Living with an injury that confined me to a wheelchair for months taught me valuable lessons about faith and miracles. Despite being a continuationist who believes God still performs miracles today, I struggled to expect them in my own life.

The Western church remains divided on miracles. Some believe they were only for the apostolic age, while others maintain God still performs them, albeit less frequently. This divide might explain why miracles seem less common in Western cultures – we simply don't expect them anymore.

Two main factors have hindered my faith in expecting miracles:

Modern conveniences have eroded our faith. In the West, we often turn to medicine before prayer. While both divine healing and modern medicine are God's merciful interventions, our easy access to healthcare can reduce our desperation for miraculous healing. In biblical times, people had no choice but to cry out to God, as illustrated by the multitudes bringing their sick to Jesus (Matthew 4:23-24).

Overintellectualizing faith creates barriers. Coming from a secular intellectual background, I brought post-Enlightenment thinking into my relationship with Jesus. However, I've learned that scientific empiricism, while valuable, isn't Truth itself. The scientific worldview has its own faith assumptions and miracles. God, who created science, isn't at war with it.

Through my recovery journey, I've found peace in this tension: While God doesn't always heal, we can confidently pray for healing. He remains sovereign and good regardless of the outcome. I continue to pray earnestly for healing while echoing the disciples' request: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5).

My experience has taught me that whether through immediate miraculous healing or gradual medical treatment, God works in his own way and time. The key is maintaining faith while accepting his sovereignty over the outcome.

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