There can be no victory where there is no combat. The victory lieth not upon us but upon Christ, who hath taken upon him, as to conquer for us, so to conquer in us. Let us not look so much who are our enemies, as who is our Judge and Captain; not what they threaten, but what He promiseth.
– Richard Sibbes –
When a Christian can walk in the midst of fiery trials, without his garments being singed, and has comfort and joy in the midst of everything (when like Paul in the stocks he can sing, which wrought upon the jailor) it will convince men, when they see the power of grace in the midst of afflictions. When they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner in such afflictions as would make others roar: Oh, this is the glory of a Christian.
– Jeremiah Burroughs –
from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, 1648
O brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper – and sleep too – than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgins slumber.
– Andrew Bonar –
is the very highest energy of which the human mind is capable; praying, that is, with the total concentration of the faculties. The great mass of worldly men and of learned men are absolutely incapable of prayer
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge –
Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it
– Corrie ten Boom –
He thinks great folly child,’ said Aslan. ‘This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growling’s and roaring’s. Oh Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! …
– CS Lewis –
He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day
– John Bunyan –
Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and mercy will come down
– John Wesley –
We know the utility of prayer from the efforts of the wicked spirits to distract us during the divine office; and we experience the fruit of prayer in the defeat of our enemies
– John Climacus –