Evangelicals know that the power behind the eighteenth century revivals and the great nineteenth century missionary movement was prayer, and that the prayer was made out of hearts agonizing over the prospect of all who leave this world without Christ being lost. Was such prayer misconceived? uninstructed? foolish? wrong-headed? An evangelical who values his heritage must ponder that question, recognizing that if universalism is true all that missionary passion and praying was founded on a monstrous mistake.
— J.I. Packer (1926–2020), Theologe und Autor
Topics: Prayer & Silence, Witness & Mission, Eternity & Hope Beyond Death
Occasions: For Reflection
J.I. Packer
James Innell Packer (1926–2020) war ein britisch-kanadischer anglikanischer Theologe und Autor, der nach Stationen in England langjährig am Regent College in Vancouver lehrte. Er verband puritanisch geprägte reformierte Dogmatik mit praktischer Frömmigkeit, verfasste das Standardwerk »Gott erkennen« und wirkte maßgeblich an der Chicago-Erklärung zur biblischen Irrtumslosigkeit mit. Für Bibelleser gilt er bis heute als prägender Vermittler klassischer reformatorischer Theologie, wenngleich seine Beteiligung an der ökumenischen Initiative »Evangelicals and Catholics Together« (1994) unter Konservativen zu scharfen Kontroversen führte.
All quotes by J.I. Packer (48)
When we pray, the circumstances often remain the same, but we become different.
Oswald Chambers
Prayer does not change God, but the one who prays.
Søren Kierkegaard
Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
Corrie ten Boom
To pray is to draw breath from God.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Prayer does not equip us for greater works – prayer is the greater work.
Oswald Chambers
God has his ear at your heart.
Augustine of Hippo
Prayers are tools not for doing or getting, but for being and becoming.
Eugene Peterson