235 Quotes by Billy Graham

We should ask ourselves three questions before we speak: Is it true? Is it kind? Does it glorify Christ?

Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.

Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.

Don't let failure or disappointment cut you off from God or make you think that the future is hopeless. When God closes one door, He often opens another door - if we seek it.

God will never send anybody to hell. If man goes to hell, he goes by his own free choice. (Meaning)

God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don't let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He's still on the throne.

Learn to commit every situation to God, and trust Him for the outcome. God's love for you never changes, no matter what problems you face or how unsettled life becomes.

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Our world today so desperately hungers for hope, yet uncounted people have almost given up. There is despair and hopelessness on every hand. Let us be faithful in proclaiming the hope that is in Jesus.

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.

My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world.

Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Prayer to God is like a child's conversation with his father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs.

I am convinced the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God's love for them in Christ.

No matter who you are or what your life has been like so far, the rest of your life's journey can be different. With God's help you can begin again.

If Christianity is valid, why is there so much evil in the world?" To this the famous preacher replied, "With so much soap, why are there so many dirty people in the world? Christianity, like soap, must be personally applied if it is to make a difference in our lives.

God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better.

God does not change - and neither does His love. He loved you before you were born... He loves you now... and He will love you forever.

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The greatest need in the world is the transformation of human nature. We need a new heart that will not have lust and greed and hate in it. We need a heart filled with love and peace and joy, and that is why Jesus came into the world.

We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.

A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.

Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.

We hurt people by being too busy. Too busy to notice their needs. Too busy to drop that note of comfort or encouragement or assurance of love. Too busy to listen when someone needs to talk. Too busy to care.

Be assured that there is no sin you have ever committed that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cleanse.

Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point.

My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us, and will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.

God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.'

A suffering person does not need a lecture - he needs a listener.

If you are ignorant of God's Word, you will always be ignorant of God's will.

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.

When we come to Christ, we’re no longer the most important person in the world to us; Christ is. Instead of living only for ourselves, we have a higher goal: to live for Jesus.

Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to Him in trust and confidence.

A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.

Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don't complain.

The thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.

The very practice of reading [the Bible] will have a purifying effect upon your mind and heart. Let nothing take the place of this daily exercise.

The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.

We should not pray for God to be on our side, but pray that we may be on God's side.

The number one problem in our world is alienation, rich versus poor, black versus white, labor versus management, conservative versus liberal, East versus West. But Christ came to bring about reconciliation and peace.

Even if we may not always understand why God allows certain things to happen to us, we can know He is able to bring good out of evil, and triumph out of suffering.

A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.

Jesus was not a white man; He was not a black man. He came from that part of the world that touches Africa and Asia and Europe. Christianity is not a white man's religion and don't let anybody ever tell you that it's white or black. Christ belongs to all people; He belongs to the whole world.

While our world is shaking and crumbling, we need to realize that one thing will never change, and that is God. He is the same today as he was ten million years ago, and will be the same ten million years from today.

Becoming a Christian is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime.

True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency.

Prayer is the rope that pulls God and man together. But, it doesn't pull God down to us: It pulls us up to Him.

God's mercy and grace give me hope - for myself, and for our world.

All around you are people whose lives are filled with trouble and sorrow, and they need your compassion and encouragement.

Someday your life will be over, no matter how much attention you give to your health. Will you look back with regret, because you nourished your body but starved your soul?

Don't ever hesitate to take to [God] whatever is on your heart. He already knows it anyway, but He doesn't want you to bear its pain or celebrate its joy alone.

You can't control the length of your life. You can control the depth

Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year. It brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul.

In some ways, Christians are homeless. Our true home is waiting for us, prepared by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The way we live often speaks far louder than our words.

Suffering in life can uncover untold depths of character and unknown strength for service. People who go through life unscathed by sorrow and untouched by pain tend to be shallow in their perspectives on life. Suffering, on the other hand, tends to plow up the surface of our lives to uncover the depths that provide greater strength of purpose and accomplishment. Only deeply plowed earth can yield bountiful harvests.

The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.

Prayer is crucial in evangelism: Only God can change the heart of someone who is in rebellion against Him. No matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God's Spirit prepares the way.

Don't be a half-Christian. There are too many of such in the world. The world has a profound respect for people who are sincere in their faith.

Our world is obsessed with success. But how does God define success? Success in God's eyes is faithfulness to His calling.

We can change the course of events if we go to our knees in believing prayer.

It was not the people or the Roman soldiers who put Jesus on the cross - it was your sins and my sins that made it necessary for Him to volunteer His death.

Our valleys may be filled with foes and tears; but we can lift our eyes to the hills to see God and the angels, heaven's spectators, who support us according to God's infinite wisdom as they prepare our welcome home.

You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.

Christianity is not a spectator sport. It's something in which we become totally involved.

Art and education may refine the taste, but they cannot purify the heart and regenerate the individual. His (Christ’s) words were simple yet profound. And they shook people, provoking either happy acceptance or violent refection. People were never the same after listening to him….The people who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.

There comes a moment when we all must realize that life is short, and in the end the only thing that really counts is not how others see us, but how God sees us.

Love your children-and let them know you love them. Children who experience love find it far easier to believe God loves them.

Whatever affliction comes in our life, our Lord goes into the valley with us, leading us by the hand, even carrying us when it is necessary.

In some Churches today and on some religious television programs, we see the attempt to make Christianity popular and pleasant. We have taken the cross away and substituted cushions.

No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying.

The Bible is to your soul what bread is to your body. You need it daily. One good meal does not suffice for a lifetime.

Christ not only died for all: He died for each.

Forgiveness does not come easily to us, especially when someone we have trusted betrays our trust. And yet if we do not learn to forgive, we will discover that we can never really rebuild trust.

We can be certain that God will give us the strength and resources we need to live through any situation in life that he ordains. The will of God will never take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.

Like Joseph storing up grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God's Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.

Two conflicting forces cannot exist in one human heart. When doubt reigns, faith cannot abide. Where hatred rules, love is crowded out. Where selfishness rules, there love cannot dwell. When worry is present, trust cannot crowd its way in.

If you want the perfect plan that God has for your life, you will have to go by way of Calvary to get it.

Jesus had a humble heart. If He abides in us, pride will never dominate our lives.

It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.

Without dark clouds in our lives, we would never know the joy of sunshine. We can become callous and unteachable if we do not learn from pain.

If you find a perfect church don't join it: You'd spoil it.

I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right.

Why should we give God thanks? Because everything we have comes from God.

The cross is offensive because it directly confronts the evils which dominate so much of this world.

Prayers have no boundaries. They can leap miles and continents and be translated instantly into any language.

When the family is destroyed, society eventually disintegrates.

Success in God's eyes is faithfulness to His calling.

Live each day as if it were your last for some day it will be.

My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.

My hope does not rest in the affairs of this world. It rests in Christ who is coming again.

It may be difficult to understand why a test comes our way, but we must never forget that the test is accomplishing refining and purification.

To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.

Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.

When we live apart from God, our lives get out of tune - out of harmony with others and with God. But if we live in tune with the Master, we, too, will find ourselves surrounded by His beautiful music. As this new year begins, ask God to help you tune your life every day to His Word, so you can bring harmony and joy to those around you.

To be peacemaker, you must know the peace giver.

If people are kicking you in the behind, at least you're in front of them.

Ask God to show you His plans, not bless your dreams

We have perfected our weapons but failed to perfect the men who use them.

Our faith becomes stronger as we express it; a growing faith is a sharing faith

The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.

God's hand never slips. He never makes a mistake. His every move is for our own good and for our ultimate good.

Integrity means that if our private life were suddenly exposed, we'd have no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed. Integrity means that our outward life is consistent with our inner convictions.

When Christ's love fills our hearts, it puts selfishness on the run.

Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent.

Don't let past mistakes keep you from seeking God
Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.

All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty.

At the foot of the cross, there are no racial barriers.

The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.

Perhaps the greatest psychological, spiritual, and medical need that all people have is the need for hope.

It is not the temptations you have, but the decision you make about them that counts.

God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.

Someday a loving Hand will be laid upon our shoulder and this brief message will be given: "Come home.

Believers, look up - take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.

Like a spring of pure water, God's peace in our hearts brings cleansing and refreshment to our minds and bodies

God measures people by the small dimensions of humility and not by the bigness of their achievements or the size of their capabilities.

Joy cannot be pursued. It comes from within. It is a state of being. It does not depend on circumstances, but triumphs over circumstances. It produces a gentleness of spirit and a magnetic personality.

Life is just a schoolroom with a glorious opportunity to prepare us for eternity.

Be sure that your motive in praying is to glorify God.

Commitment to great causes makes great men.

"Salvation is always "good news." It is news of God's love and forgiveness-adoption into His family- fellowship with His people-freedom from the penalty of sin- liberation from the power of sin."

Don't let circumstances distress you. Rather, look for the will of God for your life to be revealed in and through those circumstances.

God's hand never slips.

But those who chose to reject God during their lifetime on earth will be separated from him for eternity. This is not God's desire, but man's own choice. God holds every man accountable for his rejection of Christ.

Every day without exception - is a gift from God, entrusted to us to use for His glory.

I look forward to death with great anticipation, to meeting God face to face.

In my travels I have found that those who keep Heaven in view remain serene and cheerful in the darkest day. If the glories of Heaven were more real to us, if we lived less for material things and more for things eternal and spiritual, we would be less easily disturbed by this present life.

There is no way of salvation except through the cross of Christ.

God does not call us to be successful, but to be obedient.

On our knees we are the most powerful force on earth

Any other foundation will fail, but Christ is a sure and steady rock to build your life on.

Most of us know about God, but that is quite different from knowing God.

God is Love' means that He tries constantly to block your route to destruction.

Just because the truth is unpopular doesn't mean that it should not be proclaimed.

When Satan knocks, I just send Christ to the door.

I can tell you that God is alive because I talked to him this morning.

Faith grows when it is planted in the fertile soil of God's Word.

Take your eyes and your ears and your hands and your feet and your thoughts and your heart: Give them completely to Christ

When life is hard it's easy to focus only on the bad things and forget all about the good things God has given us. But God has blessed every one of us in ways we often overlook.

Christ did not suffer and die to offer cheap grace. Jesus did not go willingly to the cross so we could have an easy life or offer a faith built on easy-believism. As someone once said, 'Salvation is free, but not cheap.' It cost Jesus His life.

You possess a non-renewable resource, which is headed toward total depletion and that resource is time. You can either invest your life or let it dribble through your fingers like sand in an hour glass. If there is ever a time to redeem every second, every minute it is now. You may never have tomorrow. You can't count your days, but with the Lord as your Savior you can make your days count.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the minds of people, makes us yearn for God, and takes spiritual truth and makes it understandable to us.

Christ alone can bring lasting peace - peace with God - peace among men and nations - and peace within our hearts.

Remember: He WANTS your fellowship, and He has done everything possible to make it a reality. He has forgiven your sins, at the cost of His own dear Son. He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship.

Remember: the Bible is our only authoritative source of information about Heaven.

The most remarkable thing about suffering is that God can use it for our good.

There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.

The older I get, the more important the eternal becomes to me personally.

Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have

The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin-but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.

Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and his will first in everything you do.

If ever there was a time this country needed the intervention of God, it is now.

Yes, Satan is real, but so is Christ, and someday Satan will be defeated and Christ will rule forever. Don't be deceived, but open your heart and mind to Jesus Christ, and put your life into His hands.

We have resorted to every means to win back the position that Adam lost. We have tried through education, through philosophy, through religion, through governments to throw off our yoke of depravity and sin. All our knowledge, all our inventions, all our developments and ambitious plans move us ahead only a very little before we drop back again to the point from which we started. For we are still making the same mistake that Adam made - - we are still trying to be king in our own right, and with our own power, instead of obeying God's law.

Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will.

I used to read five psalms every day - that teaches me how to get along with God. Then I read a chapter of Proverbs every day and that teaches me how to get along with my fellow man.

The Bible is not an option, it is a necessity. You cannot grow spiritually strong without it.

The only thing He forgets is our sins.

God is concerned about everything that concerns us - without exception.

Being judgmental and condemning is not one of the gifts of the Spirit.

Each generation faces different issues and challenges, but our standard must always be measured by God's Word.

Don't worry about what you can't do; focus instead on what you can do... and then do it.

If we have no mercy toward others, that is one proof that we have never experienced God's mercy.

Heaven is real and hell is real, and eternity is but a breath away.

Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together.

Jesus Christ opened heaven's door for us by His death on the cross.

Robots do not love. God created us with the capacity to love. Love is based upon one's right to choose to love. We cannot force others to love us. We can make them serve us or obey us. But true love is founded upon one's freedom to choose to respond.

A true Christian, living an obedient life, is a constant rebuke to those who accept the moral standards of this world.

Prayer should not be merely an act, but an attitude of life.

A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.

Living for Christ is a day-to-day going on with Him. It is a continuous dependence upon the Spirit of God. It is believing in His faithfulness.

We have found that marriage should be made up of two forgivers. We need to learn to say, "I was wrong, I'm sorry." And we also need to say, "That's all right, I love you."

If it weren't for God's grace, you and I wouldn't be able to live for even one more minute.

[There are] seven gifts God gives you when you commit your life to Christ: a new relationship, a new citizenship, a new family, a new purpose, a new power, a new destiny, and a new journey.

If your faith isn't rooted in the Bible, it will wither like a plant pulled out of the soil.

Faith implies four things: self-renunciation, reliance with utter confidence on Christ, obedience, and a changed life.

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.

Only God who made us can touch us and change us and save us from ourselves.

Your salvation depends on what [Christ] has done for you, not on what you do for Him. It isn't your hold on God that saves you. It's His hold on you.

If you know Christ, you don't need to beg for the Holy Spirit to come into your life; He is already there- whether you "feel" His presence or not. Don't confuse the Holy Spirit with an emotional feeling or a particular type of spiritual experience.

God never tempts any man. That is Satan's business.

The Bible does not teach that sin is completely eradicated from the Christian in this life, but it does teach that sin shall no longer reign over you.

Before prayer changes others, it first changes us.

Sin was conquered on the cross. Christ's death is the foundation of our hope, the promise of our triumph.

Everything we have comes from (God's) hands; even if we worked for it or earned it, He still gave us the ability and the opportunity to do it.

Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone - except God.

Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a mustard seed, so small you can hardly see it. But if you will put that little faith in the person of Jesus, your life will be changed. He will come with supernatural power into your heart. It can happen to you.

You cannot build a superstructure on a cracked foundation.

The secret of a happy home is that members of the family learn to give and receive love.

God knows what is best for you, and He wants to reveal it to you and show you what you ought to do.

If God can be fully proved by the human mind, then He is no greater than the mind that proves Him.

Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs our burdens today! Keep your eyes on eternity!

No matter what trials we face, Christ never leaves us. He is with us every step of the way!

If you don't make a decision then time will make it for you and time will always side against you!

The farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.

The most thrilling thing about heaven is that Jesus Christ will be there. I will see Him face to face. Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of life's journey.

Scripture tells us that there will be signs pointing toward the return of the Lord. I believe all these signs are evident today.

Men change, fashions change, conditions and circumstances change, but God never changes.

You not only choose between two ways of life but you choose between two masters.

To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards that it has lost its ability to stem the tide of crime, deception and immorality that is sweeping the nation. For millions of church members there is no deep commitment to the cause of Christ, no regularity of attendance at public worship, no sacrificial giving, no personal religious discipline.

Truly, God works in mysterious ways. The wheels of His mercy and justice move quietly, but they do move.

Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God.

When God forgives us and purifies us of our sin, He also forgets it. Forgiveness results in God dropping the charges against us.

Kindness is an essential part of Gods work and ours here on earth.

God's holiness demands that sin be punished - but God's love has provided the way of redemption through Christ.

Learn to keep close to Jesus, to listen to His voice, and follow Him.

God doesn't owe us anything yet in His grace, He still gives us good things.

Those who have suffered make the best comforters.

God made us for one reason: so He could have fellowship with us. It wasn't that He was lonely or needed us but He made us in His image so He could shower His love upon us.

Suffering can give us opportunities to witness. The world is a gigantic hospital; nowhere is there a greater chance to see the peace and joy of the Lord than when the journey though the valley is the darkest.

The greatest fear comes when God is a stranger.

Behind the love of God lies His imniscience - His ability to "know and understand all." At all times, even in the midst of any type of suffering, I can realize that He knows, loves, watches, understands, and, more than that, He has a purpose.

The Bible teaches that faith is the only approach that we have to God. No man has sins forgiven, no man goes to heaven, no man has assurance of peace and happiness, until he has faith in Jesus Christ.

We cannot ask forgiveness over and over again for our sins, and then return to our sins, expecting God to forgive us. We must turn from our practice of sin as best we know how, and turn to Christ by faith as our Lord and Savior.

The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.

Serve God and live; serve these other gods and died.

Heaven will be the perfection we've always longed for. All the things that made Earth unlovely and tragic will be absent in heaven.

One with God is a majority.

God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.

A life touched by the Holy Spirit will tolerate sin no longer.

When you follow Christ, it must be a total burning of all your bridges behind you.

God knows what we are going through when we grieve, and He wants to assure us of His love and concern. He also wants us to turn to Him and bring our heartaches and burdens to Him.

The motive of grace is the infinite, compassionate love of a merciful God, but the work of grace was the death of Christ on the cross.

I am convinced that when a man sincerely searches for God with all his heart, God will reveal Himself in some way.

You can't change your past but you can change you destiny but deciding for Christ.

You're rich if you've had a meal today.

Talk about God can become dreary and lackluster if God isn't in you.

... our little things are all big to God's love; our big things are all small to His power.

I know God is in charge. Not me, I'm nothing. I wouldn't be anything except for the power of the spirit of God.

Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality.

Remember that you can pray any time, anywhere. Washing dishes, digging ditches, working in the office, in the shop, on the athletic field, even in prison - you can pray and know God hears!

Happy is the person who has learned the secret of being content with whatever life brings him, and has learned to rejoice in the simple and beautiful things around him.

Is it not arrogance or narrow-mindedness to claim that there is only one way of salvation or that the way we follow is the right way? I think not. After all, do we fault a pilot for being narrow-minded when he follows the instrument panel while landing in a rainstorm? No, we want him to remain narrowly focused!

There's a way of life, there's a way of death. Which way are you on?

God will not force himself upon us against our will. If we want his love, we need to believe in him. We need to make a definite, positive act of commitment and surrender to the love of God. No one can do it for us.