Popular preachers on TV and social media teach that for miracles to happen one must have faith. According to them, miracles happen only when certain people, those who claim special anointing pray. They have convinced us that miracles are the products of right amount of faith with anointing. But is that true? When miracles do not happen the way one expects or claim then they indict the persons who sought prayer. It is their fault; they did not have right amount of faith. Thus, the peddlers of miracles have reserved a safe exit for themselves.
But this teaching is erroneous and contrary to the teaching of the Bible. In the Bible, miracles have happened in the context of unbelief and sometimes by people who lacked faith. They themselves did not believe that a miracle is going to happen. The miracles through Moses in the presence of Pharaoh did not depend on the faith of Moses or of the Pharaoh. In fact, Moses and Aaron performed miracles so that the Pharaoh may believe (Exod 7:1—12:32).
In the miraculous healing of the Syrian official Naaman what was the role of his faith? He did not believe that dipping himself in the murky waters of Jordan would heal any skin disease. However, he did so reluctantly because his servants insisted! However, that miracle generated faith in him. Consequently, he became a follower of Israel’s God (2 Kings 5:1—14).
Take any miracles that has happened in the Bible, miracles are not necessarily the product of one’s faith, but faith is the outcome of miracles. The people who received or witnessed miracles put their faith in Jesus.
God does miracles in order that we may have faith in him not necessarily because faith. The healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda happened not because he had faith in Jesus. He did not express any hope that he will be healed, nor did he know who Jesus was (John 5:1—9).
Miracles are displays of God’s power over human body, and nature that he created at his will.
The cliché “exercise your faith” accentuates human effort, while miracles are purely what God does at his discretion. Nothing may happen however hard your exercise your faith unless God makes the move!
Paulson Pulikottil 