Do Miracles Still Happen Today?

Thayer's definition of the Greek word for miracles (often translated as "signs") in John 20:30-31 is:

"Of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's."

Jesus' miracles authenticated His deity and helped people believe in Him as the Christ. But when it comes to Jesus' followers, the words in Thayer's definition are especially significant: “by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's.”

This raises an important question: Is the miracle I pray for what God wants to do?

I can be guided in my prayers by Scripture and by what I know of God's nature and character. But at the end of the day, I am not God. And this is the very truth I must settle in my heart as I continue to pray for miracles.

A Perspective on Miracles

Years after my mom passed away, I heard a sermon that brought me great comfort and a much-needed perspective on miracles. The sermon focused on the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead (John 11:1-45).

The preacher pointed out that while Lazarus' resurrection led many of the Jews who were present to believe in Jesus (John 11:45), his physical body eventually died again. As strange as it may sound, this truth brought me tremendous relief. Even if my mom had been healed from cancer, eventually she would die. Eternal life is not lived out on this earth. And receiving a miracle doesn’t exempt me from further loss, pain, and grief.

The Bible is filled with examples of people experiencing miracles and enduring difficulty, hardship, sorrow, and suffering.

1. The Israelites witnessed the miraculous parting of the Red Sea after 400 years of oppression in Egypt.

2. John the Baptist’s birth was a miracle, yet he was beheaded by King Herod for speaking the truth (Matthew 14:3-12).

3. Paul had a miraculous encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22), yet he endured great suffering as Christ’s follower (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

My Own Miracles

I was a new missionary, just six months into my time in Japan when I received the call that my mom was dying. As I prepared to fly home, I asked God for one more week with her. He gave me two—a miracle.

After returning to Japan, I found myself utterly alone. No one knew my family, my closest friends were across the ocean, and calling home was too expensive. There was no email or Zoom. I experienced a depth of loneliness and sorrow I had never known before.

Yet, in that painful season, I also experienced the presence of God in a way I never would have otherwise. That, too, was a miracle.

1. The miracle that because of Jesus' death and resurrection, I did not grieve as one without hope. My mom was now in the true land of the living—free from sorrow, tears, and death.

2. The miracle that God comforted me in my sorrow. This was both beautiful and hard because none of us want to experience sorrow. But if I refused to feel my grief, I would have missed the miracle of His comfort in the midst of it.

3. The miracle that He became my companion when I felt utterly alone, sustaining me until I formed new friendships in my new home.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." — Hebrews 13:8

I ask God to help me notice and receive the miracle of who He is and what He offers when there seems to be no miracle.

I do pray for miracles, and I ask God to help me notice and receive the miracle of who He is and what He offers when there seems to be no miracle.