If there is anytime in the history of our country where we need a miracle, itís now.

I keep bumping into people that need a miracle in their health, or in their finances. We read in the newspaper everyday that the economy is suffering and families and relationships are being threatened. We need a miracle. In our growing church we need space, but space here is so expensive ñ we need a miracle.

So today weíre going to take a look at the anatomy of a miracle and dissect it. In the book of Acts, the Lord puts a miracle into slow motion. We can actually examine the components of a miracle and thus better understand the ways of God in order to cooperate with Him.

The book of Acts is a story of the early church, how it grew, but also how opposition, and problems grew along with it. In this story, the opposition singles out Peter and throws him in prison for spreading the Gospel. As Peter was being kept in prison the Bible says, "The people were praying fervently". Then on the very night before Herod was about to bring Peter out, accuse him, and most probably put him to death, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers chained to these guards and there were guards by the door watching over the prison.

Peter didnít realize he was in the midst of a miracle. See how the Lord slowed down this miracle in order to allow time for it to come to pass. It took time for the angel to hit him in the side, rouse him, and say get up. It took time for Peter to put on his sandals, his clothes, his coat, and follow the angel pass the guards. It is when Peter gets to the gate and turns around that he realizes he was walking in the midst of a miracle all along.

An obvious miracle took place here, but it wasnít an instant one. Some miracles happen in a flash. But, I want to tell you about the kinds of miracles that change lives, change destinies, or change peopleís futures in a ministry. Often these miracles take place over a period of time. They are more like a process taking on the form of a season rather than a second. These kinds of miracles require something. They require our cooperation and its fulfillment depends on our partnership. Peterís miracle required his step-by-step cooperation and obedience all the way to the gate even through possible opposition and potential danger. If Peter decided at any point to forget it, it would have stopped the process and the miracle would never have been realized.

You may be walking in the middle of a miracle right now and like Peter may not even realize it. Your destiny, future, family, children, job, or finances could be a miracle in the making. You may not see the end of it yet and you may not know how long it will take to get to the iron gates; however, if you follow Him through the potential opposition and danger, you will realize the miracle God has for your life. Indeed, it will require your obedience, cooperation, and partnership in order for it to be fulfilled. Yes there will be times when God may say to you "get up" and it will require your diligence especially when you donít want to. God may be asking you right now, what are you dragging your feet on? Is it making a relationship right or moving into a ministry? Is it giving more of yourself to what God wants you to be doing? Is it the letters you can write, the words of encouragement you can give? Is it the legacy you need to be leaving for your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?

God has given you great respect, favor, and authority -- so walk in it. Now is the time for you to dispense, deposit, and give that legacy. If you donít do it now, you may never have that chance again.

Some miracles may take a season, so why doesnít God just tell us so weíll know?

Because God doesnít want our performance, He wants our genuine heart of joyful compliance and obedience to Him. Otherwise, we just perform for God in such a way as to assure and guarantee the miracle comes to pass and the danger in that is you could be motivated by greed

Therefore, the Lord wants us to develop a genuine lifestyle of joyful compliance. Even though Peter had no idea the miracle was coming to pass, he was willing to do exactly what the Lord was instructing him to do all along the way. His heart had been developed in such a way as to obey the Lord at every turn, thus positioning himself for a lifetime of ongoing miracles. God wants you to obey because He knows there may be a miracle in the making. He doesnít want you to miss it or choose the wrong way. He may want to give you a miracle in your marriage, in your family, or in your future. What you do today in response to what the Holy Spirit is asking may very well determine if a miracle comes to pass or not.

Let me give a word of caution to those of you who are dating and for those of you who are just starting off in a marriage ñ what God has planned for you to be a beautiful miracle can be compromised. How?

• Impatience gives you a tendency to:

• Settle for less than Godís best.
• Grab something you shouldnít have grabbed,
• Take advantage of something you shouldnít have taken advantage of.
• Stop along the way instead of following Him all the way to the gate.
• Give in and compromise what would have been a beautiful miracle.

I remember a time when I bought one of those take home pizzas that I had to bake myself. I was so hungry that when I took it out of the oven, I didnít wait for it to cool off. I cut it, but didnít realize that the cheese was still boiling. I ate a piece and hot cheese stuck to the roof of my mouth. It burned the top of my mouth and when I pulled it off, it took the skin with it. A wonderful meal was ruined because I was so impatient to wait just five minutes before eating it. So for the next week I suffered because of my impatience. It was a pizza in the making and part of the process was it had to cool down before I ate it. Donít let impatience ruin Godís best for your life.

How many times in life are we impatient and what would have been a beautiful miracle from God is compromised and we pay for it years later. If youíve already compromised, already been impatient, and already suffering the burn at the roof of your mouth, then come back to Him with a heart filled with repentance and wisdom. Always remember, when you receive forgiveness receive wisdom along with it. God offers both and He will never give you forgiveness without offering wisdom. Always take forgiveness from a genuine heart, which also provides wisdom so that youíll change. And that is exactly what the scripture says,

It means, repentance was asked for and forgiveness was received along with the wisdom to change so that you donít make that error again. Come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness, for the scripture says:

God may give you protracted miracles because in the midst of it, He is building your character, changing your personality, developing something, and burning away stuff that needs to be burnt away. For if you have poor character and God gives you a miracle too soon youíll squander it, ruin it, or even destroy it. So God is building you. You are not making the miracle the miracle is making you. Then one day youíll see a miracle and a life that is changed and transformed.

How else can Godís plan be compromised?

• Ignorance may cause you to waste what you should have cherished.

• A relationship
• Stewarding finances
• Opportunities

Question 5: How will you be changed from what you learned today?