the same power, are able to do a like work,
make visible the things of His creation by speaking the word of
acknowledgment, that they are already established.

"It was this kind of prayer that enabled the disciples to heal the sick,
cast out demons and do all the wonderful works. Failure was simply a
sign of unfaithfulness in prayer. 'Oh, ye of little faith!' was the
Master's explanatory exclamation.

"Here was a most essential requisite--faith in the Father, who alone is
the power; faith and trust in the invisible All. Why do we pray so much
with no answer to even our most devout aspirations? Because, like the
disciples, we have too little faith.

"The heart-weary mother has prayed for her son, and he still goes the
'broad way that leadeth to destruction,' as she thinks; but for her
heart-weariness, which is but lack of faith, he might have been turned
into 'paths of righteousness.' With her mind continually burdened with
fear, dire forebodings and anxious doubts, she has asked, begged,
beseeched the mighty Ruler of destinies to soften the heart of her
wayward boy. Thankfulness that God has given to her child the common
inheritance to all possible blessings, a pure spiritual nature, the
reflection of the All-Good, has never entered her thought to express.
Her mind is divided between a conception of good and a conception of its
opposite--evil. The result is years of hopeless praying, years of
hopeless waiting. 'A house divided against itself can not stand.'

"'Pray, believing that ye have received.' Thus, 'I thank Thee, Father,
for the perfect reflection of Thyself in my son. He is whole because he
lives in and of Thy wholeness. I thank Thee that Thou hast already done
more than I could ask. 'It is finished.' Into Thy hands I commend my
all.'

"In this is the simple recognition of the All-Father, His love and His
omnipotence. And after this, what? Trust--unwavering, childlike trust.
So the burden is truly 'cast upon the Lord,' evil is overcome, swallowed
up in the Good.

"With such mighty faith, what a cleansing there would be! what a
sincere, glad rejoicing that the true relation between God and man were
proven, for faith is the bond between the invisible and the visible, a
'basis of things hoped for, a conviction of things unseen.'

"With what devoutness, then, would we name the needs and aspirations?
With what certainty would we assert that we have 'already received?' Not
far off in the intangible somewhere,