MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN WE PRAY

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a special function dinner with the working adults in our church on Saturday night. There was a special program for over one hundred people. We wore colourful masks and formal attire. We watched a Christian drama and a traditional Cook Islands dance. We ate a wonderful buffet dinner and ended the evening with ballroom dancing.


I am really blessed by a recent bible study lesson written by Pastor Lai Ling Lim called "Miracles happen when we pray." This bible study lesson was adapted from a book written by Quin Sherrer. The author shared some essential keys to praying for miracles. I pray that you will be inspired to believe God for miracles through prayer.

Miracles happen when we pray!

Within us is an instinctive longing for miracles. We desire to see our own lives and the lives of those we love transformed by God’s touch of extraordinary grace.

Do you know that God listens to our heart? He hears our whispered prayers. Most times our prayers are tightly alinged to the granting of the miracles we long for. I believe prayer to be a catalyst for miracles.

Have you experienced God’s miracle before? Share it with one another – that God-moment!

What is a miracle?

The dictionary describes it as “an event that cannot be explained byn the known laws of nature and is therefore attributed to divine intervention.” Miracles reveal the nature of God. How do we get a miracle? Miracles come by faith in God’s existing power, not by formula or a ritual we perform. See Matthew 17:20. Do we have the faith as small as a mustard seed? To pray for miracles, you can start with where you are at, with what you have, you don’t have to wait until you have “super” or “big” faith.

How does this motivate you forward in your prayer life?

How do I pray then?

Seek God regarding the situation that presents the need for a miracle. Ask the Lord what He would want done in this present circumstance. Then wait on Him to reveal His mind, His will to you.

Seeking God’s will would require us to read His Word, the Bible. Ask the Lord to show us appropriate passages in Scripture. We need to also understand Scriptures in context. To pray is to work with God, not to use Him as we wish. We don’t demand. Prayer involves a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our privilege to speak to Him, let’s learn to listen to Him.

Given the above statements, how would you adjust your prayer life to reflect more of how god desires us to approach prayer before Him?

Effective praying keys:

a. Be explicit – Luke 11:5. The man woke up his friend at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread, explicitly 3 loaves of bread.

b. Be persistent – Luke 11:8-10. The ma knocks continuosly until his riend got out of bed to listen to his request. The point is that we are encouraged to be bold and be persistent when we pray.

c. Be in agreement – Matthew 18:19-20. Ask a prayer partner (your spouse or your close friend, your paryer support team, your life group leader) to pray with you concerning a particular need. Miracles happen when people pray in unity just as we are wanting to do in Fast and Prayer fortnight.

d. Be Bible-based – Psalms 119:105. When we are better acquainted with the Bible, we will also get to know God better and understand how to pray in accordance to His will.

e. Be open to the Holy Spirit – Romans 8:26-27. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Never presume God is going to answer in our preconceived way or exact time frame. Faith is demonstrated when we choose to trust God when he has spoken to our heart – trusting Him to fulfill His will in His time and His way. Such inner trust in God is an overflow of time spent in prayer, listening and waiting on Him.

f. Be thankful – Phillipians 4:6. Let us present our prayers to God with thanksgiving.

g. Be willing to fast – Those serious enough to fast and prayer tend to yield the following: directions and answers from God, a deeper understanding of Scripture, a closer walk with God, a humbling of oneself, healing or even deliverance.

h. Praise God – Psalms 22:3. In our prayer, we should enthrone God, focus on Him.

i. Trusting God always – 2 Chronicles 20:12. When we come to the end of ourselves, we should still praise God! We don’t know how or when our miracle is coming, but we can still give thanks for His mercy and lovingkindness shown to us. Let’s not give up on expecting God for our miracle (as long as it is within God’s Word)!

MIRACLES IN HOPE BRISBANE

I am really glad to be healthy again after being unwell for the past 2 weeks. I spent most of the time in bed. I thank God for the many friends in Brisbane, Australia and overseas who were praying for my recovery. I am feeling good and ready to serve God again. I had a wonderful time staying at home, resting and seeking God. It has been a busy last six months of traveling to so many places in Australia and overseas. I needed to be recharged and refreshed by God. I needed to reconnect to my heavenly Father once again. Finding my joy, motivation and purpose in serving God. Thank God for His refreshing touch during this time of rest.

Photos of my friends in Melbourne, Australia


Miracles in Hope Brisbane

In the month of August, our church is having a Freedom Month program. Our theme this year is "Miracles". We believe God for miracles in our lives, family, church and in the community. I am one of the speakers during the Freedom Month. It will be exciting to see God release His miracles in the church.

I experienced a personal miracle today. I left my laptop on Friday night at a community hall which was locked until the following Monday. Many people use the community hall so I was concerned that someone would take my laptop. My laptop is relatively new, only one year old. I spent the whole weekend praying for my laptop, praying that no one would steal it. I asked God to give me the assurance in my heart that my laptop will still be there on Monday and He did. God gave me two dreams that my laptop will be safe while I was sleeping.

On Monday, I went to the community hall and discovered that someone has removed my laptop from its original place. I panicked and wondered where is my laptop. The two men in the hall showed me another room where my laptop was placed on a table. I was so glad to see my laptop again. It confirmed to me the two dreams I had last night that I would see my laptop again. God is so good! He give us assurance and peace when we asked Him. This incident has taught me to draw close to God at all times. God can work miracles when we commit everything in prayer.

Are you in need of a miracle today? Draw close to God and ask Him to do something extraordinary in your life today. I love a quote by Frank Damazio; he said "If God exist, miracles are possible".

John 2:1-11 (New International Version)

Jesus Changes Water to Wine

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[a]

7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Today, I am reminded of Jesus performing His first miracle in Cana of Galilee. He turned water into wine. This was not His last miracle. He still continues to perform miracles in the 21st century. Amen!

AN UNCHANGING GOD

I was really blessed when I attend the Ablaze Conference in the Sunshine Coast. There were around 140 youth and working adults at the conference. The conference speakers were Torchie KL, Ps Shirley and Ps Ben Windle. It was a powerful time and many people were transformed by the Word of God. We also had many fun activities at the conference such as field games, a campfire and sports.


An Unchanging God in uncertain times

Recently, I was reminded that our God is an unchanging God. Many things may change around us but God will remain the same. The economy is being affected by the Global Financial Crisis. People are losing their jobs. The swine flu is spreading around the world. However, God is still present. God is still in control. Let us not lose sight of God in the midst of troubled times. God still cares and has the power to intervene in our lives. Look to God. I found great assurance of God's love and power by reading Psalms 145:1-10.

Psalm 145:1-10 (New International Version)

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.

The Bible says that God is good to all and He has compassion on all he has made. God is unchanging in uncertain times. His love and mercy endures forever. Let us believe God for His mighty acts to happen today.

Gabriel See Healing testimony

This is a video testimony of Gabriel See (1st year medical student) who got healed from an enlarged heart after prayer.

MY FRIENDS IN BRISBANE

I thank God for the many friends that I have in Brisbane, Australia. Recently, I took some photos with my friends during a Bible Conference in Brisbane.


Praying for your own healing

One night, I was lying in bed and I could hear load noises in my right ear and I was in extreme pain. I was unable to sleep because of the sudden pain in my right ear. I felt as if my right ear was going to explode. This pain in my right ear never occurred before. I laid my hand on my right ear and asked Jesus to heal me. Then, I went out of my room and asked a few friends to pray for my right ear. I went back to my room and prayed again until the pain disappeared. This incident reminded me about the importance of praying for your own healing. We need to believe God for personal healing and not just for the healing of others.

James 5:13-18 (New International Version)

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

God answered Elijah's prayer. The Bible says that Elijah was a man just like us and yet God listened to his prayer. We can believe God to listen to our prayers when we are in trouble or need healing. Let's offer our prayer to God in faith.

Pizza lunch with friends

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS

I am writing this blog in Brisbane, Australia. I have just got back from the Ipswich ministry trip. Ipswich is about an hour's drive from Brisbane. I had a great time with a group of friends in Ipswich. We did many fun things together. We went to a wildlife park, Japanese garden, the shopping centre, the city mall and the Ipswich outlook.

Photos of Ipswich





Healing Testimony

I was in Melbourne recently for a healing meeting and God performed many healings. Yang's eyesight improved after prayer. He has a medical report to show that his eyesight has improved. Read his testimony below.

Yan Yang healing testimony – Glaucoma

My name is Yan Yang and I am from Hope Melbourne City Centre. I was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2002. The medical reports I have attached show that I have lost vision in both my eyes. The right eye is the worst, with 25% vision loss. The doctors told me that glaucoma is usually caused by high eye pressure which damages the eye nerves. Since I had normal eye pressure, it meant the cause of my glaucoma was unknown. As a result, there was no possible treatment to control it. I have taken the same test every year to make sure it does not worsen. Thank God that the results have remained the same.

In the past, I did pray and also asked other people, even Peter, to pray for my eyes. However, nothing happened. This time round, I had a strong sense that God was going to heal my eyes. This came a few weeks after I heard Peter would be coming to Melbourne to conduct another healing meeting in May this year. I actually felt God would not only heal my glaucoma, but also my short-sightedness. I started to fast and pray constantly to prepare myself before Peter came. I kept having the strong feeling that God would heal me this time so I booked a visual field test on June 3, 2009.

Peter joined our life group on Thursday and prayed for me along with everyone else. However, nothing seemed to happen. Peter and the church prayed for me again at the Healing Service on the following Sunday, but still, I couldn’t sense any obvious improvement. I prayed almost every day but I was not able to persistent in fasting. I did the test on June 3rd and it showed a significant improvement on both eyes. Thank God! The doctor could not explain why. He suggested that the results could mean that my condition was not glaucoma and the loss of vision was probably caused by genetic problems. Meanwhile, I knew that my partial healing came from God.

God can do the impossible

Again and again, God wants to remind us that "He can do the impossible". The God who created the universe, mankind and every living being can do all things. When I was a child, I was really amazed by all the miracles in the Bible. I did not believe in God but I was impressed by all the miracles stories about Jesus' miracles.

The Miracles of Jesus

• Jesus had a supernatural birth (Matthew 1:18-22)
  
• Jesus healed the blind, deaf and mute (Luke 7:21-22)
  
• Jesus raised the death (John 11:38-44)
  
• Jesus walking on water (Mark 6:45-50)
  
• Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-11)
  
• Jesus multiply the food (Matthew 14:13-21)
  
• Jesus cast out evil spirits (Mathew 17:14-18)
  
• Jesus resurrected from the death (Matthew 28:10)
  

After reading about the miracles of Jesus, I wanted to know more about Jesus. Eventually, I accepted Christ in 1989. I have experienced the love and the power of God over the years. God is real and He wants to make Himself known to us every day.

Ash Healing testimony