How to be a Miracle Worker
So, you say you want to be a miracle worker? OK, I can tell you how to do that.
“What?!” I hear you saying. “Brother Christopher, have you ever worked a miracle in your life?!” I answer, “Oh yes, I have! Lots!!” But, let me explain.
First, what is a miracle? It is an intervention by God, of His Power affecting the course of human events. As an intervention, it can be something Big and Impressive, like the parting of the Red Sea or the raising of a dead person back to life. Or the divine intervention can be something occurring within the structures of the ordinary pattern of life, coming silent and unnoticed, but still an invisible intervention of God’s power altering the course of events, as Grace subtly turns things God’s way.
To be clear, I’m speaking now of the miracles, the special intervention of God, that comes into our world through the power of intercessory prayer.
Our Lord’s Promise
That Heaven miraculously comes to our aid in both little and great matters, through both utterly amazing and also very ordinary means, via the pleading of the faith-filled soul should not be surprising. Jesus Himself has told us that whatever we ask for in His Name will be granted by His Heavenly Father. He makes this shocking statement several times in Scripture. A little sample:
From Mark:
Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. (Mark 11:24)
And from Matthew:
And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. (Matthew 21:22)
And most impressively, from John:
Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. (John 16:23-24)
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
We are very familiar with these verses, and I could multiply examples. So yes, I firmly believe that God works miracles through my petitions, and through yours, and through ours! In cooperation with God, we are miracle workers. What an honor! I hope you will find this thought both encouraging and consoling. If there is only one thing you remember I would want it to be this: That God actively intervenes in the lives of those for whom we pray every single time we pray; no turning to God, no crying out to God, is ever without effect.
Even the Littlest Prayers
Yes, we must not underestimate even the simplest, the littlest turning to God. For example, seeing someone you know walking down the street and praying, “God bless Mr. Smith!” And God does bless him! We don’t know what form that blessing grace will take in his life, but Mr. Smith will never be the same! The problem is, we have a tendency to interpret prayer according to a human way of thinking: A little blessing, a little cause, equals a little effect. It is not so on a spiritual level. Spiritually, the Cause is measured by the one whom we are invoking: God Himself, unfailing in generosity. We set dynamic forces beyond our understanding or comprehension into motion whenever we invoke God. The littlest match can set the mountains ablaze.
We are God’s Co-Workers
But unleashing this power requires something of us, that we contribute our part. There are simply certain graces that God wants to pour out into our world and to precious souls that never reach them, because no one asks. Why? God created Man to share in His Life and Works. Man, the steward of creation, has a role to play in the governing of the universe. Not alone, however, but calling on the Grace of God. Amazingly, God so longs for our collaboration and communion with Him in His works, that He sublimates Himself and makes His desire to send some specific graces depend on our cooperation. Tragically, some important blessings never materialize because no one makes the effort to plead for them. Once again, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”
Confident that God works daily miracles among us in the Name of Jesus, may Our Dear Lady of Sorrows inspire and help us to be channels for the Mercy and Compassion of Her Son to each other!
