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Can real miracles and wonders be
expected to occur in the church today?

Yes. Genuine miracles will occur in response to prayer and faith placed in the promises of God's Word. God's power is as potent today as it was in the days of the early apostles. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). Indeed, God has raised up specific, anointed individuals, who have been used mightily in gifts of miracles and healings (1 Cor. 12:9-10). However, the miraculous is not confined to a select few, but will follow the sincere prayer of any Christian who will believe the Word, as James wrote, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). Any follower of Christ can believe what the Bible says, with the expectation for God to answer prayers and bring miracles in accordance to scripture. "...these signs will follow those who believe..." (Mark 16:17).

For many years of my early ministry, I preached the full Gospel of Jesus Christ, leading many people to Christ, praying for the sick and oppressed and seeing a great many miracles. But I regret to say that miracles have never been commonplace. I had come to accept this as a matter of fact, until the first time that I traveled overseas to minister in a third-world nation. On this missionary journey, I was startled by the spiritual hunger of the people and their eagerness to place their faith in the Gospel that I preached. But most amazing, as I prayed for the sick, nearly every person was healed. There were many other miracles. In a few days, I was teaching the new converts to lay their hands on the sick, and they began to see miracles too.

These events were so remarkable that I was in awe for days. It was as if I was living in the book of Acts! Yet I and my preaching was no different than it had been back in the states. My prayer life was not any more intense, nor did I feel that my faith was any stronger. But I saw abundant results and miracles unlike anything I had ever seen before. At first I could find no explanation for this great contrast. But I later began to realize that there was a difference in the way the people believed. These simple people had a simple faith. They didn't debate or rationalize, they simply believed what the Bible said.

Many people have a great hunger to see miracles today. But unfortunately, some tend to run after the signs and wonders more than they seek the "Lord" of the miracles. The truth is, the miraculous can happen in any church with any group of believers, if they will seek God's face and believe on His Word. Jesus said, "And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matt. 21:22).