Maybe you have prayed for a miracle and nothing seemed to happen, leaving you wondering if God is listening or if miracles simply ended centuries ago. Perhaps you grew up hearing stories about God doing the impossible, but somewhere along the way you quietly decided those experiences were reserved for other people. If you are asking whether miracles still happen today, the short answer is yes, yet many believers miss them because of familiarity, spiritual illiteracy, or unresolved unbelief.

We recently began a series at City of Life called Miracles, Signs, and Wonders, centered around a critical question: If Jesus called His followers to live a miraculous life, why do so many who believe in Him never experience it?

Jesus Was Known for Miracles, Signs, and Wonders

When Peter preached right after the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, he introduced Jesus to the crowd with a striking statement found in Acts 2:22. He referred to Him as “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”

Peter could have used any number of theological titles to define Jesus, yet he chose to describe Him as the man everyone had already heard about because of the impossible things He did. God used those miracles to confirm Jesus’ divine authority and show the world He was the Son of God. Most Christians feel completely comfortable agreeing with that historical reality. The trouble arises when we leave miraculous power in the past, acting as if supernatural events happened only around Jesus two thousand years ago and have no relevance to our present circumstances. Jesus never gives us the option to treat His power as a historical artifact.

What Signs Follow People Who Believe in Jesus Today?

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus makes a sweeping declaration about what He expects of His followers. Mark 16:17-18 records His words: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

These supernatural signs are meant to follow everyday believers, which includes you and me today. When none of these manifestations ever show up in our lives, it is worth asking whether our active faith aligns with how Scripture defines belief. Jesus said in John 7:38 that whoever believes in Him as Scripture has said, will experience rivers of living water flowing from within them, a passage referring directly to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Belief that stays trapped in your head as mere intellectual agreement isn't what Jesus described, because genuine faith always leaves tangible evidence.

When people hear about casting out devils, they often picture a dramatic horror-movie scene, but spiritual deliverance is usually much simpler. Several months ago, a successful businessman walked down to the front of our church and admitted to me that he knew he was suffering from demonic torment because he could not even bring himself to speak the name of Jesus. I took authority in Jesus’ name and commanded that spirit to leave. He did not scream or shake; instead, he began to weep softly, sharing that he had never cried in his life and was suddenly filled with deep peace. He walked out completely free. Most of the time, taking authority over the enemy simply means saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” and standing on that authority with full conviction.

 

Similarly, praying in new tongues reflects the ongoing power of Pentecost, allowing believers to pray spiritual mysteries while inviting God to transform how they communicate daily so they no longer speak destruction or negativity. When Scripture mentions taking up serpents or enduring deadly things without harm, it is not instructing us to test God through reckless behavior. It assures us of God's overarching protection, as Isaiah 54:17 echoes: no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Believers do not have to live paralyzed by the fears that dominate the world.

I will admit that my own personal fear used to be cockroaches. When I was nineteen years old, I moved to Texas and into my very first apartment. One night, I walked into the kitchen and saw a creature roughly the size of a small bird sitting on the counter. After a tense standoff, it flew straight toward me, revealing that Texas insects have wings. I can promise you that I spoke in tongues that night out of sheer shock. I can laugh about that moment now, but the deeper truth is that God will often call you into situations that would intimidate anyone else, yet He supplies supernatural courage as a sign of His presence in your life.

Why Don’t More Christians See Miracles in Their Everyday Lives?

Jesus clearly stated that when believers lay hands on the sick, recovery follows, establishing an expectation that His followers would walk in the same authority He demonstrated. Christians often fail to see miracles because fear, a desire for personal control, and spiritual familiarity block them from stepping out in active faith. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Despite this promise, many believers remain afraid to step into their spiritual calling, trust God with their family finances, or pray bold prayers for healing.

Many of us operate as control freaks who insist on solving every problem through human effort first. We fix every circumstance we can manage, then offer brief prayers over what we have already arranged, leaving God virtually no room to guide us into supernatural territory.

Mark 6 offers profound insight into why supernatural power can be constrained. When Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the locals were astonished by His wisdom and had heard reports of His miracles. Yet because they had watched Him grow up, they questioned His authority, asking if He was not simply the local carpenter and the son of Mary. Scripture notes that they were offended by Him, demonstrating how familiarity can quietly shut the door to God's miraculous work.

How Familiarity Can Cause You to Miss What God Is Doing

The familiar phrase that familiarity breeds contempt aligns closely with Jesus' statement in Mark 6:4, where He observed that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house. The people who know your history best are frequently the slowest to recognize God’s spiritual gifts in your life, choosing to focus on your human flaws rather than God's power working through you. This same desensitization can happen to anyone who grew up in church, hearing about faith so constantly that the extraordinary promises of God become routine background noise.

I experienced the power of spiritual hunger firsthand during my years as a recording artist. I had a song playing on radio stations across the country, which led to an invitation to perform at a large church in Connecticut where over a thousand people gathered. Because no one had instructed me on what a typical contemporary concert should look like, I simply began praying for sick people at the end of the evening, just as I had watched my parents do throughout my childhood.

The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through that room, and multiple people experienced physical healing. One woman who attended that service had been diagnosed with AIDS, and she later mailed me a front-page newspaper article showing that her doctors had granted her a completely clean bill of health with no remaining trace of the virus. I still keep that article today.

Reflecting on that night, I wondered why such dramatic miracles happened there while feeling less frequent back home. The difference often comes down to heart attitude: when we become overly familiar with God, we grow desensitized to His authority. Mark 6:5 reveals the sobering result of that mindset in Nazareth, stating that Jesus could do no mighty work there, except to lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. This passage does not describe a limitation on divine power, but rather highlights how the miraculous functions in partnership with human faith. When people settle into unbelief, it grieves the heart of God because Hebrews 11:6 clearly states that without faith, it is impossible to please Him.

Miracles Mean Nothing to Those Operating Without Faith

A central truth to understand about spiritual dynamics is that miracles mean nothing to those without faith, signs mean nothing to those who cannot read them, and wonders mean nothing to those who have lost their sense of wonder.

In Exodus 7, when Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh, and it transformed into a serpent, Pharaoh’s sorcerers duplicated the act using secret arts. Even when Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to listen. This historical account demonstrates that miraculous signs alone will not change a heart that is committed to resistance, nor will extraordinary events persuade someone who lacks spiritual discernment.

You may currently be asking God for a miraculous breakthrough while overlooking supernatural interventions He has already performed in your life. Just recently, my parents experienced what I consider a clear miracle. My mother had an upcoming medical appointment that required a significant out-of-pocket payment, and that very week an unexpected refund check arrived from an industry transaction she had completed eight years prior. The check came within one hundred dollars of the exact amount she owed.

Someone looking through a purely natural lens would call that a simple coincidence. However, when you train your heart to recognize God's hand, gratitude grows, and what you are thankful for tends to increase in your life. This principle is highlighted in the account of the ten lepers healed by Jesus in Luke 17, where only one returned to express gratitude. That act of thanksgiving opened the door to complete wholeness, showing that acknowledging God's goodness positions us to receive more of His grace.

Are You Missing the Spiritual Signs God Is Sending?

Failing to recognize God's activity is a form of spiritual illiteracy. Consider the story of a traveler in Japan who could not read Japanese; when emergency warnings for an impending mudslide flashed across his phone, he ignored them simply because he could not interpret the language, even as everyone around him evacuated to safety.

Many people navigate life in that exact manner, ignoring spiritual warnings as personal relationships struggle or negative consequences accumulate. Rather than humbling themselves to ask God for wisdom, they grow bitter and harden their hearts just as Pharaoh did. If you recognize that tendency in your own life, you do not need to despair. You can simply pray for spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear what God is revealing to you.

Have You Lost Your Personal Sense of Wonder?

Immediately after Jesus fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish, His disciples encountered a violent storm while rowing across the lake. When Jesus walked across the water toward them and calmed the wind, the disciples were completely astonished. Mark 6:52 reveals the reason for their amazement: they had not understood the miracle of the loaves because their hearts were hardened.

Even those closest to Jesus struggled with hard hearts that limited what they expected Him to do. If you prayed for a miracle in the past that did not happen the way you envisioned, you may have subtly concluded that you understand how God operates and stopped expecting Him to move powerfully. God invites you to lay down those cynical expectations and trust Ephesians 3:20, which declares that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

You never need to ration your requests or worry that God will run out of power. If He performs a monumental miracle in your life today, His supply of grace and power remains completely undiminished for tomorrow.

Lord, I Believe; Help My Unbelief

In Mark 9, a desperate father brought his suffering son to Jesus, pleading for help. When Jesus told him that all things are possible for one who believes, the father uttered a profoundly honest prayer: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

That prayer remains one of the most relatable and powerful statements in Scripture. You do not need perfect, unwavering certainty to approach God; you simply need to bring Him the faith you currently have and ask Him to heal the areas where doubt still lingers.

Ready to Experience Your Miracle and Take Your Next Step?

Spiritual growth and supernatural breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. Whether you are praying for healing, overcoming doubt, or simply seeking a believing church family to stand alongside you in faith, there is a seat waiting for you at City of Life Church. Come expecting God to move in your life this week.

Join Us This Sunday — Online or In Person:

• Watch Live Online: City of Life YouTube Campus (https://www.youtube.com/@CityofLife) - Live Stream & On-Demand Services
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