16 July 1842: I feel that, unless the soul be saturated with prayer and faith, little good may be expected from preaching. 4 September 1842: Prayer should be the main business of every day. 22 February 1846: God will not let me preach with power when I am not much in Him. More than ever do I feel that I should be as much an intercessor as a preacher of the Word. 4 June 1848: It is praying much that makes preaching felt. 29 December 1849: My chief desire should be . . . to be a man of prayer, for there is no want of speaking and writing and preaching and teaching and warning, but there is need of the Holy Spirit to make all this effectual. 21 February 1862: I am convinced that living in the spirit of prayer from hour to hour is what brings down the blessing. 9 September 1876: A time of impotence rising from want of much prayer. Nothing but constant intercourse with the Lord will carry on the soul. I got last Saturday set apart as a day of prayer; and I trace much of my help to that day. 22 June 1878: Ask much, for this is the way to grow rich. 12 May 1888: Found time to give the whole of this day entirely to prayer and meditation. There will be fruit of it to me and my people.