I'll start off and begin with Miracles.
Dictionary.com states Miracle means:
1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
However, I think we as christians use the term to loosely and far to often. Let me explain:
Let's say a person was a reletively new hiker, was hiking in the mountains and at some point much later in hike slipped and broke their ankle. Another person who was also hiking heard them cry out and come to their aide, and called for help on their radio. Now being that it is late fall, the weather can get pretty bad/cold in the mountains at night. So someone would state that it was a 'miracle' that another person was hiking close by in that area.
The above is set forth to illistrate what I mean about using the term to loosely. What is actaully descibed above is not a 'miracle' but Gods providence. What would have make it a miracle is if that other person would have 'healed' the broken ankle right then and there.
Providence is:
1. (often initial capital letter) the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.
2. (initial capital letter) God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.
3. Care or preparation in advance
Providence is not a miracle, though it is a miraculous thing to know and realize that God is in control even in the most out of control situations.
Though God can use miracles within His providence, miracles are not the same things as Gods providence.
SECONDLY:
Why does God use Miracles?
The primary purpose is as a sign of authentication and valadation that 1) the person who performs the miracle is a servant of the True God, 2) that it IS God who has done these things (2b) and to establish the absoluteness of God's power to those He chooses to reveal it, 3) to declare His majesty, power, and Glory that His creation will both praise and worship Him.
THIRDLY:
How are miracles performed?
However He chooses to work them
(ex same miracle different application - Jesus healing the blind), and through whom He chooses. The 'whom' however, is always a believer but the miracle performed is not always on a believer.
Sometimes God miraculously heals a person who was not even seeking it. Take the lame man that called out to Peter and John for money (Acts 3) but nothing to do with healing nor do we have any indication he thought they COULD heal him. Yet Peter states I have neither silver or gold but such as I have to give, stand up and walk.
Yet at other times, like with Jesus, He states 'thy faith has made the whole' or 'thy faith has healed thee'.
The miracle performed is never performed by the power of the person but God working through that person. Peter healed the lame man in Acts 3 because he was walking in the Spirit and was led to heal the man God intended to heal. We can infer this partly because there was garenteed to be more lame and sick there that just the one but only the one was healed. Another reason is because though they had the gift of healing they did not always heal everyone around them like Jesus did. Take Paul for example. He had the gift of healing but he still did not heal some of even his own team who became sick on his missonary journeys (2 Tim 4:20, Phil 2:26-27)
FOURTH:
Do you see miracles all around you?
No, I see God's amazingness and work all around me (providence) but not miricles.
Though I have seen miracles and in fact have had them happen TO me.
FIFTH:
Are miacles rare?
Define rare? Do you mean around me specifically? I would say yes. Do you mean globally? I would say most likely not.
