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 Dear
Editor,
If
God answers my prayers for personal needs, wouldn’t he have to
work a miracle to do it? What does this do to our teaching that
the age of miracles is over?
Reply:
God
answers prayer. There is no ‘if” about it. He not only
created the world by his Son (Heb. 1:2), but he also is “upholding
all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). His powerful
word maintains the universe and causes all things to function as
they do. “Natural law” is but our term to describe the
universe in response to his powerful word. To him who “runs
things” in this world we make known both our thanksgiving and
our petitions in everything (Phil. 4:6).
God’s
hand in the affairs of men is not always obvious. Elijah prayed
for a drought, and rain ceased for three and a half years (Jas.
5:17). A resident of Israel — being unaware of Elijah’s
prayer — could not perceive this drought to be a specific
answer to prayer. Nothing dramatic happened — just a long dry
spell. Then Elijah prayed for rain while his servant watched
toward the sea. When a cloud appeared on the horizon, they
prepared for rain — the specific answer to Elijah’s prayer.
Yet the cloud came from the sea as all rain clouds did (1 King.
18:41-f). Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except the dry
weather was over. At times God openly displayed his power to
answer prayer. King Hezekiah was sick “unto death”, but God
heard his prayer and spared his life. God demonstrated his power
by moving the shadow of the sundial backward (2 King. 20:
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1-f). We anticipate no
such display of power, but we confidently expect God to our
prayers. Man will not long continue to pray who does not believe
God will hear and respond to his prayers.
But
is God’s hand in the affairs of man a “miracle”? Define
the term. A miracle is a “supernatural happening”; it is
defined by comparison to the normal. It is not natural for man
to calm the wind with a word, to instantly heal the sick and
crippled, or to raise the dead. Thus when a man does such, it is
a miracle — an incident above his natural power as man. But
what is supernatural for God? It is no miracle when God causes
rain in answer to prayer. He provides the rain anyway (Mt.
5:45). It seems out of place to refer to the actions of God
himself as miracles.
Consider
the “age of miracles”. “Signs, wonders, and miracles”
guaranteed God’s spokesman and their words to be true (Jno.
3:2 Act. 2: 22) God’s revelation has been completed; there are
no inspired men working miracles today. However, this has no
connection with God’s actions in answering prayer.
Our
great need is for more faith in both God’s power and his
willingness to answer prayer. Making my heart known to God in
prayer is my part. What he answers (yes or no) or how he
accomplishes it must continue to be his business. We trust “him
that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think according to the power that worketh in us.” (Eph. 3:21).
--Joe Fitch
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