Description

Definition
A miracle-worker can perform powerful acts, producing awe-inspiring results that defy most people’s comprehension. A spiritually oriented miracle-worker can produce supernatural results that supersede natural laws; that is, he does not produce his works by natural means.
The Bible contains many examples of miracles: parting the Red Sea, parting the Jordan River, calling fire down from heaven, raising the dead, multiplying oil for sale to pay debts, multiplying food to feed a multitude, changing water to wine, restoring a shriveled hand, and killing a tree by cursing it, to list a few. Miraculous acts such as these are impossible by normal human means and violate natural laws.
The key Greek word in the original text of relevant New Testament verses is dynamis, similar to the English word “dynamite.” The Greek word literally refers to the workings or operations of powers, as in doing deeds of power. The Christian miracle-worker serves as an agent of God’s power to produce exceptional results that glorify God and give powerful evidence of His grace meeting the needs of people.
Let us consider the difference between miracles and healing, though sometimes they are hard to tell apart. Healing emphasizes the normal recovery processes and facilitates them. A miracle is a creative power that supersedes the normal processes. A miracle can result in healing where the healing processes are inadequate, for example.
The power of a true miracle-worker is supernatural in nature; the worker himself has only natural power and is incapable of producing the miraculous work. The emphasis is on the powerful work, not the worker. In fact, First Corinthians says, “God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then dynamis” (1 Cor. 12:28); the Greek text literally refers to the miraculous powers, not the person involved. The human agent is unimportant compared to the power itself and God will not share His glory with anyone.
The Bible is clear about the source of dynamis for both Jesus and believers. Before Jesus was born, the angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the dynamis of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). Here dynamis caused a virgin to become pregnant–definitely supernatural. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:22), He became full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), the Holy Spirit led Him into the desert for 40 days of fasting and temptation, then He returned to Galilee in the dynamis of the Spirit (Luke 4:14; Holy Spirit implied by the context). The “dynamis of the Lord was present for [Jesus] to heal the sick” (Luke 5:17), not Jesus’ personal human power. Peter and John healed a crippled beggar then denied that it happened by their own dynamis or godliness (Acts 3:12). The Bible describes Stephen as “a man full of God’s grace and dynamis” (Acts 6:8). Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received dynamis from above (Luke 24:49), which would happen when the Holy Spirit came on them (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit in us is the source of God’s power on earth today. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing dynamis is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7). That could not be any clearer. When Paul pleaded with God to take away the messenger of Satan, a thorn in his flesh, God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my dynamis is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus, that God would strengthen them “with dynamis through his Spirit” in their inner beings (Eph. 3:16). He also wrote that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his dynamis that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).
As a miracle-worker, you may be in the middle of the most spectacular events imaginable. Keep in mind, however, that your enemy Satan also has dynamis (see Luke 10:19) and that all humans have natural power that is largely untapped. The point is this: not all amazing feats are the result of God’s miraculous power. So while displays of power intrigue you, be very careful to discern the source of the power.
You probably enjoy taking on difficult situations of many kinds. The thrill of using your abilities to conquer a major challenge is what excites you and you are very strong in faith and confidence. You may appreciate power in many forms, even the power of equipment and authority, and you want to see the spectacular results of power in operation. As a Christian, you probably have a great appreciation for the power of God and find the miracles recorded in the Bible intriguing.
Risks are stimulating and exciting to you, so you may boldly jump into difficult and even dangerous situations. You enjoy the thrill of overwhelming difficulties, so you eagerly challenge people or situations.
You may be an extremist in nature, enjoying the thrill of awesome power overwhelming insurmountable problems. This could easily translate into extremist attitudes and behavior, affecting your preferences in clothes, food, hobbies, entertainment, cars, and so on. You might be very alert to people’s opinions of you, wanting them to respect you for doing what no one else can do.

Typical Characteristics
● Enjoy the challenge and excitement of taking on seemingly impossible situations.
● More extreme in your attitudes and behavior than your peers.
● Want respect for doing what no one else could do.

Tendencies
● General Orientation: probably extrovert. You enjoy action, very likely high-energy action where exceptional results can happen. You may or may not be people-oriented.
● Perspective: positive. You are likely to be optimistic, confident of success.
● Priorities, one or more of the following:
● Production, tasks, results. You have a strong desire for results, preferably spectacular ones.
● Physical objects, possessions, equipment. Power equipment turns you on, and the more power, the better.
● Physical body. The more self-centered you are, the more concern you will have for your appearance, your physique, your clothes, and so on. You want to make a strong impression on people.
● Emotions, feelings, pleasure. Your pleasure normally results from a miraculous event, and your inclination toward extremism could easily cause thrills and personal pleasure to become a priority for you.
● Spirit. The spirit is the true source of miraculous power. The more aware you are of the spiritual realm, the more of a priority this will be for you.

Misunderstandings
Even when you perform a God-originated miracle, people may view your natural flair for the spectacular as trying to draw attention to yourself.

Vocations and Roles
Olympic-class athletes, daredevils, miracle-workers, and high-risk entrepreneurs.

Perversions

Self-Centeredness
(Perverts your aptitude by focusing it on you, emphasizing the pleasure or fulfillment it gives you.)
You may exaggerate normal situations without much concern simply to make them more interesting. Egotism and arrogance could be major problems, since others marvel at your spectacular abilities and results. You may frequently glorify yourself, to show off your abilities and boast of your great achievements.

Extremes
(Perverts by exaggerating, taking your characteristics and tendencies to extremes.)
In your continuing search for new challenges, you might begin taking on impossible tasks with great confidence, which would set you up for major failures. This could lead to a preoccupation with sensationalism and the spectacular.

Control
(Self-centeredness makes you want to be in control, and you struggle for control in a way that is unique to your character.)
When faced with a conflict with another person, your natural response is likely to be to overwhelm them with your personal power, whether by argument or threat.

Redemption

Putting on Important Traits
Certain godly character traits are especially important to you as a miracle-worker. Consciously developing the following traits will help you produce exceptional results, often in impossible situations.

● Humility (Considers self relatively unimportant compared to others; prevents using abilities for one’s own satisfaction.) Humility considers your image, desires, and well-being unimportant, and prevents you from accepting any responsibility or glory for the miracle.
● Agape (Considers others’ welfare, needs, interests, and desires more important than your own; motivates you to act for others’ benefit regardless of personal impact.) Agape motivates you to act for God’s glory and the benefit of others.
● Faith or faithfulness (Firm conviction regarding something for which there is no proof; action based on such conviction.) Very likely one of your strongest traits, faith provides a strong confidence that great power is available and will produce the needed result.
● Self-control (Restraint; temperance; moderation in thought, action, or feeling.) Moderation in thought and behavior prevents you from deliberately attracting attention to yourself or creating sensationalism, which detract from the miraculous work God is doing through you.
● Zeal (Intense eagerness to experience a desired result; intense emotion that compels action.) This is a personal intensity and eagerness to see God’s will be done, an intense emotion that compels you to act when others consider the situation impossible.

Repentance, Renewing Your Mind
(The changes you need to make in the way you think, including your attitudes, standards, priorities, and perspective.)
Your role is to be a human agent through whom God produces supernatural works that glorify Him and give powerful evidence of His grace meeting people’s needs. You are not the source of the power, only a channel through whom the Holy Spirit works. You serve God as His agent and you serve people by being a conduit for God’s power to meet their needs.

Denying and Humbling Yourself
(Rejecting your own desires and self-interests. Refusing to be motivated by desire for recognition or credit for the results.)
You must reject the strong tendency to associate yourself in any way with the extraordinary work–suggesting that it was your power, that you did the work, or that God worked through you because of your qualifications. You will free God to do His work more powerfully through you by completely denying any personal abilities and motives.

Taking up Your Cross
(Accepting that which has potential for great harm, threatens to break you down, or reveals your inadequacies.)
God may occasionally put you in situations that are so extreme they seem overwhelming and terrifying even to you. In fact, if you use your own power, you will almost certainly suffer, be worn down, and humiliated by proof of your inadequacy. The purpose of these experiences is to put an end to your feeling of self-sufficiency.

Following Jesus
(How you uniquely imitate Jesus by doing what He would in your situation.)
Jesus came to earth as a servant to free us from the devastating effects of sin, to do for us what we desperately needed but could not do for ourselves. He operated in the power of the same Holy Spirit who resides within you. He clearly stated He came to do His Father’s work, that He only did what He saw His Father doing, and did not act on His own. This is the model you are to follow.

Becoming Like a Child
(Accepting what God gives you, believing what He tells you, trusting Him to take care of you, and simply doing what He says.)
God can work effectively through you only as you learn to trust Him for everything you need, including direction on what to do and the power to do it. You must recognize your own inadequacy and be completely dependent on Him.