[harimau777]

The distinction that I would make is that Christians view miracles as an intelligent being choosing to temporarily circumvent the laws of nature. That is in contrast to rituals or magical substances which are believed to directly influence the laws of nature.

From a theological perspective (which may not be the same as how a given lay Christian thinks about things) prayer is simply asking God to perform a miracle for you in the same way that you might ask a human to do a favor for you. Similarly, Christian ritual is seen as intended to help humans have faith, not as having any magical properties in of themselves.