God still performs miraculous healings, although some changes are subtle like the physical strengthening of Daniel in chapter ten. Long ago as an angel calmed and strengthened Daniel after terrifying him, and God can reach down and physically alter us today too.
Briefly look at this healing in Daniel 10:19: “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,’ he said. Peace! Be strong now; Be strong.’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, ‘Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.’” Daniel was physically weak, so the angel supernaturally strengthened Daniel’s natural body.
Please don’t overlook the miracle in Daniel’s strengthening. He could not stand on his own. The angel terrified him, just like an angel did in an earlier experience (Chapters 7-8.) Daniel suffered for several days (8:27) after that terrifying angelic encounter. The encounter in chapter 10 was so intense, Daniel’s Babylonian friends fled when the angel came (10:7.)
Many people would call this a rare, physical healing, only intended for Daniel’s comfort so he could write about it in Scripture. But many other Scriptures show this strengthening is not rare. Look at just a few of the many verses that speak of God strengthening us: (2Cor12:9) “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak,” (Isaiah41:10) “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and uphold you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”(Deut.20:4) “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give your victory.”(Isaiah40:29) “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Perhaps we underestimate the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. I still do, because I grew up in a denomination that mistrusted its members’ ability to discern the Holy Spirit from a demon. They taught us to not call on Him, lest we accidentally call on a demon instead. I am still growing in my ability to call on the Holy Spirit who wants to perform other miracles in my life, even subtle ones.
In Daniel, chapter 10, the angel supernaturally impacted Daniel’s natural body in the physical realm just like the Holy Spirit works supernaturally in the physical world today. Sometimes we pray and think we calmed ourselves, but God actually (supernaturally) calmed us. He can reach down and help our frail bodies and minds with miracles today, but some changes are subtle, so we miss the fact God was involved.
When we assume we exclusively helped ourselves, we miss meeting with God, to thank Him for his help. This steals an opportunity for joy, especially if we think giving thanks is an obligation. It is not a burden but a joy to meet the One who enthusiastically heals us. Saying, “Thank you,” gives us a chance to look into the face of the One who delights in healing us.
If we get confused and think thanking God is a burden, we don’t get to meet the jubilant Holy Sprit who adores us. Don’t forget Scripture says the Holy Spirit is joyful: “At that same time, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” (Luke 12:21a.) We can have joy recognizing the miracle in our answered prayers for calming, or strengthening, or any other miracle. When we thank God for his help, we get to meet the Holy Spirit who was delighted to give this gift to us.
If we assume we did this in our own strength, or even think we only need a little help from God, we lose joy we could have had if we had acknowledged our helpless state in receiving the Holy Spirit’s help. Pride says a person is self-sufficient, not helpless. But the proud person is not truly joyful. Not only is it true that “Pride goes before a fall,” (Proverbs 16:18,) but pride also goes before loneliness. When we take credit for our calming and strengthening (and other miracles) we destroy fellowship with the Holy Spirit, Father and Son.
I know this distinction is subtle: asking God for help and then believing we did the work ourselves, vs. saying God miraculously helped us when we were helpless. But I am convinced this subtle difference matters, if we want a vulnerable, intimate relationship with Christ. Notice God’s scolding in Joshua 24:13, “I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves, though you did not plant them.” Even as Joshua reminded the Israelites God did so much for them, we must realize God does so much for us. So many verses remind us of our helplessness and need for God to do the supernatural work: “No eye has seen a God, besides you, who works for those who wait for him,” Isaiah64:4. “God is not served by human hands as though he needed anything, but he himself gives breath and life and everything,” Acts17:25. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs,” Matt.5:1.
When we recognize our helplessness, we begin to recognize the alternate reality, the spiritual world. Too often we are blind to this other dimension, like Gehazi was when he told his mentor, Elisha, “Oh my lord, what shall we do?” (2 Kings6:15b.) Gehazi only saw an enormous, human army surrounding them. Listen to the miracle in verse 17: “Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes, and let him see,’ and the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” Elisha helped Gehazi see God’s greater power over his own helplessness.
Why do we miss the supernatural? You may have grown up like me, in a denomination that said all supernatural gifts (miracles) ended after the Apostles died. Having worked with missionaries, I heard many stories of miracles overseas. But I also hear stories of miracles in the USA. People miss the supernatural when they expect miracles to be large, or amazing. Often today’s miracles are subtle, like the angel calming and strengthening Daniel.
Any interaction we have with the Holy Spirit is supernatural. I believe the Holy Spirit’s guidance is one of the subtle or small miracles. Why do I say this? Because it takes a miracle to raise a dead person to life, and we were spiritually dead until the Holy Spirit quickened our spiritual corpses into living spirits. Salvation is a miracle, and every person who surrenders her life to Christ has experienced that miracle.
Yet once people are saved, too many don’t learn to intimately call on the Holy Spirit to guide their every day experiences. In my case, I was taught to not do that. Others are too proud to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. Yet when we don’t seek His help, we miss an intense friendship along with subtle miracles the Holy Spirit offers us.
The Holy Spirit performs other miracles besides calming and strengthening us. As we learn to ask for his help, we will encounter many (at times subtle) miracles. The more we exercise our faith by asking God and trusting Him for an answer, the more we will recognize his intervention for the supernatural miracle it is. Even when God says, “No,” to some of our requests, he still works in our lives.
In the end, recognizing the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives helps us have spiritual vision like Elisha had, and like Gehazi eventually had. Our simple, child-like faith grows into a mature faith that discerns much from the spiritual world.
I offer one word of caution. Even mature, godly believers will not always have answers, as was true of Elisha and Gehazi with the Shulamite woman in 2 Kings chapter 4. In verse 27b Elisha told Gehazi, “Leave her alone. She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” The Holy Spirit withheld the reason for the Shulamite woman’s grief for a while. Earnestly seeking God and not receiving an answer does not mean you lack sincerity or a listening ear to hear God and look for his miracles. Sometimes God works in us during blind times of confusion and waiting. Yet even in our uncertainty, if we keep trusting in God, He will guide us.
Please ask God to open your heart to the unseen spiritual world. You will better recognize miracles (even subtle ones) when God performs them in your life. If you grew up in a denomination that ignores or discourages our access to the Holy Spirit, please contact me so I can pray with you and offer you more guidance about our right to communicate with Him.
Thanks for joining us in this post. May the Lord bless you with spiritual discernment.
Wow Debbie— this is such an excellent post. The part about the Holy Spirit strengthening and calming us is so important to remember and understand. I really needed to read this today as I needed both calming and strengthening. This is a timely post that I know will speak to lots of people as it did to me. Thank you!!!!
Angela, I am so glad I blessed you today. You inspire me and also challenge me with your posts at IFA. Thank you the depth of your investigation and also your reliance upon the Holy Spirit.