Everything Starts from Prayer
The new school year is upon us and all around are new classes and new routines. This is a season where wise folks commit all of these new-and-unknowns to God’s care through prayer. In the spirit of prayerful positive momentum, I’ve included below a few facts, quotes, and short prayers to inspire us to “try praying.”
A 2015 Pew Research Center survey revealed that “praying is an almost universal experience. Over 245 million Americans pray regularly. Over 175 million of us pray each day. Even 1 in 4 people who say that are ‘not religious’ still pray.”
When a doctoral student at Princeton asked, “What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?” Albert Einstein replied, “Find out about prayer. Somebody must find out about prayer!”
- Everything starts from prayer. Without asking God for love, we cannot possess love and still less are we able to give love to others. — Mother Teresa of Calcutta
- To pray is to be open to change. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. — Richard Foster
- We cannot make Him visible to us, but we can make ourselves visible to Him. — Philip Yancey
- My little boy came in one day and stuck his little head into the doorway of my study. Now he knew that he was not supposed to disturb me during working hours. And his conscience troubled him a little on account of this. But he looked at me nevertheless with his kind, round, toddler eyes and said, “Daddy, I will sit still the whole time if you will only let me be here with you.” That he received my permission — and my embrace —when he approached my heart that way, every parent knows. — Rev. Ole Hallesby
- You can’t live a Christian life unless you are learning how to pray. — Gordon Smith
- There is no stage of prayer so sublime that it isn’t necessary to return to the beginning. — St. Teresa of Avila
- Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. — the “Jesus” Prayer
Yes and amen to all of the above. God’s grace to you and yours in this season of so many new launches!
Pastor Gregg