John R. Mott (1865 – 1955) was an American evangelist who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1946 for his work in establishing and strengthening international Protestant Christian student organizations that worked to promote peace.
A long-serving leader of the YMCA and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), Mott developed a passion for world evangelism, especially among young people. A graduate of Cornell University, Mott served as national secretary of the Intercollegiate Y.M.C.A. of the U.S.A. and Canada. He was also one of the organizers of the World Missionary Conference which later resulted in the formation of the World Council of Churches.
Mott wrote extensively on world evangelism, authoring sixteen books. He was a very popular conference speaker on both sides of the Atlantic and often stressed in his messages the need for fervent prayer to accompany evangelism.
I have listed many of his more passionate quotes on evangelism and prayer below to show you how interconnected they are. I pray that the next time you share the gospel with someone you will pray fervently for their salvation, since, in my opinion, they are two sides of the same coin.1
“It is possible for the most obscure person in a church, with a heart right toward God, to exercise as much power for the evangelization of the world, as it is for those who stand in the most prominent positions.”
“In order to have real prayer and action to change things, we must have conviction as to the need of prayer and action. In order to have conviction as to the need of prayer and action, we must have knowledge.”
“The history of missions is a history of prayer. Everything vital to the success of the world’s evangelization hinges on prayer.”
“A necessary precursor of any great spiritual awakening is a spirit of deep humiliation growing out of a consciousness of sin, and fresh revelation of the holiness and power and glory of God.”
“From the day of Pentecost until the present time, it has been necessary to be of one accord in prayer before the Spirit of God will work with mighty converting power.”
“The invasion of the Church by the world is a menace to the extension of Christ’s Kingdom. In all ages conformity to the world by Christians has resulted in lack of spiritual life and a consequent lack of spiritual vision and enterprise. A secularized or self-centered Church can never evangelize the world.”
“Prayer alone will overcome the gigantic difficulties which confront the workers in every field.”
“The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer.”
“If added power attends the united prayer of two or three, what mighty triumphs there will be when hundreds of thousands of consistent members of the Church are with one accord day by day making intercession for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom.”
“Prayer is the greatest force that we can wield. It is the greatest talent which God has granted us. He has given it to every Christian.”
“The men that will change the colleges and seminaries here represented are the men that will spend the most time alone with God… It takes time for the fires to burn. It takes time for God to draw near and for us to know that He is there. It takes time to assimilate His truth.”
“No other generation but ours can evangelize the present generation.”
“Evangelism without social work is deficient; social work without evangelism is impotent.”
“The missionary church is a praying church. The history of missions is a history of prayer. Everything vital to the success of the world’s evangelization hinges on prayer. Are thousands of missionaries and tens of thousands of native workers needed? Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.”
“We fail to prevail with unconverted men because of our more fundamental failure to prevail with God in prayer.”
“Let methods be changed, therefore, if necessary, that prayer may be given its true place. Let there be days set apart for intercession; let the original purpose of the monthly concert of prayer for missions be given a larger place; let missionary prayer cycles be used by families and by individual Christians.”
1 All of the following quotes are from the websites below:
Inspirational Quotes by John R. Mott
John R. Mott | Deeper Christian Quotes