Jim Cymbala famous quotes

The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimidated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray!
-- Jim Cymbala

#Praying #Trouble #Instinct

No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend upon our times of prayer.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Believe #Matter

Anything, and I mean anything, becomes a blessing if it drives us to prayer.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Prayer #Mean

By not forgiving, by not letting wrongs go, we aren't getting back at anyone. We are merely punishing ourselves by barricading our own hearts.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Heart #Forgiving #Not Forgiving

God is more powerful than anybody's past, no matter how wretched. He can make us forget - not by erasing the memory but by taking the sting and paralyzing effect out of it
-- Jim Cymbala

#Memories #Powerful #Past

You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning.  You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night.  But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Jesus #Morning #Prayer

The Bible does say, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." Preaching, music, the reading of the Word-these things are fine-but they must never override prayer as the defining mark of God's dwelling.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Reading #Dwelling

Prayer is the opening of the heart so we can receive all these good things that God has for us every day. It's like sitting down at a table that God has prepared for us. He says, 'I have everything you need today - all the grace, all the wisdom, all the provision that you need - but sit down at the table and eat. Don't be so rushed and so busy and try to live without My supply.'
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Heart #Grace

Trouble is one of God's great servants because it reminds us how much we continually need the Lord.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Needs #Trouble

I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He cannot resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Weakness #Needs

The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Heart #Effort

Persistent calling upon the name of the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God. For Christians in these troubled times there is simply no other way.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Prayer #Names

Prayer begets Revival, which begets more prayer.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Revival

God nowhere asks anyone to have a large church. He only calls us to do his work, proclaiming his Word to people he loves under anointing power of the Holy Spirit to produce results that only he can bring about.
-- Jim Cymbala

#People #Church #Anointing

What does it say about our churches today that God birthed the church in a prayer meeting, and prayer meetings today are almost extinct?
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Church #Doe

I have discovered an astonishing truth. God is attracted to weaknesses.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Weakness

Doesn’t the God who created the universe out of nothing and put all the stars in place, have the power to take care of your situation?
-- Jim Cymbala

#Stars #Care #Situation

God is not aloof. He is not disconnected. He says continually through the centuries, I’ll help you, I really will. When you don’t know where to turn, then turn to me. When you’re ready to throw up your hands - throw them up to me. Put your voice behind them too, and I’ll come and help you.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Hands #Voice #Helping

The fact that we were created to enjoy God and to worship him forever is etched upon our souls
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Forever #Soul

Jesus called fishermen, not graduates of rabbinical schools. The main requirement was to be natural and sincere.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Jesus #School #Requirements

The work of God can only be carried on by the power of God. The key is not $, organization, cleverness or education. No matter the society or culture, the city or town, God has never lacked the power to work through available people to glorify his name.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Keys #Cities #Names

Prayer cannot truly be taught by principles and seminars and symposiums. It has to be born out of a whole environment of felt need. If I say, "I ought to pray," I will soon run out of motivation and quit; the flesh is too strong. I have to be driven to pray.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Running #Strong #Motivation

In too many churches today, people don't see manifestations of God's power in answer to fervent praying. Instead, they hear arguments about theological issues that few people care about.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Issues #People

I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Inability #Admitting

Faith never denies reality but leaves room for God to grant a new reality.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Reality #Rooms #Deny

I knew God wanted to do much more...and he would, if we provided good soil in which he could work.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Soil #Wanted

If we repeatedly read the Bible without the help of the Holy Spirit, it tends to reinforce our own prejudices and rock-hard doctrinal positions. We end up merely finding ammunition for what we already believe. We become so spiritually proud, so convinced of our own positions, that the Spirit is hindered in helping us to grow in the things of God.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Believe #Rocks #Prejudice

People who have a seeking heart still make mistakes. But their reaction to rebuke and correction shows the condition of that heart. It determines what God is able to do with them in the future.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Mistake #Heart #People

Oh, how we need to wake up to the fact that the Holy Spirit’s blessing and power is the key to everything.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Blessing #Keys #Needs

I have seen God do more in people's lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in ten of my sermons.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Real #People

Let's forget the novelties. If we prevail in prayer, God will do only what he can do. How he does things, when he does them, and in what manner are up to him. The name of Jesus, the power of his blood, and the prayer of faith have never lost their power over the centuries.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Jesus #Prayer #Names

The first century money changers were in the temple, but they didn't have the spirit of the temple... They were out of sync with the whole purpose of the Lord's house. "The atmosphere of my Father's house," Jesus seemed to say, "is to be prayer. The aroma around my Father must be that of people opening their hearts in worship and supplication. This is not a place to make a buck. This is a house for calling on the Lord.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Jesus #Prayer #Father

Your future and mine are determined by this one thing: seeking after the Lord.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Determined #Lord

When we sincerely turn to God, we will find that His church always moves forward, not backward
-- Jim Cymbala

#Moving #Church #Turns

Does the Bible ever say anywhere from Genesis to Revelation, 'My house shall be called a house of preaching'? Does it ever say, 'My house shall be called a house of music'? Of course not. The Bible does say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'. Preaching, music, the reading of the Word - these things are fine; I believe in and practice all of them. But they must never override prayer as the defining mark of God's dwelling. the honest truth is that I have seen God do more in people's lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in ten of my sermons.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Real #Believe

The reason "other churches" don't grow: "Jim, the truth is, I couldn't have a real prayer meeting in my church. I'd be embarrassed at the smallness of the crowd..."
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Real #Church

The birth of the church was during a prayer meeting, not preaching, not singing, but prayer.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Prayer #Singing #Church

For all of us involved in preaching the gospel, performing music, publishing Christian materials, and all the rest, there is an uncomfortable message here: Jesus is not terribly impressed with religious commercialism
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Religious #Jesus

The Bible does not say we should aim at numbers but rather urges us faithfully to proclaim God's message in the boldness of the Holy Spirit. This will build God's church God's way.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Numbers #Church #Doe

IN THE WORLD OF advertising, every copywriter knows the power of two magic words: "Free!" and "New!" We see them in the supermarket, in the newspaper, on billboards. And consumers respond. In the church today, we are falling prey to the appeal of "New!" The old truths of the gospel don't seem spectacular enough. We're restless for the latest, greatest, newest teaching or technique. We pastors in particular seem to search for a shortcut or some dynamic new strategy that will fire up our churches.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Fall #Teaching #Fire

It may not seem obvious at first glance, but the way we make decisions in life tells a lot about the kind of faith we have in Jesus Christ.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Jesus #Christian Inspirational #Decision

I despair at the thought that my life might slip by without God showing Himself mighty in my life.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Despair #Might

The main thing that God asks for is our attention.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Attention

God says to us, "Pray, because I have all kinds of things for you; and when you ask, you will receive. I have all this grace, and you live with scarcity. Come unto me, all you who labor. Why are you so rushed? Where are you running now? Everything you need, I have."
-- Jim Cymbala

#Running #Prayer #Grace

He (God) is not looking for smart people, because He is the smart one. All he wants are people simple enough to trust him.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Smart #Simple

To be a Christian, you can’t go with the flow. You have to go by the Word of God.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Christian #Flow #Word Of God

The key is not money; organization, cleverness, or education. Are you and I seeing the results Peter saw? Are we bringing thousands of men and women to Christ the way he did? If not, we need to get back to His power source...
-- Jim Cymbala

#Men #Keys #Organization

The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray. And the more we sense a need to pray, the more we want to pray.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Needs #Want #Praying

O God, split the heavens and come down! Manifest yourself somehow. Do what only you can do.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Heaven #Splits #Manifest

The cross, as poignant as it is, is understandable from a human perspective: an innocent man was murdered by crooked politicians and religious leaders. But the empty tomb-- what can you say? Only a supernatural God could accomplish that.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Religious #Men #Perspective

When we see only what we want to see in the Bible, it loses all power to transform us.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Want

The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But if you have both, you grow up.
-- Jim Cymbala

#Growing Up #Blow #Dry