passive activity; waiting is an action word. This does not mean you don’t do anything, but it means you are anticipating and looking for what God will do in this situation. The reason you can wait is because God will give you peace in the presence of your need for a miracle. The peace of God will protect your heart and mind and allow you to wait for God to move.
What Should I Do if God Does Not Answer My Prayer?
What do you do if you have prayed for a miracle and God does not answer your prayer the way you want him to? This is where trust comes into play. You must know, believe, and trust God has your best interest at heart all the time. You must also believe that God is a good God, all the time. God’s goodness is not established, nor does it change, based on how God chooses to answer your prayer for a miracle. God’s goodness is forever sealed by the work Jesus did on the cross.
That is the place you can always go back to when you question God’s goodness in your life. When it comes to miracles and answers to prayer after that, as I mentioned earlier, there is always a reason God chooses to answer or not answer your prayer. Whether he does the miracle or not, know that he loves you, he cares about your situation, and he is working even though you may not understand how.
Don’t Stop
I want you to remember one thing as you pray for your miracle. Don’t stop praying. God wants you to pray, believe, and trust him for every situation in your life. Praying does not always guarantee you will get the result you want; however consistent prayer should align your heart and will with what God wants. Ultimately prayer is not about what you want anyway. Prayer is about what God wants, trusting he will always do what is best for you. The challenge is our definition of what’s best and his definition are not always in alignment, and that is why you must pray.
You can be certain when you pray that God is looking out for your best interest, regardless of how the situation feels. This does not mean you will know what that best interest is, but it does mean you can be confident in the one who will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised to be with you through every challenge that comes in life, and that will never change. So keep praying for miracles, keep believing for them, and keep giving thanks. Once you have done what God has asked, then all you can do is stand back and see what God will do, knowing that his decision is best. This is how you pray for miracles in your life.
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Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/nd3000
Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the country—including employees at many Fortune 500 companies—toward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
