Pastor Jim Cymbala currently pastors one of the largest churches in New York City – Brooklyn Tabernacle. Pastor Cymbala understood early on that for his ministry and church to be successful the need of the hour was persistent and fervent prayer and a firm reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit.
As I was looking over which quotes to share in this collection the constant thread of the importance of prayer became evident. My friends according to Pastor Cymbala prayer is the key to unlocking the power of the church to become the beacon of light to a world living in total darkness. Not only that but prayer is essential for the growth of the Christian into a strong ambassador for Christ. I pray the following quotes will deepen your desire to spend more time in your prayer closet.1
“Few Christians have anything but a vague idea of the power of prayer; fewer still have any experience of that power. The Church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God’s wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used—never used to the full measure of honoring God.”
“I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power.”
“When we calmly reflect upon the fact that the progress of our Lord’s Kingdom is dependent upon prayer, it is sad to think that we give so little time to the holy exercise.”
“Prayer is God’s plan to supply man’s great and continuous need with God’s great and continuous abundance.”
“Does anyone really think that America today is lacking preachers, books, Bible translations, and neat doctrinal statements? What we really lack is the passion to call upon the Lord until he opens the heavens and shows himself powerful.”
“Around us is a world lost in sin, above us is a God willing and able to save; it is ours to build the bridge that links heaven and earth, and prayer is the mighty instrument that does the work.”
“It is the effectual, fervent prayer that influences God.”
“Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings Him into active aid.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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?”
“The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimidated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray!”
“The fact that we were created to enjoy God and to worship him forever is etched upon our souls.”
“The Gospel, in its success and power, depends on our ability to pray.”
“If Jesus himself prayed with ‘loud cries and tears’ at times, then we can certainly feel free and unashamed to pour out our souls to God.”
“We are not New Testament Christians if we don’t have a prayer life.”
1 All these quotations listed in this devotion are from the following websites:
Jim Cymbala Quotes (Author of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire)
Top 60 Jim Cymbala Quotes (2025 Update) – QuoteFancy