J. C. Ryle Quotes

The 'means of grace' are such as Bible reading, private prayer, and regularly worshiping God in Church, wherein one hears the Word taught and participates in the Lord's Supper. I lay it down as a simple matter of fact that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification.

I think that's a struggle of every Christian, to be able to get to that point where they're in constant prayer with God - so that everything they do, in thought, in speech, in work, is praising God and worshipping God.

Prayer shouldn't be casual or sporadic, dictated only by the needs of the moment. Prayer should be as much a part of our lives as breathing.

Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the church.

The Christian will find his parentheses for prayer even in the busiest hours of life.

A man who prays much in private will make short prayers in public.

Prayer is not just getting ready for Christian service. Prayer is Christian service.

I would love to have a more earnest prayer life! In my life, prayer is the single most difficult discipline. I love God and there's something in me that would rather do things for God than talk to God. I'm not by nature a mystical, devotional person. I like to do things. And so it's a challenge for me to have a faithful prayer life, but I know God loves me and He's not mad at me. He just wishes I would slow down and turn things over to Him. And that's what I think you achieve through prayer.

Nothing is more vital than prayer in Christian existence, and few things are more vulnerable to neglect.

What is the reason that some believers are so much brighter and holier than others? I believe the difference, in nineteen cases out of twenty, arises from different habits about private prayer. I believe that those who are not eminently holy pray little, and those who are eminently holy pray much.

Prayer, humility, and charity toward all are essential in the Christian life: they are the way to holiness.

Prayer is the center of the Christian life. It is the only necessary thing. It is living with God, here and now.

If your life is rushing in many directions at once, you are incapable of the kind of deep, unhurried prayer that is vital to the Christian walk.

Throughout Jesus' ministry, He took time away from the crowds and even His disciples to pray by Himself. Jesus modeled the importance of not only serving God with our actions but of being still and drawing close to God to renew our souls.

It is impossible to conduct your life as a disciple without definite times of secret prayer

As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.

You may as soon find a living man who does not breathe, as a living Christian who does not pray.

Men who know their God are before anything else men who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for God's glory come to expression is in their prayers. If there is little energy for such prayer, and little consequent practice of it, this is a sure sign that as yet we scarcely know our God.

Holy living is essential preparation for prayer.

Only a life of prayer and meditation will render a vessel ready for the Master's use.

The life of prayer is just love to God, and the custom of being ever with Him.

If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing: it is an infinitely foolish thing.

He who is too busy to pray will be too busy to live a holy life. Satan had rather we let the grass grow on the path to our prayer chamber than anything else.

He who prays as he ought will endeavor to live as he prays.

Has there not been, sometimes, this temptation to do a great deal for Christ, but not to live a great deal with Christ?