What response does this phrase elicit from you? I guess it depends on the context. If you come across these words on a religious cable network, there is a good chance that you, like me, will change the channel quickly. For they are often accompanied by words like, "send money now!" Not too surprisingly, when I googled these words, one of the first results was the web page of an infamous prosperity preacher.
However, in spite of such misuse, these words come from a truly wonderful children's song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. The chorus goes like this, "I anticipate the inevitable, supernatural, intervention of God—I expect a miracle." I was introduced to this song years ago at a performance of a musical group from George Fox College that my sister was part of. I couldn't tell you much else about that program, but this song is now hard-wired into my brain and occasionally spontaneously plays when the topic of miracles comes up.
I guess there are worse children's songs to have stuck in your head—think big purple dinosaur. (You're welcome.) In reality, the message of this song provides a much needed reminder. For in the daily grind, it is all too easy to lose sight of the fact that we serve a God who does the impossible. Nowhere is it put more succinctly than the angel's response to Mary when she asked how a virgin would give birth. Answer?  "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
I tend to forget this. I tend to forget that our God is the God of the impossible. I tend to forget that the Maker of the heavens and the earth is my Father, my Abba, my Dad! As a result, my expectations are often far too low. I tend to limit my expectations by what I think I can do, by what I think is "humanly possible." I forget that I serve the God of the impossible. In fact, Jesus also reminds the disciples of this truth when He says, "All things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27).
Have you ever thought that the reason we do not see more miracles in our day is, in large part, because our expectations are too low? I am not talking about things like winning the lottery. Yes, if God would miraculously enable us to win the lottery, I am sure we would do a lot of good for others, as well as ourselves. But this is not the kind of miracle I am talking about.
I am talking about miracles in relation to God's Kingdom. I am talking about miracles of loved ones who are steeped in addiction being set free to embrace the love of God. I am talking about people we know who are hardened, even bitter, with regards to the things of God, experiencing a softening toward their Maker. I am talking about healing for broken relationships and genuine help for those in need. Do we pray for such things with a spirit of expectation? Or do we tend to pray with a spirit of resignation, as if things will never change?
And the same could be said with regards to prayers for God's work through His church. I wonder how often those who are members of this local fellowship of believers are praying for God's work in and through our ministries? And when we do pray, I wonder how often we do so expecting the miraculous?
I sense that there were more than a few praying this way for our Vacation Bible School outreach. And look what God did? We saw more kids than ever come to learn about Jesus. Sometimes it is easier to pray about a one-time event, however, than it is to pray about a weekly ministry. But we need to be praying the same way about AWANA and our Sunday morning children's ministries, that God would be drawing these little ones to Him and blessing the ministry of our children's workers. We need to be praying the same way about our student ministries, with expectation that God will use Sunday school and Sunday evening meetings to make disciples of our youth and youth in our community. We need to be praying with expectation regarding our adult Sunday school classes, small groups, finances, committees—that God will be blessing, leading, and doing more than we could ever accomplish on our own. And, certainly, we need to be praying with expectation about our weekly worship service that our worship will become more and more God-honoring, that the preaching would result in life-change and that we would see more and more people drawn to the truth of the Gospel and into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let us pray. And let us pray with expectation that the God of the impossible will be accomplishing the impossible in and through us. Let us pray expecting the inevitable, supernatural intervention of God. Let us pray expecting miracles.
In Him, Pastor Dan