A life of miracles is a life fulfilled. To believe in them is the first step toward any expectation of a miracle happening in your life or mine.

A miracle is a supernatural event that only a divine source can produce for anyone, directly or through a person, circumstances, and events. We can't produce our own miracles, but we can certainly call them "miracles" if something totally unusual occurs in our lives.

Saintly people are known to perform miracles while they live their lives, and even after they have passed away. Two perfect and recent examples are Sister Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Pope John Paul II. Many people are familiar with these illustrious persons.

Do many people believe in miracles? Perhaps many do, but my opinion is that people who practice religion, or are simply spiritual, will most likely come across the merits of believing in miracles. I read once in my life this saying, "If you don't believe in God, then, how do you expect a miracle in your life?"

I suppose that if you're an Atheist or an Agnostic, it would be difficult to convince you that miracles do happen to people. I have two very good friends: one just doesn't believe in God, and the other doubts that God even exists, but leaves that option open (whatever that means).

How do you know if a miracle has occurred in your life? And are you presently seeking a miracle for a specific reason?

I will give the best possible answers to those questions, and hopefully you will see an avenue here through a different perspective. I have experienced miracles in my life, and in that of others, and I came to the same conclusion every time: I believe they were miracles!

These are the things that you may want to know beforehand about miracles:

- A miracle can occur in less than a wink, and your life may be spared to see another day. There's no time limit to a miracle, anymore than there's a time limit to the Universe.

- Be very specific as to what exactly it is that you need in your life to occur or in someone else: perhaps a loved one or a close friend. For instance, are you requesting for a miracle of healing, curing, salvation, recovery from an addiction, or for another purpose?

- A request for a miracle to change someone very close to you from bad to good, whilst that person is happy and content being bad, and even hostile toward you and others, is a tough road to take; and that comes from experience with four nephews who got involved in drugs, and their destiny was doomed.

- We are all eligible and deserving of receiving a miracle which can certainly save our lives from a physical attack by a human, and even an animal; or perhaps to recover from various critical conditions such as: a bad accident, terminal cancer, heart attack, a stroke, overdose of drugs, or other drastic and catastrophic events.

- Pray for a miracle with total conviction and truthfulness--if a miracle is exactly what you need to turn things around. This request is totally between you and God, for it is His way to stay in touch with us.

- Believe that a miracle can actually happen for you and your loved ones. If you do believe, then don't hesitate to ask!

- Be patient and pray through the process of experiencing a miracle. Miracles don't run on a timer, and they do happen when you least expect them.

- Be ready for a miracle to occur without you invoking it, or having petitioned for it previously. Give you an example: In 2008 my life and that of four other people was spared from certain death when I avoided a high-speed car collision in the rain late at night, and with very poor visibility. The "life-saving miracle" occurred in less than a second's time.

- A miracle is a precious gift from God, and God alone! Should any man or woman claim credit for having performed a miracle on someone, it would be false and very dishonest.

The following suggestions are provided for your benefit, and hopefully you consider them:

1) First of all, believe that God is the only divine source to provide a miracle. He may use people, events, even circumstances to bring about a miracle; but, a miracle will happen if it is His will. And I believe that a miracle will manifest itself more readily because of the strength of your prayers, and those of others praying toward the same objective with focused faith and belief.

2) Release all doubts about miracles, past beliefs, bad experiences, bitter and bad moments in your life, even other peoples' opinion about miracles. Today is a whole new day, and how you 'walk forward' will determine the results.

3) Dedicate prayer time, preferably early in the morning and late in the evening. If you or a loved one is in critical condition, then you want to pray anytime of the day. You may want to start your prayers with gratitude by saying these words, "Thank you God for taking care of me (or a loved one). I accept Your will, but I am desperate and I am asking for Your urgent help."

4) Feel free to ask people you know personally to pray for you or your loved ones. Many people have incredible powers to bring about results through prayer. However, I am asking you to please avoid all charlatans that profess to have "miraculous powers." All they do is take money from innocent people without a drop of compassion, shame, or regret. You can see them by the dozens on television, or they pop-up in many foreign countries with false pretenses.

5) You will experience miracles in your life and in others close to you, not because you or they deserve them, or that you prayed with all your heart, but because we were all made a promise. No one is singularly favored to receive a miracle, for that domain belongs to anyone who asks and believes.

I have witnessed miracles in my life, my children, and in my relatives and friends. Some miracles were small and others a course in miracles  significant and impressive. Were they true miracles, or just results brought on by medical advances, and in other cases, simply good luck? Perhaps it was a combination of both, but what I do know is whichever it was, a "Thank You," is all that we need to say sometimes.

When your life or mine, or that of a loved one is on the line, we will draw all that we have at our disposal to pull a miracle. And the reason that we can do that is because we have free will, and the right without hindrance to ask God in the silence of our prayers.

I will give you a very recent case. I was asked to pray for the life of this particular gentleman who was found to have nodules in his lungs. Two separate diagnostics were made through c-scans in just over one month. The first analysis proved conclusive, but no cancer was detected through lab tests. So, a second c-scan was made a few weeks later. The nodules had become considerably smaller within that span of time; thus, he was spared the operation which he was already prepped for at the hospital where the surgery was to be performed. Pneumonia was the determining cause for the growth of the nodules.

Was it a "miracle" that occurred here, or just good fortune? It's totally up to the believer to make that determination. The gentleman's beloved wife told me that it could have been any of many things, including: a miracle, deep prayers, the holy water treatment (the water used came from Lourdes).

I am a firm believer that prayers carry more strength if they are dedicated for the benefit of others. Here is proof of deep love and total humility when this gentleman's wife asked me (after having read my article on holy water) to pray for her husband. This request came to me after the first c-scan, but before the second c-scan was taken.

All those who prayed for this gentleman (including my sister in California who is a cancer survivor) and his family and friends became one unified element, and that is a miracle upon itself.

It is indeed a privilege of immense honor to pray for anyone in need, and prayers filled with love, I believe, are the force that brings miracles to life