Richard Baxter Quotes

If they can see you love them, you can say anything to them.

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Be careful how you spend your time: Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of.

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If family religion were duly attended to and properly discharged, I think the preaching of the Word would not be the common instrument of conversion.

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Remember the perfections of that God whom you worship, that he is a Spirit, and therefore to be worshipped in spirit and truth; and that he is most great and terrible, and therefore to be worshipped with seriousness and reverence, and not to be dallied with, or served with toys or lifeless lip-service; and that he is most holy, pure, and jealous, and therefore to be purely worshipped; and that he is still present with you, and all things are naked and open to him with whom we have to do. The knowledge of God, and the remembrance of his all-seeing presence, are the most powerful means against hypocrisy.

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Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy Scriptures ever have the preeminence. Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it.

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God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man, and consequently faithful in his Master’s work. Take heed, therefore, to yourselves first, that you be that which you persuade your hearers to be, and believe that which you persuade them to believe, and heartily entertain that Savior whom you offer to them.”

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Lord, it belongs not to my care, Whether I die or live; To love and serve Thee is my share, And this Thy grace must give

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Though selfishness hath defiled the whole man, yet sensual pleasure is the chief part of its interest, and, therefore, by the senses it commonly works; and these are the doors and windows by which iniquity entereth into the soul.

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Lord, whatever you want, wherever you want it, and whenever you want it, that's what I want.

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I have pain; but I have peace, I have peace.

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Prayer is the breath of the new creature.

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It is one thing to take God and heaven for your portion, as believers do, and another thing to be desirous of it as a reserve, when you can keep the world no longer. it is one thing to submit to heaven, as a lesser evil than hell; and another thing to desire it as a greater good than earth. it is one thing to lay up treasures and hopes in heaven, and seek it first; and another thing to be contented with it in our necessity, and to seek the world before it and give God what the flesh can spare. Thus differeth the religion of serious Christians and of carnal, worldly hypocrites.

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Naturally, men are prone to spin themselves a web of opinions out of their own brain, and to have a religion that may be called their own. They are far readier to make themselves a faith, than to receive that which God hath formed to their hands; are far readier to receive a doctrine that tends to their carnal commodity, or honor, or delight, than one that tends to self-denial.

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We reach perfection not by copying, much less by aiming at originality, but by constantly and steadily working out the life which is common to all, according to the character that God has given us.

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Despair of ever being saved, "except thou be born again," or of seeing God "without holiness," or of having part in Christ except thou "love him above father, mother, or thy own life." This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven.

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When the Son of God comes to rescue us and bring us back to God, He does not find in us the ability to believe.

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Christ leads me through no darker rooms Than He went through before.

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I must confess, as the experience of my own soul, that the expectation of loving my friends in heaven principally kindles my love to them while on earth.

Frank Laubach Quotes

We must pray for more prayer, for it is the world's mightiest healing force.

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The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says “Amen” and runs away before God has a chance to reply.  Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas. 

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Practicing the presence of God is not on trial. Countless saints have already proved it. Indeed, the spiritual giants of all ages have known it. The results of this effort begin to show clearly in a month. They grow rich after six months, and glorious after ten years. This is the secret of the great saints of all ages. 'Pray without ceasing,' said Paul, 'in everything make your wants known unto God.' 'As many as are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

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Prayer at its highest is a twoway conversation and for me the most important part is listening to Gods replies.

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There is no defeat unless one loses God, and then all is defeat, though it be housed in castles and buried in fortunes.

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I have tasted a thrill in fellowship with God which has made anything discordant with God disgusting. This afternoon the possession of God has caught me up with such sheer joy that I thought I never had known anything like it. God was so close and so amazingly lovely that I felt like melting all over with a strange blissful contentment. Having had this experience, which comes to me now several times a week, the thrill of filth repels me, for I know its power to drag me from God. And after an hour of close friendship with God my soul feels as clean as new-fallen snow.

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How I wish, wish, wish that a dozen or more persons who are trying to hold god endlessly in mind would all write their experiences so that each would know what the other was finding as a result! The results, I think, would astound the world. At least the results of my own effort are astounding to me… The very universe has come to seem so homey! I know only a little more about it than before, but that little is all! It is vibrant with the electric ecstasy of God! I know what it means to be ‘God intoxicated.

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Christ Jesus, we thank You that at last the nations begin to see that every unfortunate one is a neighbor. We see it, Lord; help us to do it. Save us from self-firstness–and begin in me. We pray in Your name.

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We ought to give ourselves up to God in things that are temporal as well as things that are spiritual. We should seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling His will. If He leads us into suffering or if He leads us into comfort, our satisfaction should still only be for the fulfilling of His will, for both suffering and comfort are the same to a soul truly resigned to Him.

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Come to the Lord, ask Him not to deliver you from this situation but ask Him for strength to bear this thing. Ask Him to give you a deep and strong love for Him. Ask Him to give you everything that would please Him. Ask Him to give you what He will and to do with you what He wishes as long as He pleases.

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The Lord knows best what is needful for us. What He does, He does for our good. If we really knew just how much He loves us, we would always be willing to receive anything from His hand. We would receive the bitter and the sweet without distinction. Anything, yes everything would please us just because it came from Him.

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This sense of being led by unseen hand which takes mine while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily...sometimes it requires a long time early in the morning. I determine not to get out of bed until that mind set upon the Lord is settled.

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Oh, this thing of keeping in constant touch with God, of making Him the object of my thought and the companion of my conversations, is the most amazing thing I ever ran across. It is working. I cannot do it even half of a day- not yet, but I believe I shall be doing it some day for the entire day. It is a matter of acquiring a new habit of thought.

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This concentration upon God is strenuous, but everything else has ceased to be so. I think more clearly, I forget less frequently. Things which I did with a strain before, I now do easily and with no effort whatever. I worry about nothing, and lose no sleep. I walk on air a good part of the time. Even the mirror reveals a new light in my eyes and face. I no longer feel in a hurry about anything. Everything goes right. Each minute I meet calmly as though it were not important. Nothing can go wrong excepting one thing. That is that God may slip from my mind.

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The sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes mine, while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily.

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In defense of my opening my soul and laying it bare to the public gaze in this fashion, I may say that it seems to me that we really seldom do anybody much good excepting as we share the deepest experiences of our souls in this way. It is not the fashion to tell your inmost thoughts, but there are many wrong fashions, and concealment of the best in us is wrong. I disapprove of the usual practice of talking ‘small talk’ whenever we meet, and holding a veil over our souls. If we are so impoverished that we have nothing to reveal but small talk, then we need to struggle for more richness of soul. As for me, I am convinced that this spiritual pilgrimage which I am making is infinitely worthwhile, the most important thing I know of to talk about. And talk I shall while there is anybody to listen.

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Our Unseen Friend becomes dearer, closer and more wonderful every day until at last we know Him as 'Jesus, lover of my soul,' not only in songs, but in blissful experiences. Doubts vanish, we are more sure of Him being with us than of anybody else. This warm, ardent friendship ripens rapidly until people see its glory shining in our eyes--and it keeps on growing richer and more radiant every month.

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We whisper 'God' or 'Jesus' or 'Christ' constantly as we glance at every person near us. We try to see double, as Christ does -- we see the person as he is and the person Christ longs to make of him. Remarkable things happen, until those in tune look around as though you spoke. Perhaps there is no finer ministry than just to be in meetings or crowds, whispering 'Jesus' and then helping people whenever you see an opportunity. The atmosphere of a room changes...