Up until this point in my life — and journey with Christ — I had witnessed and experienced the following:
- Dead, dull, dry, and boring church services.
- Lively, exciting, and adventurous church services (where sometimes we had a "normal" service, and other times we ended up praying and/or worshipping — without a sermon — for 2 to 3 hours)!
- Hypocrisy within the church.
- I'd searched for and found Christ, not religion.
- I'd spoken in tongues (Acts 2:4 and 1 Corinthians 14:2-6).
- I'd experienced God's Spirit numerous times — much more than just the tongues experience!
- I'd had my life changed for the better — from the inside out.
- I'd had several private and important prayers (about others) answered.
- I'd witnessed and experienced several real-life miracles — more on this later.
- I'd attended—and been kicked out of—Bible College.
- I'd been disowned by my parents.
- I'd been homeless and lived on the street.
A Glimpse of a Few Miracles
A. The Prayer for Food — One evening, in my apartment, I was hungry. I went to the cupboard and found a nearly empty box of Cream of Wheat and one can of green beans. I then went to my living room, got down on my knees and began to pray for food — because I had recently lost my job and was short on funds. While praying, there came a knock on the door. I opened it, and sitting there on my front porch were two bags of groceries — with no one standing nearby. Think about that! Within 15-20 seconds of beginning to pray, my prayer had been answered! This was miracle #4 for me.
B. The Stranger with $420 — One day, I was thinking about attending a conference in a faraway city. At the time, I didn't have much money—but I chose to go anyway. At the end of the first day, a man I had never met handed me a wad of twenty-dollar bills—$420 to be precise! When I asked him why, he said, "I feel led of the Lord to do it." Then he gave me a hug, turned, and walked away… and I never saw him again. This was miracle #5 for me.
C. The Appetite for the Word — Having been taught the importance of reading and studying God's Word, I struggled with doing it consistently. So, I prayed earnestly one night and asked the Lord to help me. The very next day, I was given a voracious appetite to read God's Word—so much so that I read the entire New Testament in seven days. Then I read it again in ten days. This was miracle #3 for me.