Prayer still works miracles among men; “The fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

The prayer force in God’s government is as strong as any other force, and all natural and other forces must give way to the force of prayer. Sun, moon and stars are under God’s control in answer to prayer. Rain, sunshine and drought obey His will. “Fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy wind fulfilling his word.” Disease and health are governed by Him. All, all things in heaven and earth are absolutely under the control of Him who made heaven and earth, and who governs all things according to His own will.

Prayer still works miracles among men and brings to pass great things. It is as true now as when James wrote his Epistle, “The fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much.” And when the records of eternity are read out to an assembled world, then will it appear how much prayer has shaped in this world. Little is now seen of the fruits of prayer compared to all that it has been accomplished and is being accomplishing. At the judgment day, then will God make known the things which were brought to pass in this world through the prayers of the (God’s people) saints. Many occurrences which are now taken as a matter of fact will then be seen to have happened because of the Lord’s praying ones.

The work of George Muller in Bristol, England, was a miracle of the nineteenth century. It will take the opening of the books at the great judgment day to reveal all he produced through prayer. His orphanage, in which hundreds of fatherless and motherless children were cared for, to maintain which this godly man never asked any one for money with which to pay its running expenses, is a marvel of modern times. His practice was always to ask God for just what was needed, and the answers which came to him read like a record of apostolic times. He prayed for everything and trusted implicitly to God to supply all his needs. And it is a matter of record, that never did he or the orphans ever lack for any good thing.

Of a holy man who has done so much for Christ and suffering humanity, it was said at the grave about him:

“He prayed up the walls of a hospital, and the hearts of the nurses. He prayed mission stations into being, and missionaries into faith. He prayed open the hearts of the rich, and gold from the most distant lands.”

Luther is quoted as once saying: “The Christian’s trade is praying.” Certainly, for a great reason, the preacher’s trade should be praying. I am afraid greatly that many preachers know nothing about this trade of praying, and that's why they never succeed at this trade. A relentless apprenticeship in the trade of praying must be accomplished in order to become a journeyman in it. Not only is it true that there are few journeymen at work at this praying trade, but facts show that many have never even been apprentices at praying. No wonder so little is accomplished by them. God and the supernatural are left out of their programs.

Many do not understand this trade of praying because they have never learned it, and hence do not work at it. Many miracles ought to be worked by our praying. Why not? Is the arm of the Lord shortened that He cannot save? Is His ear heavy that He cannot hear? Has prayer lost its power because iniquity abounds and the love of many has grown cold? Has God changed from what He once was? To all these queries we enter an emphatic; NO! God can as easily to-day work miracles by praying as He did in the days of old. “I am the Lord; I change not.” “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

He who works miracles by praying will first of all work the chief miracle on himself. Oh, that we might fully understand well the Christian’s trade of praying, and follow the trade day by day and so make to ourselves great spiritual wealth!