Do you believe in miracles or answered prayer? Do you believe that God is truly working in your life or do you believe everything happens by time, chance or coincidence? What is a miracle, anyway? The dictionary describes it as an "an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature and is regarded as an act of God".

It's very interesting that a common word used for miracle in the New Testament can also be translated "sign." (Semeion) A miracle is a sign that God uses to point to Himself; the same way we follow signs to find a museum or an airport. Answered prayer is a sign God is working in your life.

There is no doubt there are miracles in the Bible…they are recorded from beginning to the end, but what about miracles in our everyday lives? I asked my 80-year-old client, who says she believes in God, considers herself a Christian, if God had ever answered her prayers or if some miracle had ever occurred in her life. "No" she said sadly, "He never has in eighty years." I then asked her if she had a personal relationship with God and she said "No, I guess not".

Do we look back on our Christian journey and recognize God’s hand in our lives? Miracles can change our lives and the way we think about God. When we are first called, God answers our prayers sometimes instantly…just like a parent takes care of the needs of a small child instantly…we were babes in Christ needing assurance our Father was really listening, that He was worthy of our trust. It was like a test…I reached out to see if He was really there and He answered without fail.

Do we give God credit for what he does for us, or do we chalk it up to time and chance or coincidence? What has always truly amazed me through the years was my heavenly Father being interested enough to help with the small stuff. It made me see God in a whole new light…as my Father—tender and loving—He cared about me personally. I knew He was on hand for the serious, heavy, life and death stuff, but I was always humbled and moved deeply when he helped me in the small stuff. For instance…there was a church dance, and I didn’t have a dress to wear…I went to the second hand store but didn’t find anything suitable…but I was sure God would answer my prayer so I went back and I was telling the clerk my dilemma and she said there was a dress in the back…and sure enough…it fit perfectly. Other times my teenage son needed a suit for the Feast and the suit store had one on sale I could afford ($35) because it was out of style in the pant legs. I fixed it and it was perfect. Or when I was having my fifth child a woman asked if I needed anything. She proceeded to give me an abundance of beautiful baby clothes and accessories. One child or the other attended church camps over the years and they needed quite a few things. I would go to the secondhand store and sure enough I would find everything they needed and many times it was brand new. This has happened so many times I have lost count but I have always been grateful and in awe of His concern for me and my family.

When we lived in Bonnyville in a small lovely home (rental houses were hard to come by) …and the boys had to sleep in the unfinished basement. I asked God how they would ever learn to appreciate or take care of there own room if they didn’t have one. I asked if we could please have more than one bathroom…and one more thing… could the rent payments be less than what we were paying. We moved in less than five weeks (unheard of in that small town)…into a three story 3,000 square foot house with five bedrooms, four bathrooms (sauna too) and you guessed it…the rent was fifty dollars less a month.

During our sojourn in that town our 13-year-old son had triple infected ringworm on his face and it was growing at an alarming rate. He couldn’t attend school and I was having nightmares about it. We had had him anointed and prayed but nothing helped. I remembered Mr. HWA saying some things you need to fast about. So our family fasted, and that evening my son had a shower and when he was drying off he looked in the mirror and the ringworm was gone… literally wiped off his face. Shocked, amazed, he came and showed us. What a wonderful miracle for a young fellow in the church. God must have become much more real to him that day.

Sometimes it is better not to demand what we want but leave decisions up to God. I went to the hospital and the doctor told me I would lose the baby. My husband phoned for anointing. I prayed that it would be God’s will, not mine, I didn’t know what was going on inside my body, but God did…this time I wanted Him to make the decision. God must have had a special reason why he wanted that child. Months later she was born healthy and beautiful. Many of the church women have similar stories of miraculous answered prayer for inability to conceive, problems during their pregnancy, and the birthing process. (Look at Hanna’s prayer in 1 Samuel 1:10-19)

My husband was on a disability for twenty-five years and we lived on very little, but we never lacked for food or the necessities, or for attending the Feast during that time with our children. During these lean years, I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, California, Hawaii, two boat cruises, a trip to England, and a University Education. My husband and I did a bike trip in Europe, house-sat an orange grove in California for six weeks, and my husband went to Hawaii and Mexico…if that isn’t miracle after miracle I don’t know what else it would be. How great is our God, our Rock, our protector and provider!!!

Then there was the time I drove a woman to the West Coast and we stopped at what was then the Vancouver office of the Worldwide Church of God. I drove in the out and then in my confusion I backed up and high centered the car on a narrow cement wall. The car would not budge. Two women alone…She said "we need an angel". At that very moment a truck drove in the out and a guy jumped out and came directly to us and said he would push and gave me instructions. In a matter of minutes we were okay. He said goodbye, quickly jumped into his truck and drove away. He could not have seen us from the street, nor could he have seen we were high-centered. Answered prayer, and knowing God cares continues to cement my relationship with my Father in heaven. No matter what happens in the future, I know I am in good hands.