ACTS 4:29-31: “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” NKJV

OBSERVATION: Am I open to miracles? I am not asking whether I believe in miracles. I can believe that God is a miracle-working God and still not be open to miracles. It is easy for me to expect the process rather than the miraculous touch of God’s hand. The truth is that what we usually experience is the process. Yet, this does not negate the miracle-working power of God.

I need to be open to miracles!

God has worked miracles in my life. One miracle happened almost 10 years ago. I had open heart surgery in 2003 and had an artificial aortic valve replacement. This saved my life. However, it also began a long process of monitoring my heart, taking certain medications, and measuring an enlarged aortic root connected to my new prosthetic valve.

I had prayed for a miracle – but I experienced the process.

Each year one of the tests I had to do was to have a CT scan of the heart. This was to measure the size of the aortic root of my heart. My aortic root was enlarged when I had the surgery. I needed to have it measured each year to ensure that it was not getting larger (which would mean it was getting weaker and I could have an aneurysm). My base measurement was 4.8 (I don’t know the unit used to measure it). The only thing I knew was that if it reached over 5 – I would have to have a conversation with the surgeon.

I went for my routine CT scan and the results came back. They were not good. My aortic root now measured close to a 6 from 4.8. My Cardiologist informed me that the next step was to visit an Internist. From the Internist, I went to see a heart surgeon. He reviewed my scans, listened to my heart, and said I would need to have another open heart surgery to receive a new prosthetic aortic root and a new valve.

I was then scheduled to go into a hospital specializing in heart procedures. I would undergo three tests to determine the best course of action before the surgery. I was scheduled for two heart catheterizations (right and left) and one transesophageal echocardiogram (sending a camera down your throat). I was fully expecting to go into the hospital, undergo these tests, and then go into surgery. This is what happened the last time I was in the hospital for my heart.

The night before the procedure my wife and I prayed. We did not know what to expect but were prepared for the process. We rearranged our master bedroom for a long recovery having already gone through this before. A recliner was placed in the bedroom and furniture was moved to make access easy. We were trusting the Lord but to be honest, we were expecting the process.

We were not prepared or expecting God to break through with the miraculous.

The next morning we went in for the tests. My Internal Cardiologist was there. My wife, sister, and brother-in-law were there. And, I was there – prepared for a long haul. They did the heart catheterizations first. I was awake during these tests and I saw my Internist looking at the tests over and over again. Then I was put to sleep for the TE. I had given this all to God.

I believed in the miraculous, but I was not expecting a miracle.

When all the tests were done my Internist looked puzzled. All of the measurements for my aortic root were back to 4.8. There were no blockages in my arteries and they could not explain what had happened. Like a good surgeon, the surgeon wanted to proceed with the operation. However, the Internist said there was no reason to proceed. He recommended that we just continue monitoring the aortic root every year to keep an eye on it.

That was almost 10 years ago!

My last CT scan just a few months ago was between 4.6 and 4.8. It has stayed at this measurement from 2003 – except for that one CT scan. Was it just a faulty CT scan – or did God perform a miracle? I believe that God intervened and performed a miracle. My Cardiologist, a Christian man, believed the same. He gave me the picture on this post to remember God’s intervention.

The raw faith of the early church as they prayed together challenged me this morning to remember this miracle. No one experiences a miracle in every situation of their life. It is true that for most of our lives, we experience the process. However, we must always be open to God breaking through with His miraculous touch.

We serve a miraculous God who changes our hearts and lives with the miracle of the life of His Son Jesus Christ – each and every day!

If God can change my heart miraculously – He can also change any situation I face. So, although I cannot demand a miracle, I need to be open to God working a miracle. My heart needs to be positioned for God to work through the process and the touch of His miracle-working hand. I need to join in the prayer of the disciples as they earnestly prayed,

“…Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

Lord, position my heart for Your miraculous touch! Grant me the grace and the faith to be – OPEN TO MIRACLES! I trust You in the process and in the wonderful moments You break through with signs and wonders through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus Christ, my Lord!

In Jesus’ Name!