How To Receive A Miracle -

 

Preamble:

A miracle — the supernatural intervention of God. All of us have needed a miracle in the past, need one now, or will need of one in the future. The problem is that most Christians don't know how to receive a miracle from God.

The best advice is don't wait until a storm hits to learn how to believe God for a miracle. During a storm, emotions will cancel out your faith.

It's good to clarify the difference between a blessing and a miracle. A miracle is a supernatural intervention of God in a crisis situation. A blessing is still God's power, but it flows through natural channels. Blessings are better than miracles. If you live your life from one miracle to the next, you will live from crisis to crisis. It's better to be blessed with good health than to always need divine healing. God's will is for us to walk in blessing.

We all need a miracle at some time to simply jump-start our faith. If it weren't for miracles, we wouldn't grow to the point where we could walk in the blessings of God. Most Christians believe that God does miracles, but simply believing God is able to do it is not enough. You must know how to receive it.

Many Christians just wish and hope it happens. They think there is no way to grab a hold of miracles and make them happen. That's not what the Bible teaches.

God is predictable and orderly. He doesn't do one thing this time and another thing another time. God created this world and everything physical around us, and the physical world is orderly. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is forever faithful.

Faith is governed by laws. Romans 3:27 says, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." The kingdom of God operates under law. It is consistent. When someone is killed due to the law of gravity, we may wonder why God did that. He didn't, but there are laws that He put in place.

Gravity says that if you jump off a building, you will be killed. If you cooperate with God's laws, you will be fine. If you ignore those laws, you can be killed by the laws intended for your good. It's the same with the spiritual laws of God.

So, how do you receive a miracle from God? First, you must recognize that miracles are not just hit and miss. You can tap into a miracle. You learn the laws of God and how they work, and miracles will happen. I'm not saying you can push a button and God pops out or you can make God do whatever you want. I'm saying God is turned on all the time and any time, you get turned on, you can see the power of God operate. God is always wanting to move on your behalf. God is for you — He is a good God.

God's desire is for you to prosper (Ps. 35:27). God's will is for you to be healthy (3 John 2). God's will is for you to be above only and not beneath (Deut. 28:13).

You are the one who controls God's ability in your life. God doesn't. It is God's power and His ability, but it's up to you. The Scripture says in Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Many people leave off that last phrase, "according to the power that worketh in us." If there is no power in you, you can stop God's intervention in your life. God has chosen to never violate your will. God has chosen to flow through you. Satan can't stop God's power, but you can. God wants you to have a miracle, but you have to stop waiting and start believing.

The most important miracle in the Bible is the virgin birth of Jesus. God came and lived in a physical body — now that's a miracle. The account is found in Luke 1.

The angel came and spoke to Mary of this miracle. The miracle happened when Mary answered (in verse 38), "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." When God creates, He speaks it into existence by His Word.

God did all His miracles by the spoken Word. In Genesis, He created the world by the spoken Word. Hebrews 11 tells us, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." The important point is that your words are involved in your miracle.

 

Many Christians put prayer above all and believe that if you pray, it will happen. Prayer is like water or fertilizer that you put on the seed. But, without planting a seed, watering is useless. If God was moved by need, every person's need would be met. Also, those in the worst situations would get their needs met first. That's not true.

You must plant a seed, which is the Word of God. First Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." We are born again of incorruptible seed — the Word of God. The word "seed" in this scripture means sperm. We are born of a supernatural union and the seed of the Word of God.

Farmers believe that if you plant wheat, you get wheat. If you plant corn, you get corn. They don't question it — they are simply laws. Everybody agrees with that in the natural; but when it comes to spiritual things, most people don't believe that.

But the truth is, if you aren't reaping what the Word of God says, you haven't planted what the Word of God says to plant. You reap what you sow. If the Word of God is primary in your life, you're going to get the results of the Word of God. That doesn't mean Satan won't fight you and you won't have problems. The end result will be you're going to have what the Word of God says. Satan may fight you, but you'll win. Many of us know this intellectually, but in our hearts, there is fear or reservation. We don't have the absolute confidence that God's Word is going to prevail in our lives.

Romans 8:6 says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." If all you think about is the Word of God, that's all you'll get. You may not be thinking, I want to be sick, but your thinking has been sick. Proverbs 4:22 tells us that the Word of God is "life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh."

When God wanted to bring Jesus into the earth, He couldn't just create Jesus. God gave all authority over the earth to man. God did not rule directly over the affairs of the earth. After man blew it, God couldn't come down here and intervene. He had to work through man. God was looking for a man to flow through but couldn't find one. So, He had to come Himself (Is. 59:16). In the virgin birth, the Word of God was the seed. Everything else about the birth was natural. God spoke that miracle into existence.

I believe every one of us has a spiritual womb where the Word of God enters in and germinates, and we conceive a miracle. Sometimes you may receive a miracle as a gift through someone else's faith. You can't depend on someone else; God wants you to be able to conceive a miracle. Meditate on the Word day and night, and you will get spiritually pregnant and bring forth fruit.

It is possible to have a miracle with the planting of the Word of God. One farmer thought he could violate the laws of God. He waited to plant wheat until everyone else's wheat was about ready to harvest. He planted $100,000 worth of wheat the month before harvest. When it didn't come up and he lost his money, he came and wanted me to pray. I told him that's not the way it works. You don't sow a crop when you want a crop, you sow a seed. The word is the seed you must sow in your heart, pick the word, memorise it, meditate on it and speak it. (Gal. 6:9).

 

 It takes renewing our minds. God's Word is the most important step to receive a miracle. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." You can't just know the Word intellectually. You must meditate on it so it becomes living and active on the inside of you. Most of us don't meditate on the Word as we should. We are occupied and don't have time, and we are upset with God when we don't receive our miracle. That's just as foolish as the man who didn't plant his seed but was upset when he didn't receive a crop.

If God's Word is planted in your heart, you'll receive. It doesn't matter what you feel — God's Word will produce a miracle.


How to Pray to God for a Miracle

Praying for a miracle is as simple as knowing what you want and knowing how to "send it out there" - regardless of who or what you view "God" to be.

STEPS

Visualize clearly what you want. Try to imagine how it looks, feels, smells, etc. in as much detail as possible - the more senses and detailed imagery used, the better.

Take a moment to calm yourself and connect with God.

Believe that you already received when you prayed. Mark 11:24 of the New International Version says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. The words "believe that you have received it" are "πιστευετε οτι ελαβετε" in the Greek, and I put these in online translators and it says, "believe ye took". Notice that you do the taking by Faith but God does the giving.


Let it go.
Do not allow yourself to worry over whether or not your desire will come true. Simply trust that you've done everything you can to make it happen, and it will manifest.

Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Alternate Method for Quicker Results:If you're in a situation that isn't going well for you, simply ask for a miracle to help. You don't have to ask out loud and you don't need to worry about who or what you're asking - just ask, and see what happens.

Steps on how to Pray to God for a Miracle:
1. Visualize clearly what you want. Try to imagine how it looks, feels, smells, etc. in as much detail as possible - the more senses and detailed imagery used, the better.

2.Take a moment to calm yourself and connect with God.

3.Believe that you already received when you prayed. Mark 11:24 of the New International Version says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. The words "believe that you have received it" are "πιστευετε οτι ελαβετε" in the Greek, and I put these in online translators and it says, "believe ye took". Notice that you do the taking by Faith but God does the giving.

4.Let it go. Do not allow yourself to worry over whether or not your desire will come true. Simply trust that you've done everything you can to make it happen, and it will manifest.


5.Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, *present your requests to God."

6.Alternate Method for Quicker Results:
If you're in a situation that isn't going well for you, simply ask for a miracle to help. You don't have to ask out loud and you don't need to worry about who or what you're asking - just ask, and see what happens.


7.Have faith in God.
Your desired result happens more regularly when you can learn to release the "lust of result." Lusting after a particular outcome is a form of trying to keep control over what you're asking for. The whole point of asking for a miracle is that you want help from something/someone outside of yourself - a power struggle over the outcome just inhibits its ability to unfold smoothly.

8.Read about miracles that have happened in other peoples livesjesusfamilywithmamab.blogspot.com

Coping with Grief and Loss

Understanding the Grieving Process

 

 

 Losing someone or something you love or care deeply about is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the pain and sadness you're experiencing will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.

 

Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including:

 Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried – and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.

In 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced what became known as the “five stages of grief.” These stages of grief were based on her studies of the feelings of patients facing terminal illness, but many people have generalized them to other types of negative life changes and losses, such as the death of a loved one or a break-up.

The five stages of grief:

• Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”
  
• Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”
  
• Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”
  
• Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”
  
• Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.”
  

If you are experiencing any of these emotions following a loss, it may help to know that your reaction is natural and that you’ll heal in time. However, not everyone who grieves goes through all of these stages – and that’s okay. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to go through each stage in order to heal. In fact, some people resolve their grief without going through any of these stages. And if you do go through these stages of grief, you probably won’t experience them in a neat, sequential order, so don’t worry about what you “should” be feeling or which stage you’re supposed to be in.
Kübler-Ross herself never intended for these stages to be a rigid framework that applies to everyone who mourns. In her last book before her death in 2004, she said of the five stages of grief: “They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives.”
 

Finding support after a loss

• Turn to friends and family members – Now is the time to lean on the people who care about you, even if you take pride in being strong and self-sufficient. Draw loved ones close, rather than avoiding them, and accept the assistance that’s offered. Oftentimes, people want to help but don’t know how, so tell them what you need – whether it’s a shoulder to cry on or help with funeral arrangements.
  
• Draw comfort from your faith – If you follow a religious tradition, embrace the comfort its mourning rituals can provide. Spiritual activities that are meaningful to you – such as praying, meditating, or going to church – can offer solace. If you’re questioning your faith in the wake of the loss, talk to a clergy member or others in your religious community.
  
• Join a support group – Grief can feel very lonely, even when you have loved ones around. Sharing your sorrow with others who have experienced similar losses can help. To find a bereavement support group in your area, contact local hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, and counseling centers.
  
• Talk to a therapist or grief counselor – If your grief feels like too much to bear, call a mental health professional with experience in grief counseling. An experienced therapist can help you work through intense emotions and overcome obstacles to your grieving.

 

FAMILY SECRETS: The ties that bind – or devastate  

By Titia Ellis, PhD

Never underestimate the power of secrets in a family. One of the most common reasons people justify keeping secrets is the need to “protect” someone. Secrets also originate from fear that actions within the family will be discovered and judged. Some secrets are generations old; others newly created. All have the ability to tear the fabric of the family system apart.

 

Healthy families don’t need to keep secrets. These people can discuss whatever goes on inside the home while also respecting the need for privacy around such issues as marital intimacy or a teenager moving towards autonomy and sharing more with his peers than with parents. No one needs to be protected; no one is fearful of anyone else. The rules are clear: people are encouraged to say what’s on their mind and in their heart, and have learned how to listen to one another. Parents set ground rules which assure all concerned that honest conversations will be safe and without reprisals. If a major roadblock does come along, family members are comfortable to go outside the system to seek help from a teacher, therapist, trusted friend, pastor or support group.

 

Skeptics may ask, “Do these ‘healthy families’ really feel safe sharing their feelings with each other? That’s not what happens in our family.” Many come from a background in which secrets flourish and rules are unspoken but heavily enforced. They don’t feel comfortable speaking honestly about what is going on inside the family, so the old secrets continue to simmer in their psyches.

 

Secrets can also cause shame. If someone has or is forced to carry a secret, that person may feel he or she is bad. Others in the family who either don’t know or can’t talk about the secret are caught up in this unhealthy mix. The shame is compounded if someone tries to tell the secret to another person in the family and is met with denial, silence, or even retribution for breaking the family rules about keeping secrets.

 

In my family growing up, the big secret revolved around adoption and the corollaries to that of infertility and illegitimacy. This was back in the 1930s and 1940s, when most adoption professionals and the laws of the land decreed that adoptions should be closed. In the interest of protecting all parties, no information was ever to be exchanged between the members of the adoption triad: the birth mother, adoptive parents, and the adopted child.

 

Why was it mandated that everyone needed protection? An unmarried woman who became pregnant was looked upon as a fallen woman who could be redeemed only if she gave up her baby to a happily married couple. She must always keep her disgrace a secret. The baby’s background must be kept a secret because others might view him or her as having inherited flawed genes. This resulted in the adopted person’s original birth record being sealed away. An amended document was created, listing the people who adopted him as the legal parents. The adoptive parents most likely were dealing with the secret of infertility. People who couldn’t have children were considered “less than” by the rest of society. Thus each member of the adoption triangle was struggling with shame over secrets that our culture and society forced them to keep.

 

 

When I was five, my adoptive mother told my older sister and me that we had not come out of her tummy the way our little brother had. She added that our first parents had died in a terrible accident. When my sister wanted to know more, my mother began to cry. At that moment my father announced that we were never to talk about adoption again. Later I learned from a cousin that those other parents hadn’t died after all. Instead my first mother had given me up. All I could think was that I must have been a bad baby. What shame I felt. It would have made a huge difference if I could have talked about my fears with my adoptive mother. Yet I remained silent, determined to be very good so this mother wouldn’t leave me.

 

But life has a way of getting our attention. During a mid-life crisis the urge to find my birth mother hit me with the force of a tidal wave. My adoptive parents were threatened; terrified they would lose me to my other parents. I felt guilty about causing them pain and feared my transgressions might cause me to lose their love. Yet my need to discover the truth overrode my fear of abandonment. I persisted in my search, a 15-year process that began with fear, betrayal and heartache and transformed into healing and joy. I was supported by unforeseen wisdom coming from within me and synchronistic happenings on the outside. By the end of my quest I had discovered my own self. When I didn’t receive what I was hoping for, I had to learn to let go of my expectations and become open to other outcomes. As a result I found new relatives who welcomed me into my birth family. At the same time my adoptive parents and I grew closer than we had ever been because we kept talking together and becoming more authentic.
 

 

The secrets that once held such power dissolved and the truth really did set us free.