Seeing a miracle

Acts 9:32-35

Many of the "acts" of the apostles were miracles that brought healing and restoration. I'd love that every prayer would bring immediate power like that today. Some would say I can't or won't see that because I haven't believed strong enough. I don't know how to pray for such a thing to happen, apparently. Well, if that's true, it's not for a lack of desire! Oh, how I wish we would see more miracles. I trust God has the power for them. And I'm convinced God desires our wholeness. Still, many prayers find their answers apart from the healing we might pray for. That seems to be how prayer "works." In Acts 9, the immediate healing of Aeneas is a short story--three verses. People had known Aeneas bedridden for several years. Peter told him to get up and make his bed, and he did. From there, "all the residents...saw him and turned to the Lord" (9:35). His healing (and Peter's prayer?) was a testimony for other people to see. Since we don't always experience healing like that, there's a question to ask. What do people see? What do people see in us if there is no dramatic turn of circumstance? What will they see from us and what kind of faith will they see in us? As we seek the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, we can show the world what love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control look like (Galatians 5:22). Yes, we can teach what those things are and what difference they can make in the world. But our true witness is how we live by the fruit. I'm not sure how many people experience God through first learning theology, as important as it is. I suspect more often God uses your witness to be the miracle people need to see. Stay blessed...john