There may be many minds who, having carried no trial to the Lord, have never been brought into intimate acquaintances of the ways in which the Lord tries the faith of his children, nor led to see and observe his wonderful control over human wills and circumstances.  The power of the Lord is learned only by those who in deep trouble have faithfully sought Him and seen his ways of deliverance.

None can ever understand the full power of prayer until they have learned the lesson of trust.  It is only when for the first time in the Christian’s own life of faith, it realizes the hand of God in his personal dealings with him, how near He is, or how clearly he feels the presence of that tremendous overruling Spirit which

    “Turneth the heart whithersoever He will.”

The actual existence of our God is therefore proved, not alone from History, nor from the Bible alone, nor from current natural or religious feeling and beliefs, nor from the testimony of old witnesses several thousand years old, but from the actual incidents of present prayer, and the literal answer.  Daily faith and trust and prayer have made the Christian deeply acquainted with Him and his ways, and humbly dependent upon his care and love and help, in the events of life. No one ever faithfully trusted the Lord in vain.

Circumstances so clouded that it has been impossible for men to control, have, through believing prayer, been so made to change, that through them has been revealed living evidences of the presence of

    The Ever Living God.

* * * * *

DISCERNING PRAYER.

INTRODUCTORY.

BY D.W.  WHITTLE.

To recognize God’s existence is to necessitate prayer to Him, by all intelligent creatures, or, a consciously living in sin and under condemnation of conscience, because they do not pray to Him.  It would be horrible to admit the existence of a Supreme Being, with power and wisdom to create, and believe that the creatures he thought of consequence and importance enough to bring into existence, are not of enough consequence for him to pay any attention to in the troubles and trials consequent upon that existence.

Surely such a statement is an impeachment of both the wisdom and goodness of God.

It were far more sensible for those who deny the fitness and necessity of prayer to take the ground of the atheist and say plainly “We do not pray, for there is no God to pray to,” for to deny prayer, is practical atheism.