Wisdom From the Ancients on the Power of Prayer
Pastor Brad Abley: Biblical Educator
Pastor’s Corner - Wisdom on Prayer
Quotes from Ancients on the Power of Prayer
James 5:16b-18
“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
John of Antioch 347-407
John of Antioch (347-407) was such a great preacher and a prolific writer that he was given the nickname Chrysostom ("golden mouth"). He wrote the following about the awesome power of prayer:
The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of Fire, it has bridled the Rage of lions, hushed Anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, Expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the fates of heaven, assuaged diseases, dispelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.
There is in it an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings!
John Wesley
And John Wesley wrote, "God does nothing on earth, except in response to (believing) prayer." These two wise men lived lives of prayer, they prayed earnestly, and they saw an abundance of answered prayer.
Jesus wrote
But the greatest ancient of all -- Jesus -- urged, "Men ought always to pray, and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). Friend, I write all this to encourage you: never give up in prayer; your answer may soon come!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you might abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:13).
Charles Spurgeon
"True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that. It is a spiritual transaction with the creator of Heaven and Earth."
Other quotes on Prayer:
St. Augustine
"Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him."
Mother Theresa
"Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of Containing God's gift of himself."
Author Unknown
"Do not make prayer a monologue...make it a conversation."
St. Augustine
"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."
Corrie Ten Bloom
"Any concern too small to be turned into prayer is too small to be made into a burden."
Mother Teresa
"God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."
George Herbert
"Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night."
Pastor’s Corner: Quotes on Prayer
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