Have you noticed that much of the time God works to accomplish his will and not ours? We often wonder why certain events happen or do not happen, but when we consider that he has a certain vision and way of doing things, it can help us understand more about prayer, deeds and faith. Does this mean that God depends on man for everything? Not necessarily.
It’s true there is nothing he cannot do, but at the same time, because of his principles, he usually desires and waits for us to get involved. It’s not that he cannot do whatever he wants on his own, but he chose to develop a strategy for miracles that included working together with man’s faith.
As a minister, chaplain and counselor, I speak with numerous people who need miracles, and the first thing they want to know is whether God will fix their situation. This is a difficult question, because we realize he has a plan for everyone’s journey and a perfect will that he wants his children to achieve. But, much of the time, in order for us to see him demonstrate his power, we must take an active part in the process.
Let’s look at a few examples from Scripture. In I Samuel chapter 17, we read the popular story about the Philistine giant called Goliath who challenged King Saul and the army of Israel. For 40 days, he challenged Israel to send out a soldier to fight him, but they were very afraid. God had the power to squash this mighty warrior, but he wanted to teach a spiritual warfare lesson through his divine principles.
David made the decision to fight, and this was the demonstration God used to manifest his power to defeat the giant. What would have happened if no man had stepped forward in faith? Further, what would happen to any of us if we refused to trust and obey the Lord? The main reason why Christians do not want to talk or even think about their responsibility in spiritual warfare is that they are afraid. You see, worry is doubt, and doubt is the opposite of trust. When we are afraid to stand in faith on God’s promises, we are saying we do not trust him and doubt he will help us. In order to see God’s miracles, we must pray and know that he is listening and that it’s time for us to step forward.