Miracles is a mysterious topic. Generally, when we think about miracles, our minds go towards grand biblical events like the parting of the Red Sea, burning bushes, instant physical healing and people being raised from the dead. Unfortunately, this limited view on miracles blinds us from seeing the miracles that take place every day. I theorize that our blindness is caused by a blindfold of logic where everything we see daily has a logical cause and effect function. Once our minds see how it makes sense, then there is no reason for us to search for the miracle or what I would simply define as “God intervention”. Is that not what a miracle is, God intervening in areas where we have no control or rational input to the situation’s output? We have conditioned ourselves to believe that our only two options are: logical sense or miracles, as though the two cannot coexist but surely God is just as active in the human-logic as He is in the grand miracles.

As I am reading Acts, for those who may not know, it is filled with the disciples performing miraculous works and sharing the gospel in the name of Jesus, following His ascension. The disciples were left with the Holy Spirit to be boldened and empowered to complete these acts and continued to onward baptizing others in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As we approach chapter 12, the infamous Peter was imprisoned for these acts and was preparing to go to trial and possibly meet his end. However, suddenly (I love that word in scripture), an angel of the Lord met him as he was asleep in jail and broke him out. It is important to note that up until this point, other disciples were praying fervently for his release. Initially Peter thought he was dreaming because clearly, this was just too good to be true, right? What sense did this make? An angel just suddenly breaking him out of prison and freeing him in the plain sight of four squads of guards? Once he realized this was truly happening, he rejoiced and ran to Mary’s house where other disciples were taking refuge and praying for him.

A young servant girl goes to the door as Peter knocked, and when she recognized his voice, instead of answering the door, filled with excitement, she runs back to inform the others that it was Peter. What was their response? “You are out of your mind!” “It must be Peter’s ghost.” My commentary suggests that their lack in belief had everything to do with the messenger, a young servant girl, however, I propose a different theory. What if this showed the flaw in their faith? I thought, “how often have I prayed for something and when fulfilled, I questioned its validity because of the nature in which it unfolded?” Despite my praying to a supernatural and limitless God, I was still expecting a response that made human-sense. Maybe the disciples were expecting Peter to be freed during the trial or something much more rational along those lines. They were not expecting him to show up in the middle of the night after being freed by an angel. They did not recognize their answered prayer because it did not make sense to them, instead, they rather believe the girl was crazy and that it was a ghost. Now you make it make sense.

As I studied this passage, I realized how often we place limits and parameters on how Jesus chooses to answer prayers and reveal Himself to us. “It has to make sense…” (oddly enough, I was just reciting this yesterday as I was decorating my mantel for Christmas). But did it make sense for Jesus, an innocent man, be betrayed by his friend and follower? Did it make sense that Jesus was chosen to go to the cross in place of a guilty man who was then freed? Did it make sense for him to be beaten, tortured, scourged and murdered when the only thing He was guilty of was sharing the Good News of salvation, the truth and bring healing? Did it make sense that death could not hold Him and He rose three days later? Despite our constant attempt make God human by our standards, He already did by His standards, and its outcome does not make sense. We do not serve a God who seeks to accommodate our rationale, He moves on His own and by His own nature.

When He answers our prayers, we must grow receptive to however He chooses to do so, and each answer is a miracle, filled with His divine intervention. The chains of death were broken off Jesus leaving Him unbound, how much more will His responses to our prayers and ways of going about answering and fulfilling them be unbound, unlimited. Remove the scales of logic from your eyes, circumcise your heart to reception, and consecrate yourself onto truth. Allow yourself the liberty to see His miracle any way He chooses to present it.