This past weekend we saw one of the most powerful moves of God at Elevation yet. 581 people saved in just two days. We celebrate and stand in awe of a massive outpouring of God’s power and salvation. But 581 is more than just a big number for us. What makes that number really incredible is that behind it are 581 names. And behind every name there’s a story of a person whose life was redeemed and changed forever.
A foreign exchange student from France who happened to come and was saved.
Six students who found life together after a couple of their friends invited them to church.
A couple in their 60s who both accepted Christ.
I think of the greatest temptations any church faces is depersonalizing the miracles it so desperately longs to see. There is nothing wrong with praying for God to move in unprecedented ways. We shouldn’t settle for small goals when we have a God who is capable of the impossible. But we do not need to forget that God’s miracles involve people. And these are real people with real needs and real situations.
When you look through the gospels, the amount and character of the miracles of Jesus is staggering. But what may be more staggering is that when you look at each one in its context, Jesus’ concern is not with the grandeur of the miracle itself. But with the fact that His power is impacting and transforming the life of an individual.
Jesus sees a woman in a funeral procession who has just lost her only son. So He raises him from the dead. Jesus sees a bent over, ostracized woman while preaching in a synagogue. So he straightens her up. A blind man asks for his sight. And so Jesus restores it. It wasn’t just about the miracle itself. It was about the life that was impacted because of the miracle.
We’re never going to stop praying that God’s power will demonstrate itself in ways we’ve never seen before. We will always pray that God would continue to save hundreds and thousands during our weekend worship experiences. But that’s because we know that there are hundreds and thousands of unique people with unique stories and unique needs who need the same power of Jesus to flow through their lives.
We’re ultimately praying for God to save the life of an individual. To heal one person. To meet the needs of one man. To transform the life of one woman.
And then repeat this event hundreds of times.
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