Quotes by Charles Finney
Charles Finney (1792–1875) — Erweckungsprediger · Reformiert · USA
Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875) war ein US-amerikanischer Rechtsanwalt, presbyterianischer und kongregationalistischer Prediger sowie Präsident des Oberlin College in Ohio. Er gilt als prägende Gestalt der Zweiten Großen Erweckung, führte neue methodische Mittel wie die Bußbank ein und engagierte sich entschieden im Abolitionismus. Während seine Schriften heute für ihren Fokus auf Gebet und radikale Lebensübergabe rezipiert werden, stießen seine Abkehr von der traditionellen Erbsündenlehre, sein Perfektionismus und der psychologische Druck seiner Methoden auf anhaltende theologische Kritik.
Era: Revival & the 19th Century
Recurring topics: Growth & Character, Prayer & Silence, Guilt & Forgiveness, Church & Congregation, Witness & Mission, Faith & Trust, Humility & Pride, Temptation & Struggle
Quotes by Charles Finney
Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other's hearts in prayer.
Charles Finney
Prayer meetings are the most difficult meetings to sustain because they are the most spiritual meetings of the church.
Charles Finney
Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility.
Charles Finney
A revival of religion is needed when Christians have lost their compassionate heart for the unconverted.
Charles Finney
Revival is a personal matter. There can only be a general revival when the number of revived individuals is multiplied.
Charles Finney
Revival is nothing other than becoming obedient to God again.
Charles Finney
There will only be a revival if someone strives especially for it.
Charles Finney
Prevailing prayer is that which secures an answer. Saying prayers is not offering prevailing prayer. The prevalence of prayer does not depend so much on quantity as on quality.
Charles Finney
A revival may be expected when Christians have a spirit of prayer for a revival. That is, when they pray as if their hearts were set upon it.
Charles Finney
God is ready to send us a revival, and we can have it according to the power that works in us.
Charles Finney
False repentance is when the individual still feels the desire to sin. He abstains from it, not because he abhorrs it, but because he fears its consequences.
Charles Finney
A religious revival consists of the renewal of the love and grace of God's people, and the resulting conversion of sinners to Christ.
Charles Finney
Every Christian makes an impression by his walk and testifies either for one side or the other. He cannot help but bear witness either for or against Christianity. He either gathers with Christ, or he scatters.
Charles Finney
In a revival of religion, hearts are thoroughly searched.
Charles Finney
Revival comes from heaven when heroic souls enter the conflict determined to win or die - or if need be, to win and die! The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Charles Finney
The heart never goes to God with true repentance unless there is a prior change of mind regarding sin.
Charles Finney
The one who truly repents does not merely see sin as detestable and vile, deserving of abhorrence, but actually abhors it, hates it in his heart.
Charles Finney
There may be a change of opinion without repentance, but there is no genuine repentance without a change of opinion.
Charles Finney
Genuine repentance is when the love of sin is truly abandoned.
Charles Finney
Genuine repentance works a reformation of conduct.
Charles Finney
The individual who has passed through true repentance is willing that it should be known that he was a sinner and has repented.
Charles Finney
A revival is the only thing that can remove the reproach and shame from the church of Christ and restore the Christian faith to public esteem.
Charles Finney
If professing Christians realized how much money they spend on things that are really nothing but poison, they would be astonished.
Charles Finney
A revival of religion is needed when personal and family prayer, and prayer meetings, are neglected.
Charles Finney
It is utter folly for the church to think it can keep pace with the earth's rapid population growth without extensive, sustained and genuine revivals.
Charles Finney
A revival can be expected when His servants and scholars leave it to God to promote it through the means that please Him.
Charles Finney
When repentance is genuine, the disposition to sin again disappears.
Charles Finney
In true repentance there must be a change of feeling corresponding to sin.
Charles Finney
False repentance is founded on selfishness.
Charles Finney
Some have conviction of sin but not repentance.
Charles Finney
If we need to be revived, it is our duty to be revived.
Charles Finney
The right means rightly used will produce a revival. The means God requires for producing a revival certainly have a natural tendency to produce it — otherwise God would not have required them. But it is well known that means cannot produce revival without God's blessing. Just as seed sown will not yield a harvest without God's blessing.
Charles Finney
It takes two means to produce a revival: one to influence people and the other to influence God. People are influenced by truth; God is moved by prayer. To move God does not mean that God changes His mind through prayer, or that His thinking or His character is altered. Rather, prayer produces such a change in us that it now becomes consistent for God to do something that was not consistent before.
Charles Finney
I felt weak in the presence of temptation, often needed days of fasting and prayer, and had to spend much time reviewing my own religious life, in order to keep my connection with God and my access to divine power that made me efficient in revival work.
Charles Finney
Lack of personal holiness, of anointing, of power in prayer and in preaching the Word, lack of a holy life and devotion to the work, lack of self-denial and vigorous effort in service — these are doubtless the chief reasons why revivals are so rare today and so often only superficial.
Charles Finney
Sources: youtube.com, fox26houston.com
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