Something about this story stirs a desire in me that to see the miraculous power of God take over my town. I’ve heard other stories about revivals that emptied and eventually shut down bars. Then there are the tales of entire factories full of workers falling to their knees, weeping in repentance, simply because an anointed man of God walked through the door. These stories are fascinating, but I don’t want to be merely a historian of others’ stories. I don’t want to settle for reading the books of other mighty men of God. I want to partner with God in writing some new history books.

Doubtless, these stories did not happen to just anyone, anywhere. It required sacrifice, submission, and faith. Yet it proves that God can do and desires to do amazing things in America. Am I willing to do my part?

I heard a story a few weeks ago about an old time pastor and his wife who went on a 30 day period of prayer and fasting. This pastor would start praying at 12 midnight and pray until 12 noon. His wife would sleep during this time as well as get the kids ready for school. She would then begin praying at noon while he would sleep and get ready for the evening service. She would sit in the back and pray during the service. Then at midnight he would resume his 12 hour vigil. This continued for the duration of the 30 days. When my astonished mind finally registered the magnitude of this couple’s sacrifice, I profoundly uttered one word. “Wow.” Their church began seeing the results of this intense prayer. As soon as people walked through the doors they would instantly feel the anointing and power of God. Revival swept many souls into the church.

While I’m not attempting to persuade you to embark on such a radical prayer mission, perhaps there is something God is looking for from you that will open the door to another spiritual awakening in your area. Pause and consider: why did God put me where I am? What purpose am I supposed to be fulfilling?

Is it crazy to ask God to give us an Azusa Street style spiritual experience? Is it extreme to ask God to give New England another great awakening? Is it ignorant to ask God for a demonstration of the miraculous, leading to a mass exodus of the hospitals and nursing homes? If so, then I will proudly announce that I am crazy, extreme, and ignorant, because those are exactly the sort of things I am asking and believing God for. The time for stories is past; the time for deeds is here.

My parents ran into the room, and when they saw I was having an asthma attack they immediately put me on the nebulizer, but even with all of that medication I wasn’t getting better. So my mom told my older brother and dad to go on to church and that she would stay home with me. After they left, my mom sat down with me and started to pray. My dad and my older brother asked the whole church to pray for me.

When my mom finished praying, she said that I changed from blue to a reddish color. When the church found out that God healed me they praised Him and thanked Him that I was alive. When I went for a checkup the doctor told my mom that my asthma was completely gone — not a trace of asthma! We told the rest of my family, and they all praised God and thanked Him again for what he had done.

Today I am still asthma free. Ever since then I have reminded myself again and again of what He did for me. God has helped me through great problems. Every time I think about it, I thank Him, for without Him I would not be here today. One lady I related this story to said that it was the most amazing story she had ever heard.

God has blessed me in many ways. He has shown me things that I have never seen before. I am thankful for what He has done for me, and more importantly I know that He loves me always and I love Him.

A group of Namburdiri Brahmans were performing their ritual ablutions in the water of a temple basin. The apostle was watching them throw water into the air while they chanted their prayers. “Why do you do that?” he asked. “It is our sacrifice to the gods,” they said. “Why don’t your gods accept it, then? It keeps falling back on you,” said Thomas. The Brahmans were indignant. “Who can make water stay up in the air?” “I can,” said Thomas, and when they asked him to prove it, he said he would but only if they would promise to be baptized if he succeeded. They agreed, and the saint threw the water up and it caught and hung in the sunlight glittering like diamonds.

Like most legends, there’s not enough evidence to either prove or disprove the tale. It’s just a story handed down from generation to generation, undoubtedly embellished along the way. But we should not be too quick to discount the story of Thomas’ miracle simply because it is far-fetched. After all, causing water to float in air is not so different from walking on water like Peter did in Matthew 14 or cursing a politician with blindness as Paul did in Acts 13. Thomas was an apostle of Jesus Christ commissioned in the same manner as they were.

What makes the story of Thomas so hard to accept, while most Christians freely grant that Peter walked on water and Paul blinded a man? There’s the lack of authorial control, of course — legends are notorious for being altered in transit — but there’s also something else. Perhaps we just don’t want the impossible to be so close. We know that God can perform miracles, that He will demonstrate His power to convince sincere doubters, and that He will confirm His word with “signs and wonders” (Hebrews 2:4). But even with all that in mind, we’re more comfortable relegating miracles to “the greats” or to the mists of time.

Closer to home, what if you heard that a preacher in a neighboring town make water hang in mid-air to convince a wavering convert? Would you belive it? Both in our own lives and in the actions of those around us, we need to regain the ability to believe in the impossible when God is involved. Reason is not obsolete and logic is not dead, but God can change the rules — and that means we must be ready to work with a rule-changing God!

What would you say to a “Thomas” story — one that seems impossible? Has God changed physical or institutional rules in your life? How? Visit the comments section and tell us about impossible things that have happened!