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The Wonders of Prayer by Various

V >> Various >> The Wonders of Prayer




In speaking of them, Doctor Cullis says: "We do not give these instances
of the healing of the body, dear friends of Jesus, as in any degree
paramount to the healing of the soul; but that as the dear children of
God, we may claim all our privileges, and enjoy the knowledge of our
fullness of possession in Him who declares" _all things are, yours_."
Shall we in any manner, of smallest or largest import, limit the love
and power of God, who deigneth out of the highest heaven to declare,"
_The Lord thinketh upon me_." As an earthly parent separates no part of
the well-being of his child from his watchful care, so doth our Heavenly
Father not only "_forgive all our iniquities_," but "_healeth all our
diseases." Let us not confine faith operation to the saving of the soul,
while God's word is full of previous promise for the saving, keeping,
and healing of the body_.

"_For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy
wounds, saith the Lord_."


A MOTHER'S FAITH--THE LIFE OF BEATE PAULUS.


In a sketch of the life of Beate Paulus, the wife of a German minister
who lived on the borders of the Black Forest, are several incidents
which illustrate the power of living faith, and the providence of a
prayer-hearing God.

Though destitute of wealth, she much desired to educate her children,
and five of her six boys were placed in school, while she struggled, and
prayed, and toiled,--not only in the house, but out of doors,--to
provide for their necessities.

"On one occasion," writes one of her children, "shortly before harvest,
the fields stood thick with corn, and our mother had already calculated
that their produce would suffice to meet all claims for the year. She
was standing at the window casting the matter over in her mind, with
great satisfaction, when her attention was suddenly caught by some
heavy, black clouds with white borders, drifting at a great rate across
the Summer sky. 'It is a hail-storm!' she exclaimed in dismay, and
quickly throwing up the window, she leaned out. Her eyes rested upon a
frightful mass of wild storm-clouds, covering the western horizon, and
approaching with rapid fury.

"'O God!' she cried, 'there comes an awful tempest, and what _is_ to
become of my corn?' The black masses rolled nearer and nearer, while the
ominous rushing movement that precedes a storm, began to rock the sultry
air, and the dreaded hail-stones fell with violence. Half beside herself
with anxiety about those fields lying at the eastern end of the valley,
she now lifted her hands heavenward, and wringing them in terror, cried:
'Dear Father in heaven, what art thou doing? Thou knowest I cannot
manage to pay for my boys at school, without the produce of those
fields! Oh! turn Thy hand, and do not let the hail blast my hopes!'
Scarcely, however, had these words crossed her lips when she started,
for it seemed to her as if a voice had whispered in her ear,' Is my arm
shortened that it cannot help thee in other ways?' Abashed, she shrank
into a quiet corner, and there entreated God to forgive her want of
faith. In the meantime the storm passed. And now various neighbors
hurried in, proclaiming that the whole valley lay thickly covered with
hail-stones, _down to the very edge of the parsonage fields, but the
latter_ had been quite spared. The storm had reached their border, and
then suddenly taking another direction into the next valley. Moreover,
that the whole village was in amazement, declaring that God had wrought
a miracle for the sake of our mother, whom he loved. She listened,
silently adoring the goodness of the Lord, and vowing that henceforth
her confidence should be only in Him."

At another time she found herself unable to pay the expenses of the
children's schooling, and the repeated demands for money were rendered
more grievous by the reproaches of her husband, who charged her with
attempting impossibilities, and told her that her self-will would
involve them in disgrace. She, however, professed her unwavering
confidence that the Lord would soon interpose for their relief, while
his answer was: "We shall see; time will show."

In the midst of these trying circumstances, as her husband was one day
sitting in his study, absorbed in meditation, the postman brought three
letters from different towns where the boys were at school, each
declaring that unless the dues were promptly settled, the lads would be
dismissed. The father read the letters with growing excitement, and
spreading them out upon the table before his wife as she entered the
room, exclaimed: "There, look at them, and pay our debt with your faith!
I have no money, nor can I tell where to go for any."

"Seizing the papers, she rapidly glanced through them, with a very grave
face, but then answered firmly, 'It is all right; the business shall be
settled. For He who says, "The gold and silver is mine," will find it an
easy thing to provide these sums.' Saying which she hastily left the
room.

"Our father readily supposed she intended making her way to a certain
rich friend who had helped us before. He was mistaken, for this time her
steps turned in a different direction. We had in the parsonage an upper
loft, shut off by a trap-door from the lower one, and over this door it
was that she now knelt down, and began to deal with Him in whose
strength she had undertaken the work of her children's education. She
spread before Him those letters from the study table, and told Him of
her husband's half scoffing taunt. She also reminded Him how her life
had been redeemed from the very gates of death, for the children's sake,
and then declared that she could not believe that He meant to forsake
her at this juncture; she was willing to be the _second_ whom He might
forsake, but she was determined not to be the _first_.

"In the meanwhile, her husband waited down stairs, and night came on;
but she did not appear. Supper was ready, and yet she stayed in the
loft. Then the eldest girl, her namesake Beate, ran up to call her; but
the answer was, 'Take your supper without me, it is not time for me to
eat.' Late in the evening, the little messenger was again dispatched,
but returned with the reply: 'Go to bed; the time has not come for me to
rest.' A third time, at breakfast next morning, the girl called her
mother. 'Leave me alone,' she said; 'I do not need breakfast; when I am
ready I shall come.' Thus the hours sped on, and down stairs her husband
and the children began to feel frightened, not daring, however, to
disturb her any more. At last the door opened, and she entered, her face
beaming with a wonderful light. The little daughter thought that
something extraordinary must have happened; and running to her mother
with open arms, asked eagerly: 'What is it? Did an angel from heaven
bring the money?' 'No, my child,' was the smiling answer, 'but now I am
sure that it will come.' She had hardly spoken, when a maid in peasant
costume entered, saying: 'The master of the Linden Inn sends to ask
whether the Frau Pastorin can spare time to see him?' 'Ah, I know what
he wants,' answered our mother. 'My best regards, and I will come at
once.' Whereupon she started, and mine host, looking out of his window,
saw her from afar, and came forward to welcome her with the words: 'O
Madame, how glad I am you have come!' Then leading her into his back
parlor he said; 'I cannot tell how it is, but the whole of this last
night I could not sleep for thinking of you. For some time I have had
several hundred _gulden_ lying in that chest, and all night long I was
haunted by the thought that you needed this money, and that I ought to
give it to you. If that be the case, there it is--take it; and do not
trouble about repaying me. Should you be able to make it up again, well
and good--if not, never mind.' On this my mother said: 'Yes, I do most
certainly need it, my kind friend; for all last night I too was awake,
crying to God for help. Yesterday there came three letters, telling us
that all our boys would he dismissed unless the money for their board is
cleared at once.'

"'Is it really so?' exclaimed the innkeeper, who was a noble-hearted and
spiritual Christian man. 'How strange and wonderful! Now I am doubly
glad I asked you to come!' Then opening the chest, he produced three
weighty packets, and handed them to her with a prayer that God's
blessing might rest upon the gift. She accepted it with the simple
words: 'May God make good to you this service of Christian sympathy; for
you have acted as the steward of One who has promised not even to leave
the giving of a cup of cold water unrewarded.'

"Husband and children were eagerly awaiting her at home, and those three
dismal letters still lay open on the table, when the mother, who had
quitted that study in such deep emotion the day before, stepped up to
her husband, radiant with joy. On each letter, she laid a roll of money
and then cried: 'Look, there it is! And now believe that faith in God is
no empty madness!'"


THE PERSECUTOR'S FATE.


Dr. Eugenio Kincaid, the Burman missionary, states, that among the first
converts in Ava were two men who had held respectable offices about the
palace. Some time after they had been baptized, a neighbor determined to
report them to government, and drew up a paper setting forth that these
two men had forsaken the customs and religion of their fathers, were
worshiping the foreigner's God, and went every Sunday to the teacher's
house; with other similar charges. He presented the paper to the
neighbors of the two disciples, taking their names as witnesses, and
saving that he should go and present the accusation on the next day.

The two Christians heard of it, and went to Mr. Kincaid in great alarm,
to consult as to what they should do. They said if they were accused to
government, the mildest sentence they could expect would be imprisonment
for life at hard labor, and perhaps they would be killed. Kincaid told
them that they could not flee from Ava, if they would; that he saw
nothing he could do for them, and all that they could do was to trust in
God to protect them, and deliver them from the power of their enemies.
They also prayed, and soon left Kincaid, saying that they felt more
calm, and could leave the matter with God.

That night the persecutor was attacked by a dreadful disease in the
bowels, which so distressed him that he roared like a madman; and his
friends, which is too often the case with the heathen, left him to
suffer and die alone. The two Christians whom he would have ruined then
went and took care of him till he died, two or three days after his
attack. The whole affair was well known in the neighborhood, and from
that time not a dog dared move his tongue against the Christians of Ava.

Is there no evidence in this of a special providence, and that God
listens to the prayers of persecuted and distressed children?


THE CAPTAIN AND THE QUADRANT.


A godly man, the master of an American ship, during one voyage found his
ship bemisted for days, and he became rather anxious respecting her
safety. He went down to his cabin and prayed. The thought struck him, if
he had with confidence committed his soul to God, he might certainly
commit his ship to Him; and so, accordingly, he gave all into the hands
of God, and felt at perfect peace; but still he prayed, that if He would
be pleased to give a cloudless sky at twelve o'clock, he should like to
take an observation to ascertain their real position, and whether they
were on the right course.

He came on deck at eleven o'clock, with the quadrant under his coat. As
it was thick drizzling, the men looked at him with amazement. He went to
his cabin, prayed, and came up. There seemed still to be no hope. Again
he went down and prayed, and again he appeared on deck with his quadrant
in his hand. It was now ten minutes to twelve o'clock, and still there
was no appearance of a change; but he stood on the deck, waiting upon
the Lord, when, in a few minutes, the mist seemed to be folded up and
rolled away as by an omnipotent and invisible hand; the sun shown
clearly from the blue vault of heaven, and there stood the man of prayer
with the quadrant in his hand, but so awe-struck did he feel, and so
"dreadful" was that place, that he could scarcely take advantage of the
answer to his prayer. He, however, succeeded, although with trembling
hands, and found, to his comfort, that all was well. But no sooner had
he finished taking the observation than the mist rolled back over the
heavens, and it began to drizzle as before.

This story of prayer was received from the lips of the good Captain
Crossby, who was so useful in the Ardrossan awakening; and he himself
was the man who prayed and waited upon his God with the quadrant in his
hand.


THE FAITH OF DOROTHEA TRUDEL.


The life of Dorothea Trudel has afforded some remarkable instances of
answer to prayer; during the years 1850 to 1860, at the Swiss village of
Maennedorf, near the Lake of Zurich, and that of Molltingen, were seen
and witnessed, cases of cure in response to unyielding faith in the
promises of the Lord.

Dorothea Trudel was a worker in flowers, and in time came to have many
workers under her, and when she was about thirty-seven years of age,
four or five of her workers fell sick. The sickness resisted all
treatment, grew worse, appeared to be hopeless. She was a deep, earnest
Christian, and while diligent and unselfish as a nun, yet her anxiety
for her work people drew her to earnest prayer and study of the
Scriptures for relief. Like a sudden light, she says, the well known
prayer of the Epistle of James, 5: 14, 15, flashed upon her.

"If medical skill was unavailing, was there not prayer? And could not
the same Lord who chose to heal through medicines, also heal without
them? Was he necessarily restricted to the one means? There was a time
when his healing power went forth directly; might it not be put forth
directly still?"

Agitated by these questions, she sought help in prayer, and then
kneeling by the bedside of these sick people, she prayed for them. They
recovered; and the thought that at first had startled her, became now
the settled conviction of her life.

Her reputation spread; others who were sick, came to her for relief, but
she sought only the recovery of the patients by prayer alone. Many
recovered. Her doors were besieged, and at last she consented to receive
invalids at her home, from compassion. By degrees her own house grew
into three, and at last it became in fact a hospital.

She lived a life of humility, and perfect simplicity, yet strength of
faith, and at her death her work was, and still is, carried on by Mr.
Zeller, who also has had marvelous successes in answer to prayer.


REMARKABLE CURES.


There have been gathered together in her biography, well authenticated
cases of answer to prayer, when the patient was considered wholly
incapable of help from medical skill.

"There was one of a stiff knee, that had been, treated in vain by the
best physicians in France, Germany and Switzerland; one of an elderly
man who could not walk, and had been given up by his physicians, but who
soon dispensed with his crutches; a man came with a burned foot, and the
surgeons said it was a case of '_either amputation or death_' and he
also was cured; one of the leading physicians of Wurtemburg, testifies
to the cure of a hopeless patient of his own; another remained six
weeks, and says he saw all kinds of sicknesses healed; cancers and
fevers have been treated with success; epilepsy and insanity more
frequently than any other form of disease.

"Neither is the life and experience of Dorothea Trudel an exceptional
one. Pastor Blumenhart of Wurtemberg, has had his home crowded for years
with patients, and cures occur constantly.

"The mother of Dorothea Trudel was an eminently pious woman, and it was
her custom, when any of her children were ill, to bring them in prayer
before the feet of the Heavenly Physician, as Dorothea herself says:
'Our mother had no cure except prayer, and though at that time we did
not understand, yet since then we have found it out, that it was the
healing hand of the Saviour alone, that helped and restored us.'"


CURED OF THE SMALL-POX.


"Even when I had the small-pox, and became blind, no doctor was sent
for, and no one was told of it. Our father was not at home (he, father,
most unfortunately, was not a religious person); and when our mother
asked him to come, telling him how ill I was, he would not believe it,
and preferred to remain with his friends. Our mother, however, was not
in the least vexed or excited; she prayed for him, for all of us,
especially for her sick child, and before my father came home, my eyes
were re-opened."


CURED OF SEVERE FITS.


"Once again, one of my brothers had a fit brought on through fright. It
was a most violent and painful attack, and we were greatly alarmed. This
time, also, our father was out; and our mother said to us, I know this
fearful illness, my children; it is one of the heaviest trials which
could have, occurred, but Jesus, who cured that lunatic boy, can heal
our child. Do not speak of the attack to any one; we will go only to
Jesus about it; and then she prayed with us.

"Not long after, a second fit came on, and again our father was taking
his pleasure at the public house. This time mother told him what had
happened in his absence; but he laughed at it, and said, 'I don't
believe it; you were frightened at the child having bad dreams.'

"His wife replied, 'For the sake of your unbelief, I hope that the child
will have another attack whilst you are at home, so that you may witness
it yourself, then you will believe; I pray God, however, that this may
be the last time.'

"It came to pass about a week after, that another most dreadful fit came
on; the boy foamed violently, and threw himself about in fearful
convulsions; on this occasion the father was present, and he was
convinced of the nature of the attack, and alarmed at what he saw. _But
the mother's prayer was heard, for the disease never showed itself again
for thirty-four years, while both parents lived_."


BUYING A COW.


"Our father going away abroad, he sold one of our two cows, and took the
proceeds with him. (He, the father, was a reckless spendthrift, idle,
and fond of the public inn.) A rich neighbor directly offered to loan us
money enough to buy another; this kind proposal we gratefully accepted.
Although we did not understand much about bargains of this kind, yet the
cow we purchased served us so remarkably, that we were obliged to
acknowledge whence the blessing came. In Summer we could sell fourteen
measures of milk; in Winter, twelve to the dairyman, so that the
borrowed money was speedily paid.

"At the same time the cow performed the farm work required of it, with
such strength and quickness, we were astonished. When our father, on his
return, heard us speaking with pleasure of this animal, he became so
enraged with the poor thing, that he was determined to sell it, and
actually _offered it at half its value_.

"The faithless children were in a continual fright. When any one came
near the house, we thought that we were assuredly going to lose our cow.
But mother exhorted us not to be so fearful; for, said she, 'If your
father could do always as he likes, none of you would be alive now; but
God will never let him go any farther than he sees to be for our good.
Believe me, God, who has given us this cow, will keep it for us as long
as we need it.'

"And so it turned out, for the cow never left us whilst our mother was
alive; and when we were all provided for, a purchaser came, who paid a
high price for the creature, having heard of its wonderful powers from
the man to whom we sold the milk for so many years; but no sooner was
the animal taken to its new home, than the wonder ceased, and _this cow
became no better than any other_."


A LADY CURED, WHO HAD BEEN REJECTED FROM AN ASYLUM.


"Madam M----, the mother of twelve children, had been quite shattered in
mind by the death of her husband, and had been actually sent away
uncured from an asylum. She came to Dorothea's home, was blessed in
remembrance in her prayers, _and after seven weeks went away perfectly
cured_. She acknowledged the Lord was indeed her helper, and she has
remained well to this day."


THE SOUL CURED AS WELL AS THE BODY.


On many occasions she experienced wonderful help from God, who, while
performing marvels for the body, which is the least important part,
accomplishes what is far greater, even the salvation of souls.

"Among others, one named B. T----, went to her, who had been suffering
for six months from a disease of his bones, and had been for a
lengthened period in a Swiss hospital, under medical treatment. At
length he, by the advice of Christian friends, sought for relief from
his malady at Dorothea's house. His care began in the first week of his
visit, and in a few weeks he was completely recovered."

On one occasion a young artisan came, in whom cancer had made such
progress as to render any approach to him almost unbearable.

"At the Bible lessons, this once frivolous man, now an earnest inquirer,
learned where the improvement must begin; and from the day that he
confessed his sins against God and man, the disease abated. Some time
afterwards he acknowledged one sin he had hitherto concealed, and then
he speedily recovered his bodily health, and returned to his home cured
in spirit also."

"A lady in S---- had so injured her knee by a fall, that for weeks she
lay in the greatest agony. The doctors declared that dropsy would
supervene; but the Heavenly Physician fulfilled those promises which
will abide until the end of the world; and by prayer, and the laying on
of Dorothea's hand, the knee was cured in twenty-four hours, and the
swelling vanished."


PRAYER, NOT MESMERISM.


"Several people have maintained that her work was one of mesmerism; and
when once she was asked to visit an out patient, she earnestly implored
the Lord _not_ to heal this invalid through her means if she employed
mesmerism; but if not, to permit recovery. The woman was cured in a
short time, though Dorothea had never entered her house, and had,
therefore, no opportunity of placing herself in a mesmeric relation to
this patient."


HELP IN PECUNIARY AFFAIRS.


"In pecuniary affairs, also, the Lord was their helper. Many times
something had to be paid, and they had no means wherewith to meet the
claims. Once, God actually sent aid by means of an enemy, who offered
money; another time, _three thousand francs_ came from Holland, just as
they were needed, and also unexpected on a third occasion they were
about to borrow money to pay for bread, when two hundred and fifty
francs arrived."


THE FAITH LIFE OF MR. ZELLER.


After the death of Dorothea Trudel, the work at Maennedorf, instituted by
her, has been furthered and carried on by Mr. Samuel Zeller, who had
been her associate. He has published two reports, which contain many
instances of answers to prayer, showing that the Lord still gave blessed
results, and rewarded their faithful trust.

"No disease is found to be more obstinate than epilepsy, yet several
instances are recorded of patients being restored to perfect health.
Persons afflicted with mental disorder and convulsions are frequently
brought to Maennedorf, and many return cured or benefited.

"On one occasion, a lady who had been afflicted with constant headache
for five years, found her disorder removed speedily under the influence
of prayer. In other cases the passion for strong drink was taken away;
fever more or less disappeared; and the subjects of various kinds of
chronic diseases, even some apparently far gone in consumption, have
found their strength return to them under the same influence.

"Unhappy victims of spiritualist delusions have found deliverance at the
mercy-seat; and there, too, many in the bondage of sin have rejoiced in
a present Saviour.

"One patient afflicted with convulsions, who came several years
successively without being cured, at last confessed that she possessed a
book of 'charms' in which she put some degree of, faith, and she had
recommended them to others. She was led to see the folly and sin of such
things, and soon after the book was burned she was restored to health."

Many cases have occurred where the suffering patient was utterly unable
to come to Maennedorf, but prayer has been offered there in their behalf,
and the answers have been as frequent as with the cases which have come
under the same roof.

"A brother living at R---- was seized with a violent fever, and appeared
to be at death's door. Intelligence having been sent to Maennedorf,
united prayer was made in his behalf; and very soon afterwards a
telegraphic message announced that he was recovering. On this occasion
the promise was remembered with joy,' Before they call I will answer.'"

"Perhaps one of the most striking cases of blessing recorded is that of
a lady, who was subject to fits of insanity so violent that they
threatened her life, and who was so far conscious of her miserable
condition, that happening to go into a meeting where she heard God's
word, she requested to be prayed for. A friend wrote to Maennedorf,
describing the case, and asking prayer on her behalf; and only a
fortnight later, the same friend communicated the happy news of her
recovery. After a fit of unusual severity, she fell into a deep sleep,
from which she awoke in her right mind; more than that, she learned to
believe in the _Lord Jesus_, and rejoiced in His love."