“When about fifteen I once made a great scandal by taking out my knife in prayer meeting and assaulting a young man who, while I was kneeling down during the prayer, stood above me and squeezed my neck.” MenMadeYoungPrayerMeetingsYoung ManNecksKnivesFifteenScandalKneelingPrayer Meeting Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer
“Work for god, love god alone, and be wise with god. When an ordinary man puts the necessary rime and enthusiasm into meditation and prayer, he becomes a divine man.” MenGodPrayerWiseMeditationDivineOrdinaryEnthusiasmGod LoveBeing WiseOrdinary ManMeditation And Prayer Author:Paramahansa Yogananda
“It is not that God is stingy and must be coaxed, for He "giveth liberally and upbraideth not." It is that we ourselves are so shallow and sinful that we need to tarry before Him until our restless natures can be stilled and the clamor of outside voices be deadened so that we can hear His voice. Such a state is not easily reached, and the men God uses have paid a price in wrestlings and prevailing prayer. But it is such men who rise from their knees confident of His power and go forth to speak with authority.” MenNeedsStatesUseSpeakVoicePrayerHe ManAuthorityPaidKneesWrestlingShallowRestlessPrevailingClamorStingyPrevailing Prayer Book:Blood, Bread and Fire:: The Christian’s Threefold Experience Source: Blood, Bread and Fire:: The Christian’s Threefold Experience
“Whatever a man loves he inevitably clings to, and in order not to lose it he rejects everything that keeps him from it. So he who loves God cultivates pure prayer, driving out every passion that keeps him from it. He who drives out self-love, the mother of the passions, will with God's help easily rid himself of the rest, such as anger, irritation, rancor and so on. But he who is dominated by self-love is overpowered by the other passions, even against his will. Self-love is the passion of attachment to the body.” MenSelfHelpingBodyMotherOrderPassionLosesPrayerLove IsSelf LovePureDrivingGod LoveRejectsAttachmentIrritationRancor Author:Maximus the Confessor
“No benefit comes from a just man's prayer if he who asks for it finds more pleasure in sin than in virtue. For Samuel mourned over Saul when he sinned, but he was not able to obtain God's mercy, for his grief was not supported by the necessary change of life on the part of the sinner. Hence God put an end to the pointless grief of His servant, saying to him, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?' (I Sam. 16:1).” IfsMenLongEndsAbleChristianAsksPrayerSinPleasureGriefVirtueSeeingBenefitsMercyIsraelServantLife ChangingSinnerOrthodoxRejectedMournPointlessNecessary Change Author:Maximus the Confessor
“Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God.” MenHumansSoulFacesPrayerActivityHighestKneesHuman SoulFace To FaceSoul Man Author:Martyn
“Through the plan of prayer, God actually is inviting redeemed man into full partnership with Him; not in making the divine decisions, but in implementing those decisions in the affairs of humankind. Independently and of His own will, God makes the decisions governing the affairs of earth. The responsibility and authority for the enforcement and administration of those decisions, He has place upon the shoulders of the church.” MenEarthChurchPrayerDecisionResponsibilityPlansDivineAuthorityAffairShouldersAdministrationHumankindPartnershipEnforcementGoverningInvitingRedeemedImplementing Author:Paul Billheimer